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HIV Prevention (Expert Forum)
Nobody knows what I have
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
This forum is limited to prevention of HIV and to safe sex in general. If you believe you might have been exposed to HIV and want help to judge your risk, would like advice about HIV testing, or have questions about the effectiveness of condoms or the risks associated with specific sexual practices, this is the site for you.
IMPORTANT
No questions will be accepted on the treatment of HIV/AIDS or its complications, viral load, and similar topics. If you have questions about a specific STD other than HIV/AIDS, please visit the STD Forum. Questions that do not pertain to the above topics will be removed from the forum.
If you have not done so, please review other threads in our archives for questions similar to yours and Dr. Handsfield's replies. Questions that duplicate other frequent ones, for which abundant replies exist, and that have little educational value for other forum users, will be DELETED WITHOUT RESPONSE. YOUR PAYMENT WILL NOT BE REFUNDED. The most common examples of such questions are those about low risk exposures to HIV, such as oral sex, condom- protected intercourse hand-to-genital exposure, and nonsexual contact with possibly infected blood or body fluids as well as symptoms of early HIV infection.
No questions will be accepted on the treatment of HIV/AIDS or its complications, viral load, and similar topics. If you have questions about a specific STD other than HIV/AIDS, please visit the STD Forum. Questions that do not pertain to the above topics will be removed from the forum.
If you have not done so, please review other threads in our archives for questions similar to yours and Dr. Handsfield's replies. Questions that duplicate other frequent ones, for which abundant replies exist, and that have little educational value for other forum users, will be DELETED WITHOUT RESPONSE. YOUR PAYMENT WILL NOT BE REFUNDED. The most common examples of such questions are those about low risk exposures to HIV, such as oral sex, condom- protected intercourse hand-to-genital exposure, and nonsexual contact with possibly infected blood or body fluids as well as symptoms of early HIV infection.
Nobody knows what I have
by scareddude, Jan 11, 2007 12:00AM
About seven months ago I was in Pattaya. I met a girl and we went back to my hotel room. I have always been extremely conscious about wearing condoms whenever I have sex, especially with women that I do not know.
Well, I was pretty plastered and having a great time with this girl. The only light in the room was the TV behind me, so I really couldn’t see what was going on downstairs. We engaged in regular sex first, then went to anal sex for about an hour. It was not rigorous sex where my penis was bent in crazy positions or anything like that. Because I was drunk, I didn’t realize the condom broke at some point during sex. I didn’t realize it until after I had ejaculated into her rectum and pulled out. I told her that the condom had broken. I assured her that I was disease free (which up until that point in time, I was 100% positive I had nothing). Then I asked her if she had any diseases. She said no and I left it at that.
I have been getting HIV tests every month ever since then. All have come back negative. However, within 2-3 days after having sex with her, my penis felt numb like it wasn’t a part of me. It was kinda the sensation you would have in a finger after someone number it with Xylocaine. A few days later, the numb sensation went away but then my urethra had a burning sensation, my bladder hurt, as did my testicles. I freaked out and went to the clinic. The UA they did came back negative. They put me on Cipro and Erythromycin and gave me a shot of Bicillin. None of it helped.
I was seen by another clinic a month later. Again they did a UA, HIV, and Hep tests. All came back negative. The sensations were even worse than before. There was no blood, no discharge, no swelling or discoloration, only pain. Again I was put on Cipro, and it kinda seemed like the sensations were beginning to subside, but only slightly. They only gave me enough for 2 weeks and told me to come back if it didn’t work. Also, Pyridium had no effect on the symptoms.
Well, here I am in January some 8 months later, still experiencing a lot of testicle, bladder, and urethra pain. It does not burn when I pee. My urethra just constantly has a burning sensation. My bladder feels like there is a 30lbs weight on it, though I don't have the urge to pee until my bladder is full, and I am constantly aware of the pain in my bladder. My testicles constantly feel like someone squeezed them too hard. I also have some radiating pain around my bladder now in my lower abdomen. Every time I go get a UA, the docs all say, "There is nothing wrong with you." If they could only feel what I am feeling, they would definitely not be saying that.
I would greatly appreciate any advice on what this is, what kinds of tests i can have done besides a UA, and how it can be treated. Thank you.
Well, I was pretty plastered and having a great time with this girl. The only light in the room was the TV behind me, so I really couldn’t see what was going on downstairs. We engaged in regular sex first, then went to anal sex for about an hour. It was not rigorous sex where my penis was bent in crazy positions or anything like that. Because I was drunk, I didn’t realize the condom broke at some point during sex. I didn’t realize it until after I had ejaculated into her rectum and pulled out. I told her that the condom had broken. I assured her that I was disease free (which up until that point in time, I was 100% positive I had nothing). Then I asked her if she had any diseases. She said no and I left it at that.
I have been getting HIV tests every month ever since then. All have come back negative. However, within 2-3 days after having sex with her, my penis felt numb like it wasn’t a part of me. It was kinda the sensation you would have in a finger after someone number it with Xylocaine. A few days later, the numb sensation went away but then my urethra had a burning sensation, my bladder hurt, as did my testicles. I freaked out and went to the clinic. The UA they did came back negative. They put me on Cipro and Erythromycin and gave me a shot of Bicillin. None of it helped.
I was seen by another clinic a month later. Again they did a UA, HIV, and Hep tests. All came back negative. The sensations were even worse than before. There was no blood, no discharge, no swelling or discoloration, only pain. Again I was put on Cipro, and it kinda seemed like the sensations were beginning to subside, but only slightly. They only gave me enough for 2 weeks and told me to come back if it didn’t work. Also, Pyridium had no effect on the symptoms.
Well, here I am in January some 8 months later, still experiencing a lot of testicle, bladder, and urethra pain. It does not burn when I pee. My urethra just constantly has a burning sensation. My bladder feels like there is a 30lbs weight on it, though I don't have the urge to pee until my bladder is full, and I am constantly aware of the pain in my bladder. My testicles constantly feel like someone squeezed them too hard. I also have some radiating pain around my bladder now in my lower abdomen. Every time I go get a UA, the docs all say, "There is nothing wrong with you." If they could only feel what I am feeling, they would definitely not be saying that.
I would greatly appreciate any advice on what this is, what kinds of tests i can have done besides a UA, and how it can be treated. Thank you.
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Jan 11, 2007 12:00AM
, Jan 11, 2007 12:00AM
I would like to help, but no online source can provide answers that aren't apparent after repeated professional evaluation. And if health care providers who have directly examined you say there is nothing physically wrong, that also is my opinion. Anyway, neither HIV nor any other STD causes such symptoms. However, they are classical for genitally-focused anxiety, magnifying normal body sensations. You might benefit from professional counseling, or you might just have to live with the symptoms. You can be certain they don't mean anything harmful that will ever seriously affect your health or that of your future sex partner(s).
You have been grossly overtested for HIV. You don't need any more of that.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
You have been grossly overtested for HIV. You don't need any more of that.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
Based on the time since exposure and the panoply of tests you've already had, it's clear that HIV and other STDs are not the issue. I'm confident that the doc and many of the other forum members will concur.
Your post indicates that you've gone to clinics (presumably ones focused on HIV/STDs), but what about your PCP or a urologist? HIV/STDs are not the concern, so you need to move on and look for other possibilities.
Another possibility is that guilt and anxiety from the potential exposure is causing you to experience physical symptoms. Counseling might help you to deal with any issues of guilt remaining from the incident.
Best of luck.
I went to the Urologist, who prescribed Cipro for two weeks. He also said there was nothing physically wrong with me after looking at my urine culture. He said the next step would be to use a scope and look up into the bladder. Trust me, at this stage, I am willing to try whatever it takes to figure out what is going on down there.
It's very difficult for me to accept that this is some psychosomatic issue rather than something that is pathogenic...especially after this length of duration and persistence of the symptoms. I've always been the kind of person that was "immune" to psychological trauma, epsecially due to my previous profession. Maybe I struck a "nerve" that my psyche cannot ignore.
I guess all I can do is take your advice, talk to someone about it, and hope the symptoms reside on their own. Thanks for offering me your advice.
HHH, MD