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Author Topic: Test results...please help!  (Read 7208 times)

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Offline worriedsick23

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Test results...please help!
« on: November 14, 2006, 11:28:35 am »
Hello. I am new to this forum.

Three months ago, on August the 3rd, I was in Amsterdam and had sex with a prostitute. The sex was protected and the condom did not break, but I performed unprotected oral sex upon her. She did not ejaculate, but her vagina was moist and my gums often bleed.

On Monday, October 30, after a long weekend of partying, I woke up with a mild sore throat and some muscular aches. I went to work for the next three days, and these symptoms climaxed on Wednesday night of the same week when I went to the emergency room because I had blood in my spit. The sore throat had become extreme and I was running a fever of 100 along with some diarrhea. I wound up vomiting in the doctor's office. As soon as I was finished vomiting, my sore throat and blood spit subsided and they shot me up with antibiotics. The doctor told me my throat was infected and that it was strep. I had a feverish nights sleep, and spent Thursday with incredible aches. But that was about it. I was prescribed penicillin (which I only took about a quarter of because my stomach has a hard time handling it) and I felt markedly better by Saturday. Well enough to go out and visit with friends. I've had no related symptoms prior or since.

Is it possible that I have experienced ARS three months after exposure?? The past two days have been the worst of my life. I have nearly passed out twice from waves of extreme terror and fear. I had standard blood tests done (not HIV specific) three weeks after the possible exposure and nothing was out of the ordinary. Please give me your thoughts...I can hardly sleep.

Offline Ann

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Re: ARS symptoms
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2006, 11:59:59 am »
Worried,

The ONLY test that will reveal your hiv status is an hiv antibody test.

Going down on a woman is not a risk for hiv infection and condoms have been proven to prevent hiv infection. You didn't have a risk. Besides, if a person experiences ARS (many do not), it happens between two and four weeks after infection has taken place, not nearly three months.

While you do NOT need to test over this specific incident, anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results. Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv.

Condoms are a must for intercourse with anyone, not just sex workers. You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL STIs together. To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with a sexually transmitted infection.

Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

Sometimes strep throat is just strep throat. And by the way, you should always finish the WHOLE course of any antibiotics you are prescribed. When you don't finish the course, this can give rise to antibiotic resistant strains of whatever it was you were taking the medication for.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

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"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline worriedsick23

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please, I need more help!
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2006, 02:36:01 am »
Hello again. I posted the blurb below the other day and only got one response. Thank you, Ann. But I am in desperate need of additional informed opinions. I've added extra details and recent happenings, and in the meantime I am literally losing my mind. Please lend me your thoughts and experience!

Three months ago, on August the 3rd, I was in Amsterdam and had protected anal and vaginal sex with a prostitute. The condom did not break, but I performed unprotected oral sex upon her. She did not ejaculate, but her vagina was moist and my gums often bleed.

On Monday, October 30, after a long weekend of partying, I woke up with a mild sore throat and some muscular aches. I went to work for the next three days, and these symptoms climaxed on Wednesday night of the same week when I went to the emergency room because I had blood in my spit. The sore throat had become extreme and I was running a fever of 100 along with some diarrhea. I wound up vomiting in the doctor's office. As soon as I was finished vomiting, my sore throat and blood spit subsided and they shot me up with antibiotics. The doctor told me my throat was infected and that it was strep. I had a feverish nights sleep, and spent Thursday with incredible aches. But that was about it. I was prescribed penicillin (which I only took about a quarter of because my stomach has a hard time handling it) and I felt markedly better by Saturday. Well enough to go out and visit with friends. I was fine all next week but then read up about ARS on Sunday and my world has collapsed. My tongue is white and my head and body feel foggy. I don't know if I'm having a relapse of symptoms or if I am worrying myself into a weakened state. I cannot get my mind away from this...it's eating me up.

Do people experience ARS three months after exposure?? The past four days have been the worst of my life. I have nearly passed out several times from jolts of extreme terror and fear. I had to take a vicodin to sleep last night. I got an antibody test done today at the women's center but will have to wait two-weeks for the results. Anything you can tell me to get me through these next two horrible weeks would be sincerely appreciated. Please help, and thank you for your time.

Offline Ann

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Re: please, I need more help!
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2006, 07:06:43 am »
worried,

I've merged your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread.

If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.

Please also read through the Welcome Thread so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline RapidRod

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Re: please, I need more help!
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2006, 10:44:58 am »
People don't seroconvert after 3 month let along after 4 weeks. You did not have a risk for HIV infection.

Offline worriedsick23

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Re: please, I need more help!
« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2006, 01:17:15 pm »
My body does not feel right. I'm fuzzy all the time and I have to take a lot of deep breaths. I also have some dry cough and strange lower abdominal pain. My test results will not be in for another week+.

Another piece of information I didn't mention earlier was that by week 4 after exposure I was experiencing diffuse hair loss. I also developed scalp dermatitis. Doctors diagnosed it as a telogen effluvium, or possible rapid balding, but really weren't sure of what the cause was. A telogen effluvium is diffuse hair loss occuring after a major physiological change takes place in your body. It happens a lot with pregnant women, cancer patients, and people under high stress. At the time I was under no stress. In this case, it seems to me that I was probably going through seroconversion. That would certainly qualify as a major change in my body. I continued to lose large amounts of hair through September and October, until I was put on Propecia. I know that hair loss is not a common sign of acute HIV syndrome, but I also know that it can happen.

In the meantime I am very distressed and confused. I don't want to wait another week+ for these test results, as I fear my condition is rapidly worsening. I feel certain that I have contracted HIV at this point. Factoring in the hair loss with my other dead-on symptoms, nothing else makes sense. I have had time over the past week to take in the possible reality of being HIV+, but now I am scared that I am one of those people who progresses very rapidly. I am worried that by the time I get my results back and have to go through additional confirmation testing, that I will be in a very dangerous physical state. I don't want to be one of the people that dies within a matter of months after contraction.

I apologize for the long sob story, but you guys are my only outlet of experienced information. What do you make of the hair loss? Am I right to be concerned with a rapid progression? What possible steps can I take at this point to ensure my well-being?

Offline worried4nothing?

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Re: please, I need more help!
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2006, 01:28:54 pm »
whoa man...you sound very stressed, which is probably the cause of all the things that are going wrong for you.

I think that you will feel better when you get your negative result next week.  Take a break from this, it will help.

Bests,

Offline veryconfused24

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Test results...please help!
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2006, 02:35:48 pm »
Hello all.

I had vigorous oral sex with a highly suspicious woman of unknown status. At 12 weeks I came down with ARS symptoms. I was better in about a week, but completely freaked out. I took an antibody test at 14 weeks and the results came back negative. I felt better initially, but then got sick again. This situation has screwed with my head a great deal. It would help me if you could answer a couple questions, as I have read a lot of conflicting information.

1. If I had indeed gone through ARS at 12 weeks, would I have tested positive at 14?

2. Do people experience ARS as late as 4 months after exposure?


Offline Andy Velez

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Re: Test results...please help!
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2006, 02:59:33 pm »
Your symptoms notwithstanding, you have reliably tested negative for HIV. You are HIV negative. Period. End of story.

The CDC is conservative in this matter and has for some time recommended 13 weeks as a reliable testing point for a definitive test result.

If you received oral you weren't at risk to begin with. If you have oral the risk was more theoretical than actual, but in any case it's a moot point since you have tested negative.

Get on with you life and enjoy it.

Cheers,
Andy Velez

Offline veryconfused24

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Re: Test results...please help!
« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2006, 03:01:41 pm »
Thanks, Andy. I appreciate the reassurance.

Offline Ann

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Re: Test results...please help!
« Reply #10 on: December 04, 2006, 05:13:48 pm »
veryconfused,

Can I ask why you are using different usernames while posting to our forums? Thus far, you have also used worriedsick23. I know you haven't forgotten about your other account as you were logged into it immediately before you created your new account.

Please realize that this kind of activity is disrespectful of other forum members, as well as our moderators. People spend a considerable amount of time helping others in these forums. Using multiple accounts is at the very least annoying, if not deceiving and disrespectful of others. It is also against our Terms of Membership which you agreed to when you became a member. This information is also contained within the Welcome Thread, which you should have read by now. So really, you have no excuse.

You must realize that the answers won't change, no matter how many names you post under.

I would appreciate a reply to this message, and I hope you will commit to using just one account - preferably your original one. If not, you will be banned from further access to the forums.

Ann

(edited to fix broken link)
« Last Edit: December 04, 2006, 05:20:22 pm by Ann »
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline veryconfused24

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Re: Test results...please help!
« Reply #11 on: December 04, 2006, 09:11:53 pm »
You're right, Ann. I did create this second account.

To be honest...I was embarrassed about my previous dramatic postings. I felt like a lunatic and wondered what response I might receive if I approached the situation in a more level-headed manner. But it wasn't right of me to violate your policy like that. I got caught up in an anxiety attack this afternoon and made a very poor decision. You are certainly correct to be upset with me, and about the answers not changing. I am genuinely sorry to have put you in this sort of position.

I want you to know though that despite my actions, I greatly appreciate your site. You're forums and information have been my only outlet for such stress. I know this does not excuse my stupidity, but it is the truth. Again, I am very sorry, and I swear that my intentions were not malicious. I am an honest person, and this whole thing makes me feel a lot of shame. I will use the first account from now on, and I promise to never again try and deceive you, or anyone else on this site.

Offline Ann

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Re: Test results...please help!
« Reply #12 on: December 04, 2006, 11:56:34 pm »
Worried,

I disabled your second account and merged your threads - please keep all your additional thoughts or questions here in your original thread. And relax, you weren't any more dramatic than any one else.

Another reason to relax is that you are hiv negative. Protect that status by always using condoms.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

 


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