Please Help...

[Guy9988]

Community and experts,

I'm on day 23 post-exposure (unprotected hetero/vaginal with a woman who I've briefly dated and claims to be HIV negative). 4 days post exposure: tender groing lymph nodes on only left side, clear painless discharge and a small rash/ingrown hair in pubic area-I know they're not HIV symptoms!  Doctor gives me rocephine shot and the z-pack to treat for possible chlamydia/gon. Blood work for hiv, chlam, gon are neg. Hsv-1 positive and equivocal hsv-2. Symptoms subside within 24 hrs.

I'm a hypochondriac, so I obsessed with the idea of HIV. On day 18, after not eating, drinking, or sleeping for a few days I suffer a panic attack as I was reading symptoms (stupid I know). This lifestyle continued for 2 more days and then I started feeling better. However on that night (day 20) I woke up with what I perceived to be a panic attack: pounding heart, burning skin with flushing, and excessive sweating. This has never happened to me before and it subsided shortly after I woke up. I couldn't sleep and was freaking out around 7 am I called a crisis line. The counselor picked me up took to to an acute psychiatric hospital where I waited 10 hrs to see a psychiatrist. In the meantime I noticed flushing (skin redness) on my trunk and hands (come and go.) and white sores in the inside of my
mouth. No fever-temp 97.8. Doc medicated me and I spent the night in the psyc ward.
The next morning (day 21) I go to my gp and she does a CBC, CMP and EKG. She also checks lymph nodes and they're fine. EKG perfect, CBC results were coming in as I was leaving and white count was "normal". She "highly doubts" I have HIV.

I was prescribed gavapentin and trazodone for sleep and anxiety. The next day I suffer another night attack only this time it's only the night sweat WITH a racing heart. The only other symptom is a thin white tongue cover on my tongue that won't brush off (thrush?) but I be always had that.

I have not had a fever in the 23 days ( I check my temp 3 tines a day and it fluctuates from 97.8 to 99.3), no rash only the skin redness - like temporary sun burn that came and went only on those days. And no swollen lymph nodes.

My real concern is the night sweat. Does the fact that it occurs WITH a racing heart mean that it's induced by stress?

The mn aids project won't test me until day 25. I know I need psychiatric help but please answer my questions. Thank you

[jkinatl2]

I am very glad you are aware that you need psychiatric help. Many people really do benefit, especially from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. You can find the tools you need to navigate button-pushing areas, such as sex.

And yes, a test at SIX WEEKS will be a great indicator of your status. A test at three months, of course, is considered definitive.

And please, please use a condom for penetrative vaginal/anal sex. That's all you need to do in order to avoid HIV.

[Guy9988]

Tested Negative at 28 days. The nurse that administrated the test (clearview hiv 1/2 stat pak) informed me that their test can only pick up antibodies "no earlier than 3 months". And she was adamant about it. I've read on forums that the clearview test-latest generation-is pretty good at detecting over 90% of newly infected ppl by 4 weeks. Is she misinformed? I'm aware that it's not 100% conclusive until the 3 month mark but from what you guys know about the latest testing technology, how good is a 4 week neg? Thanks in advance.

[Ann]

Guy,

Any negative result is a good result.

The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six weeks, with the average time to seroconversion being only 22 days. A six week negative is highly unlikely to change, but must be confirmed at the three month point.

You would have been better off waiting for the six week mark, but a four week negative is good too.

The insertive partner in unprotected vaginal intercourse is not terribly likely to end up positive following one incident - although it IS possible. I don't expect your negative result to change when you confirm at three months.

Ann

[Guy9988]

Hello,

I tested Negative one day short of 6 weeks (41 days) using the Uni-Gold HIV test. I will test again in the future for my 3 month mark but ,for now, do you think its safe to stop worrying?

I mean, what are the realistic chances of seroconverting after 6 weeks from unprotected vaginal with a woman who says she's negative?

Also, if one were to have experienced TRUE ARS around day 19, a test at day 41 would've definitely picked it up, right?

That's all. Thank you all for reading and sharing. Cheers.

[Ann]

Guy,

While I do not expect your negative result to change, you must confirm your negative result at the three month point.

Ann