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Author Topic: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?  (Read 23636 times)

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Offline cityboy

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HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« on: November 03, 2007, 03:37:11 pm »
Tested positive a little over 2 months ago.  Doctor overlooked hiv test in 11/06 so HIV test before was 6/06 which I was negative.  In 11/06 had pimples in my mouth which I thought was herpes,  a yeast infection on the edge of my mouth and red patches on scalp and face.  Didn't have any nights sweats, but then when diagnosed had a couple of nights where I did, but mild.  Did I seroconvert in 11/06 or 2 months ago.  Doctor and others seem to blow this off but I need to know-how can you tell when you seroconverted?
« Last Edit: November 03, 2007, 05:44:53 pm by cityboy »

Offline Cliff

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2007, 03:41:20 pm »
No one can tell you for sure.  Seroconversion sickness is highly variable and many have no symptoms at all (which is why HIV can go undiagnosed for years).  For me, during seroconversion my lymph nodes swelled pretty significantly and I had hives.  I also had a fever and was fatigued.  With the exception of the lymph nodes, all other symptoms went away pretty quickly.  But that was my body's reaction to HIV, yours apparently was very differently...which is why it may be difficult to tell you for sure.

Offline anniebc

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2007, 04:16:02 pm »
As Cliff said I don't think anyone can be absolutely sure.

I do remember waking up on the morning of the 26th March 2002 feeling pretty awful..I had been feeling good until then, finally on the 4th of April (same year) was taken to hospital after collapsing in the Doctors office and was diagnosed on the 5th of April 2002.

Hugs
Jan
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Offline pozguy75

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #3 on: November 03, 2007, 04:35:14 pm »
you know, I don't know when I seroconverted either...I never had the flu like symptoms...some people get them and some don't I guess.

Like both Cliff and Jan say...you can't really tell.
Dx 2005
ATRIPLA

Offline Miss Philicia

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #4 on: November 03, 2007, 04:43:15 pm »
Yeah, I think the seroconversion stuff is such an iffy way to search for things.  The period where I think I was infected I did have really harsh colds/flu/bronchitis (or something) and that was my senior year in college.  But if I think hard I probably got something like that every year in college, as did every roommate I had so it's easy to over think the issue.  Then the five years between my senior year and when I dipped to <200 t-cells and finally got an HIV test I was also sick at least once each year, so really who knows.

I guess if you're saying you had a definitive negative HIV test on 6/06 that's an easier issue.  The initial post is slightly unclear.
"I’ve slept with enough men to know that I’m not gay"

Offline bear60

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #5 on: November 03, 2007, 04:54:21 pm »
Why do you "need to know?"
Poz Bear Type in Philadelphia

Offline cityboy

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #6 on: November 03, 2007, 05:06:05 pm »
Its complicated, but I just need to know.




Why do you "need to know?"

Offline Winiroo

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #7 on: November 03, 2007, 05:11:21 pm »
I had the flu like symptoms. The general I feel like total dog crap feeling.
I imagine it wouldn't always work that way though. Everyone is different.

Offline leatherman

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #8 on: November 03, 2007, 05:19:12 pm »
my partner spent the whole month of Sept 92 sick - fever, puking, diarrhea, swollen nodes, all that fun flu-ish stuff. His doctor thought it was my partner's Chron's disease acting up after 7 yrs. By Nov. he was fine, with no definite results from the doctor.

In Dec 92, I had an HIV test at the city health dpt, just for the hell of it, and got the poz results. (Merry Christmas!  ::)) I hadn't been sick at all except for one cold for nearly the 10 yrs before that poz result. We figured he seroconverted in Sept 92, but have no idea when I did. My partner passed away 18 months later, and I've managed to hang around for 14 more yrs. Go figure. ::)
leatherman (aka Michael)

We were standing all alone
You were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a mover shaker
Dancing to Madonna then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
- Darren Hayes, "Chained to You"

Offline cityboy

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2007, 05:48:35 pm »
Thanks.  Dude I am so sorry to hear about your partner. 

my partner spent the whole month of Sept 92 sick - fever, puking, diarrhea, swollen nodes, all that fun flu-ish stuff. His doctor thought it was my partner's Chron's disease acting up after 7 yrs. By Nov. he was fine, with no definite results from the doctor.

In Dec 92, I had an HIV test at the city health dpt, just for the hell of it, and got the poz results. (Merry Christmas!  ::)) I hadn't been sick at all except for one cold for nearly the 10 yrs before that poz result. We figured he seroconverted in Sept 92, but have no idea when I did. My partner passed away 18 months later, and I've managed to hang around for 14 more yrs. Go figure. ::)

Offline Matty the Damned

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #10 on: November 03, 2007, 06:27:00 pm »
I had no symptoms of seroconversion.

I was infected somewhere between September 1999 and January 20002, most likely in 2000 or 20001.

MtD

Offline randym431

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #11 on: November 04, 2007, 06:44:16 am »
I tested + in 9/2005. First tests shows my system was pretty damaged even though I was general healthy. Going by the damage he thought I had been + for some 8 years. I got a test when applying for life ins in 2002 and never heard the results, but they did grant the ins policy so I figured all was well. I thought I was infected in 2002. Hard to believe it may have been in the late 1900's.
In 2003 I had flu like symptoms and felt sick for a few days, nothing real bad or that kept me from working. Then in 2004 I had the same flu like stuff and only for a few days again. And again in early 2005 for a few days. It wasn’t the full flu thing, just a day or two or three where I felt icky. I wonder if its possible to SEROCONVERT more than once??? Or if my system could have fought it back enough to test neg for the life ins policy required test??? I've also had weird skin sores from time to time since 1998, especially after biking a lot in the Summer heat. Since I've been on meds, I no longer get these type sores at all. Was it early hiv or not????? More questions than answers.
« Last Edit: November 04, 2007, 06:48:53 am by randym431 »
Diag Sept 2005 VL 1mill, CD4 85, 3%, weight 143# (195# was normal)
Feb 2021, undetectable, weight 215#

Offline GSOgymrat

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #12 on: November 04, 2007, 07:31:12 am »
I had flu symptoms: fever, aches, swollen glands. I went to the doctor who gave me an antibiotic and I immediately got a bad rash, which had never happened before or since.

Offline Gary

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #13 on: November 04, 2007, 05:48:30 pm »
I've driven myself mad thinking of the whens and hows I got infected (well obviously I know how) but I've just had to move past that. I either didn't get any seroconversion illness or it happened when I was 17 or 22, the only times in my life I was ever ill with a viral infection.   ???

Offline newt

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #14 on: November 04, 2007, 07:06:39 pm »
A "detuned" HIV test, STARHS (Serological Testing Algorithm for Recent HIV Seroconversion) can give you an idea if you got HIV within the last six months or so. But that's the limit of the science. And it is just a statistically informed guess really. A "related" symptomatic illness, or the "classic" flu-like symptoms does not = moment of seroconversion in many (most) cases.

- matt
"The object is to be a well patient, not a good patient"

Offline Basquo

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #15 on: November 04, 2007, 08:23:02 pm »
I had "flu" ish sympoms in 1998, for two weeks, fever, achy etc..  I didn't have insurance but I paid privately to see a doctor.  He asked me if I had any risk factors for a viral illness, and of course I said no, believing I was in a monogamous ralationship. He told me to take Tylenol instead of aspirin, take the rest of the week off, and eat chicken soup.  A week later I diagnosed myself with fall allergies, which I have suffered from ever since, but about two years after my diagnosis (when I was leaving my cheating partner) I thought back and realised that the first bout of allergies happened about the same time we stopped using condoms.

Offline Longislander

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #16 on: November 05, 2007, 12:24:19 am »
 On a Wednesday night while driving home from the gym, I suddenly felt extremely tired, but fine otherwise.  Thursday morning I went to work, and by 9:30 I couldn't keep my head up off my desk, and went home. Had a very mild fever, stayed home friday and fever topped at 101. Thought I had the flu. Saturday morning I woke up with no fever, and felt great. No cough, congestion or any other flu stuff. I went out Saturday night. Sunday morning I woke up with white patches on my tongue, went to the walk-in clinic and was told I should get an HIV test.  During that week I developed a cough I just could not control. I tested positive 2 weeks later. That Wednesday was just about 4 weeks after my last sexual encounter, and the sex before that one was many months earlier.

Everyones story is different. If you can't get a grasp of when or by whom,  don't let it stress you out.

Paul
infected 10/05 diagnosed 12-05
2/06   379/57000                    6/07 372/30500 25%   4/09 640/U/32% 
5/06   ?? /37000                     8/07 491/55000/24%    9/09 913/U/39%
8/06   349/9500 25%              11/07 515/68000/24     2/10 845/U/38%
9/06   507/16,000 30% !          2/08  516/116k/22%    7/10 906/80/39%
12/06 398/29000 26%             Start Atripla 3/08
3/07   402/80,000 29%            4/08  485/undet!/27
4/07   507/35,000 25%            7/08 625/UD/34%
                                                 11/08 684/U/36%

Offline Matty the Damned

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #17 on: November 05, 2007, 12:26:52 am »
Its complicated, but I just need to know.

So cityboy, complicated as it may be I think we're owed an answer.

Why do you need to know?

MtD

Offline Mike89406

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #18 on: November 05, 2007, 01:47:46 am »
For me I'm real atttuned to my health. I don't normally get sick that much. If you are one to get sick more often then it may be hard to pinpoint when. I had a severe flu and it took me a week to get back to normal with 3 days bed ridden initailly  and I still felt like crap after going back to work. In the winter of 2001-2002 when I lived in Brooklyn. In April 2002. That was no doubt a serocinversion and my wife noticed this more than me. She believes this is when I seroconverted. Anyways not everyone has the same type of serocoversion some may not have symtoms I've heard.

http://aids.about.com/cs/conditions/a/syndrome.htm

http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/SafeSex/Archive/Testing/Q9549.html

Offline Matty the Damned

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #19 on: November 05, 2007, 02:25:18 am »
Neither thebody nor about.aids should be considered reputable HIV sites.

MtD

Offline RapidRod

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #20 on: November 05, 2007, 03:09:03 am »
Like Matty, I had no signs or symptoms. I didn't have the ARS symptoms, that some have. If I wouldn't have went to get a physical I wouldn't have known I was positive.

Offline Mike89406

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #21 on: November 05, 2007, 06:53:09 pm »
Neither thebody nor about.aids should be considered reputable HIV sites.

MtD

Maybe not however my point is some may have symptoms and some will not  I think we all agree with that as evidenced by my post and other posts above.

Mike
« Last Edit: November 05, 2007, 06:54:46 pm by Mike89406 »

Offline Jeff64

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #22 on: November 05, 2007, 09:46:46 pm »
I had zero symptoms...I have always felt fabulous!

Who knows when I got this dumb thing.

Jeff

Offline Taurus

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #23 on: November 09, 2007, 12:51:54 am »
I don't think thebody site is a bad site. Note that both of the linked sites were to pages published over 10 years ago (each was from 1996).

Offline chemistry001

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #24 on: November 09, 2007, 01:50:32 am »
I testsed neg in Aug 2004 always felt fine, never felt ill or sick not even a cold, had a healthy 2 years, then in Aug 2006 rushed into hospital and diagnosed with PCP. I know i was infected within the 3 months before Aug 2004.

I guess like everyone is saying you just cant tell.
Diagnosed 01/08/06
CD4-9, VL->500,000, CD4% 1
Started on Sustiva/combivir 22/08/06 changed to kivexa 18/09/06
02/10/06
CD4-50, VL-1496, CD4% 5
04/12/06
CD4-112, VL-125, CD4% 7.5
22/02/07
CD4-121, VL-<50, CD4% 9
29/05/07
CD4-125, VL-71,(re-done 149), CD4% 11
25/09/07
CD4 -231, VL-74, CD4% 15
Cant remember the next few dates
17/01/08  Kaletra and Truvada
CD4 - 281, VL-115
06/03/08
CD4 - 287, VL-178

Offline carousel

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #25 on: November 09, 2007, 02:41:29 am »
I'm not aware of any symptoms before I found out.  Just a niggling doubt that I had got the pesky virus.

Offline Carolann

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #26 on: November 13, 2007, 01:43:15 pm »
On some level, it is good to know, that way you can start gathering information on how you are going to deal with this.  I just met a new client.  He almost died 14 years ago, bad seroconversion.  Today, he is running marathons.  More and more people in my practice are thriving on the new treatments.  I have seen those who looked moments from death come back to life.  And not only is their physical person better, their emotional selves are also stronger. 

I know this is going to make some people mad, but this isn't your grandfather's HIV/AIDS.  Advances are being made.  Hope is real.  People are living.  All is not doomed.

I do think that getting on meds when one seroconverts is good, or at least taking a clear look at your viral load and cd4 count.  Information is power.   I believe the vast majority of us will be around decades from now, probably as obnoxious as ever, but.... hey live is not over rated. 

Offline pozattitude

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Re: HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU SEROCONVERTED?
« Reply #27 on: November 13, 2007, 01:57:45 pm »
I never had any symptoms, I actually gained weight right after becoming positive  (weird huh?).
My lymph nodes did not swell up until2 years later when my VL was in the millions and my TC down to 250, but once I started meds they went back to normal.
POSITIVE PEDALERS... We are a group of people living with HIV/AIDS, eliminating stigma through our positive public example.

 


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