is it anxiety or initial stages of HIV

[losinmymin]

About a month ago, I had unprotected vaginal intercourse without ejaculation.  About a month later, i woke up with a sore throat and immediately thought my immune system is weak and i have HIV.  A few days later I two fingers in my left hand became numb and i read that this could be a symptom of HIV. I went to the emergency room and was given antibiotics for the sore throat which went away quickly. But my fingers are still numb and I have had no appetite for almost two weeks. I was diagnosed with chlamydia, gonorrhea, and a UTI. So I'm am pretty sure that I have HIV. I extremely depressed and have trouble sleeping. HIV is on my mind 24 hrs a day, and i'm losing it.  Sorry for the long post, but has anywone experienced this.  The nurses I spoke with said that the numbness in my fingers and loss of appetite is more than likely comin from stress, and that HIV wouldn't cause numbness in my fingers at the acute stage. I'm so scared, i'm only 18 and i want to live.  I got tested yesterday, and i'm waiting on the results. P.S. I also have a mild white coating on my tongue that doesn't go away, my mom says its probably the antibiotics. SOMEONE PLEASE RESPOND SOON!!

[Ann]

losin,

The nurse was absolutely correct: the numbness you are experienceing is nothing to do with hiv.

And just because you picked up a couple bacterial STIs does not automatically mean you also became infected with hiv. Hiv is a very fragile, difficult to transmit virus, and more so from a woman to a man. It's unlikely that you became infected from a one time encounter.

However, difficult is not impossible and so you do need to test. The window period is 12-13 weeks so you need to test then for a conclusive result. I'm expecting you to test negative. The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six weeks. A six week negative is a very good indication that infection has not taken place, but must be confirmed with another test at the 12-13 week mark.

If you want to live, then 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 disease.

Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence. And while you're here, please read through the Welcome Thread and follow the Lessons links.

While I expect you to test negative after this one incident, if you continue having unprotected intercourse, the odds will catch up with you sooner or later and you'll regret taking chances with your health.

Please learn from your situation this time. And don't forget to test at the appropriate time.

Ann

[losinmymin]

Thanks for the response, but i had unprotected sex twice. Are my risks stil low? What's causin my loss of appetite and numbness? All of my symptoms point to HIV.

[Ann]

losin,

Yes, even with two encounters your chance of testing negative is still very good - simply because hiv is difficult to transmit from a woman to a man. Low risk is NOT no risk and you do need to test.

I suspect your numbness and loss of appetite are nothing more than nerves/anxiety, but if you continue to experience problems, you must see your doctor. You could be missing something important by assuming it has something to do with hiv. We cannot diagnose you over the internet, you have to see your doctor for that.

Ann

[losinmymin]

i'm female..does this change anything. my tongue still has white coating

[Anitta]

You're tongue can have white coating for hundreds of reasons like dehydration, reaction to anti-biotics....whenever i eat anything that has milk in it my tongue stays white for a couple of days. Thats not a sign of anything, so don't worry about it.

[Andy Velez]

And if you are still concerned about your tongue or any other "symptoms," discuss them with your doctor.

What you are calling clear signs of HIV -- well, let me just say the neither the presence nor the absence of symptoms will ever tell you anything accurately about your HIV status. We often get people  here with all sorts of symptoms and who are quaking because they're certain they're going to test positive. Almost all of them end up testing negative.

You do need to learn from this experience. When you have intercourse the guy has to be wearing a condom. Everytime. No exceptions no matter what you think you know about his history or anything else. No exceptions. Period.

Good luck to you on your test.

Cheers,

[jaison]

hello
losinmymin  for your numbness   and lost of apetite ,  is 100 % because of  your stress and axiety , and you may eventualy even feel the numbness on your foot or your or your hands or even your face ,, i had the same symptomes ,,  because of the eccessive axiety ,, i am sure of what  i am saying for the other fear you just wait till the 13 weeks or even 6 weeks
hope you the best

[cicatriz]

i'm female..does this change anything. my tongue still has white coating

i tested negative on the 13th week. but i have something more worrisome than white coating. i have white coating and denuded areas on my tongue. gone to the doctor already, no clear diagnosis yet. he even prescribed me Daktarin - Miconazole (without taking a swab or lab test), a medicine for thrush, so it got me scared a little. but im banking on my negative test to rule out HIV. i've been taking the prescribed med but the coating is not getting any better -- must be bacteria, not fungus? im not sure, im no doctor.

my point is, coating of the tongue doesnt mean you have HIV as you see in my case.

[losinmymin]

hi...still waitin on results..

i'm tryin 2 believe it's stress...but i'm gettin worse i developed dry mouth that lasted about a day...could sores on mouth which are clearing up...white coating on tongue.. now i have a bad taste in my mouth that won't go away, and my tongue looks weird.. Other than that my hand still feels numb. Still no appetite

p.s. does peripheal neuropathy and oral thrush occur while semiconverting?

[RapidRod]

<<p.s. does peripheal neuropathy and oral thrush occur while semiconverting?>>

NO!!!

[losinmymin]

im jus concered because my i have a tingling sensation in my hand that comes in goes..i feel it now.

also i read that oral thrush can be a first sign of infections

[Ann]

Losin,

A first sign that someone is positive is not the same thing as a sign that someone is seroconverting. There are lots of people who never test for hiv untill after they've probabaly been positive for years. Sometimes a first sign for someone like this is thrush. But during seroconversion? Nope. You should see your dentist about your tounge. We cannot diagnose it here.

Peripheral neuropathy doesn't happen in one hand. Is it by chance your mouse hand that tingles? That's what sometimes happens when you spend every available chance on the internet, surfing for symptoms. Loosen your grip on that mouse and your tingling will resolve. Go out and get some exercise and get your circulation going. Muscle tension caused by stress can cause your limbs/hands/feet to tingle.

Try to stay busy while you wait for your results.

Ann

[losinmymin]

hey..it's not my mouse hand that's numb.. i would be okay if i weren't  suffering from so many symptoms.. i can admit that the internet is fueling my anxiety, but my symptoms are persistent.. the reason i was concerned about thrush was that i read on a site that it sometimes occurs in the initial stages of hiv

[scaredstraight68]

I'm not sure I'm allowed to post here but I will just from some experience and you sound like me.  The mind is very powerful.  About a year ago I came on here and was concerned about a HIV exposure.  My arms were fatigued, no appitite, stomache aches, sore on my tounge, my tounge white, just had a feeling on not well being. Every second revolved around my exposure odds.  I felt like I had contrated HIV, in fact I convinced myself that I did.  I tested negative and I couldn't believe it.  Everything you posted is Anxiety and I know it's easy for someone to tell you that from the outside looking in.  I'm going through it again one year later because of  a broken condom issue and even though when it happened I promised myself that I wasn't going to freak out this time,  Well, once again I've entered freak out mode and all of my "symptoms" have returned.  The mind is a very powerful machine when it comes to your body.  I will say there are times that I'm with my daughter and I forget about it all for an hour or so and magically most of my symptoms back off.   Anyway, the moral of this story: do as I say, not as I do.    

[losinmymin]

thanks everyone.. this has been the hardest few weeks in my life. nothin like this has ever happened to me.. i cant take my mind off the symptoms and the possible what ifs. Also i can admit that this fear has been in the back of my mind since my possible exposure and that some of my symptoms developed after reading about them.. i look at my tongue several times a day and i don't know what's regular or not. im so scared and i cant shake the feeling that something is wrong.. i need help

[losinmymin]

now...experiencing excruciating sore throat. can't sleep because of pain. anyone's opinion would help

[RapidRod]

All your symptoms Do Not point to HIV. HIV has NO SPECIFIC SYMPTOMS. If you are having symptons and or illness go to the DOCTOR. You can't be treated on the internet.

[losinmymin]

i'm not trying to be treated over the internet. i went to the emergency room about my throat and they took a throat culture. the doctor did note that my tongue looked red and he noticed the white coating at the back. I was given a shot and some tylenol. I was also prescribed more antibiotics. i will go to the health dept. tommorow about my results, because they have not contacted me and I took the test on Jun 21. I'm scared but i have to face what i did.

[losinmymin]

hi..everyone i went to the health dept.. i tested nonreactive ( the nurse said that it meant  negative.) this has been 36 days from the 1st possible exposure and 26 days from the 2nd possible exposure. This has brought me some relief, but i'm worried that i might have tested too soon. i have been given anti-biotics for the burning sensation in my throat, but feel no relief. hopefully my throat swab will reveal an answer to these symptoms i'm experiencing! thanks again and a response would be greatly appreciated.

[john989]

losin,

Your negative test even this early is encouraging. As the others said NO SYMPTOMS ARE HIV SPECIFIC.

The only way you can know your status for sure is appropriate testing at the appropriate time (12-13 weeks)

Your negative result is encouraging. Please remember condoms for intercourse in the future until the time has come when you're in a securely monagamous relationship, and you will avoid infection.

Take care,

John

[losinmymin]

Thanks everyone...

    The nurse said that the test usually picks up the virus very early and that she doubts that my results will change. (i don't know what kind of test they used) This anxiety is ruining my life and my relationships with others. Also, I'm scared to believe that I'm okay, because I probably tested to early. I will wait until 13 weeks to get tested again. Does lack of fluids create sore throat? The nurse told me that i was probably not getting enough fluids.

[losinmymin]

another quick question??

if seroconversion is causing the symptoms that i have been experiencing for the past 4 weeks would it show up on a test by now?

[Morgan]

Losinmynmin,

Yes.  Without a doubt.

Morgan

[losinmymin]

I have some questions about seroconversion...

I read that if symptoms do occur, they clear up within a week or 2.
Some of my symptoms( numbness in hands, throat, and loss of appetite) have been occuring for almost a month. Is it that i have caught an aggressive strand of the virus, but haven't produced enough antibodies to test positive?

well actually the numbness is gone( i jus feel a little pain in my hand)

[Ann]

Is it that i have caught an aggressive strand of the virus, but haven't produced enough antibodies to test positive?

losin,

Unlikely.

If you had been infected, chances are very good that your test would have come back as indeterminate, if not a full positive. It didn't. It came back as non-reactive.

I'm fully expecting you to continue to test negative. Try to stay productively busy while you wait for your final test. Stop obsessing over your body - stress can really do a number on your body and it's no wonder you've been feeling bad. Try to relax.

Ann

[losinmymin]

it seems like my symptoms are ending. However, there is still the numbness in my fingers (and an occasionally prickling sensation) But my throat feels much better, although it feels like i have a lump in it. Still no appetite (this scares me most) This ordeal has been going on for a month.  Is it possible that i tested during seroconversion and produced an early negative?

[Andy Velez]

I don't know why you would be surprised at a loss of appetite when you've been in an anxious state for weeks.

In any case, a loss of appetite is not in anyway something you should be (mis)interpreting as being HIV-related. But then neither the presence nor the absence of symptoms is ever an accurate barometer of HIV status.

[Starry Night]

Hi losinmymind...

I don't know if I'm meant to post here either, but I really feel for you and totally understand what you're going through...I had a possible exposure back in March. Ten days later I developed the flu - sore throat, aching muscles, weakness, fatigue, night sweats for 4 nights running, swollen glands  - you name it - i had every symptom suggestive of ARS...and it all happened approximately 2 weeks after possible exposure which is apparently the time period with which ARS presents itself...For 3 months after that, I lost my appetite too....

However, 3 months later I tested NEGATIVE! and i still have swollen glands even today...So...just as the experts keep on pointing out - "the presence of symptoms nor the absence of symptoms will ever tell you anything accurately about your hiv status."

I was also told by the doctors that if you have a negative test at 4 weeks (as you have) it is very encouraging....

All the best x

[losinmymin]

how does testing during seroconversion affect the results?

[Ann]

Losin,

When a person tests during early seroconversion, the results are often returned as "inconclusive" as I already pointed out. The test results involve a number of "bands", and a certain number of these must test reactive for a positive result. When there are a few bands that test reactive, but not enough for a firm positive result, this is termed "inconclusive". When this happens, testing should be repeated after a few days or a week, in case it is seroconversion being picked up and not just a false alarm.

Your test was NON-reactive. You are unlikely to go on to test positive.

Do try to stay productively busy until you can take your conclusive test, which I fully expect to also be NON-reactive - negative.

Ann

[losinmymin]

Hi everyone.. I'm back with an update.

I tested negative at 13 wks, 2 days post first possible exposure and  11 wks, 6 days from second possible exposure.  Thanks everyone for your support. I  really appreciate your help, and I learned a valuble lesson about safety and responsibility

[scaredstraight68]

Awsome!  that's terriffic news..  enjoy your status.. 

[losinmymin]

I'm back. I never got over my loss of appetite. It's been over year. I've been to scared to get another test, because I wanted to believe my results were conclusive. But the possibility I tested during the 'window period' is always in my mind. I didn't have sex with another partner until this past October. I can't live knowing that I have exposed him, because we have had unprotected sex several times. He had been tested. His last test was in December and it was negative. Recently I was diagnosed with HPV and genital warts. I just read that HPV is an opprotunistic infection of HIV. Is is possible that I tested to early, being that I have had this loss of appetite for so long. Isn't it a sympton or HIV infection. I'm dying on the inside,

[losinmymin]

Oh yea, took a test today. This is going to be the LONGEST week ever. Can anyone give me some advice? I know it has been a long time...

[RapidRod]

What in the hell are you talking about? You all ready have a negative test result? You trolling the forum and don't have anything else to do tonight or what?

August 25, 2006   Hi everyone.. I'm back with an update.

I tested negative at 13 wks, 2 days post first possible exposure and  11 wks, 6 days from second possible exposure.  Thanks everyone for your support. I  really appreciate your help, and I learned a valuble lesson about safety and responsibility

[Andy Velez]

If you are still working a show about that same long ago incident for which you reliably tested negative also long ago, then my only suggestion is you need to see a therapist or other mental health professional.

This is not an HIV situation unless you have had a new and genuine risky incident. Stop wasting your time and trying to waste ours.

[losinmymin]

I am not trying to waste anyone's time. I really have been suffering from a loss of appetite since June 2006. It's getting even worse now that I know I may have infected someone else. What's the reliability of an 11 week test? I know the CDC says 13wks and the pamphlets in my health center said 6 months! Back in June 2006 we had protected sex. I know that's no risk,but I'mwondering if the condom broke or if he didn't wear it properly. Would by resultis in mid August be conclusive for that incident.

[losinmymin]

okay, so i just read about people testing negative at 10 weeks then going on to test possible months later. Is this what could have happened to me?

[Ann]

losin,

You've been barebacking since you got your CONCLUSIVE negative result so that means you need to test again. Unless you went with this guy when he tested, you really cannot know his hiv status for certain. If he's going bare with you, he's probably going bare with others too.

As for your symptoms, you should know by now that they are meaningless when it comes to diagnosing hiv and we will not discuss them here. See your doctor about them.

A test three months after your last incident of unprotected intercourse will be conclusive. Start using condoms already until you're in a monogamous relationship where you've tested negative TOGETHER. Play with fire and sooner or later, you'll get burnt.

Ann

[losinmymin]

Im just asking is it possible that the 11week, 6 day test was a false negative, being that the CDC reccomends 13 wks? I was just too scared to have another test! My appetite (know you don't want to discuss it) has been gone since the first possible exposures. I don't know if it's because I still fear getting the virus or if I tested to early. Don't HIV patients have chronic loss of appetite? What about the people under I just tested Poz who had negative 10 week tests?

[Ann]

losin,

No, you would not have had a false negative at that point in time.

See your doctor about your stomach issues. We cannot help you with that here.

Stay out of the Just Tested forum. Patient report is notoriously unreliable because sometimes people's memories are faulty - and various other reasons. We will not discuss other people's situations with you here.

The bottom line is - if you're in doubt about your hiv status, then get tested. It's what responsible adults do and being scared will not affect the outcome of your test. Just do it.

You won't be allowed to use this forum to wring your hands over your inability to muster the courage to test. Seek counseling.

Ann

[losinmymin]

I did take the test yesterday. i finally got the courage....will update you guys.

[Ann]

losin,

I'd like to point out that if you do test positive, it won't be from the unprotected sex that brought you here back in 2006 - it will be as a result of the unprotected intercourse you've had recently. Your nearly twelve week result will not have changed.

Do us all - yourself included - a favour and start using condoms.

Ann