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HIV/STD-related scare, Lyme/EBV or pure Anxiety?
Hi friends, would like to hear from your experiences or insights.
I have had a sexual exposure more than 4 months back, since then I've done 7 4th gen HIV tests leading up to 12th week so I believe I'm in the clear of the typical strains of HIV. I have also done full STD screens (incl. Hep B/C) and I'm clear.
However, I have been experiencing severe symptoms as follows:
- Extreme fatigue (yawn a lot even after sleeping for long hours / early)
- Red dots (bleeding into skin) cherry angiomas looking
- Muscle twitching all over body, mostly legs now (mainly felt at night when I'm at rest)
- Blurry vision (comes and goes)
- Inability to hold in urine, bladder spasm, yellow and foamy urine (almost all the time)
- Dry lips, dry mouth, white tongue (despite drinking loads of water)
- Red-looking eyes
- Brain Fog / dizzy
Some of them still persist even until now.
These symptoms seemed to align with a lot of forumers relating to the Chinese HIV-like illness, or the "unknown virus" forum.
However, I do not have specific symptoms on any sexual organ, which is questionable. And I did not have any fever, or significantly enlarged lymph nodes; just feeling very dehydrated, blurry, brain-fogged all the time.
I notice that the forumers who are having these symptoms, like myself, all have a common denominator, that is, we all have had a sexual encounter prior to these symptoms. However, I notice that whilst there are some forumers who continued posting year after year on the same thread, many of the other forumers did not continue to find out the nature of their illness after a short while.
(a) Could this be attributed to their recovery from the illness (hence the lack of replies), or perhaps severe complications that we do not know of? Otherwise, it is quite weird how such worrying symptoms (as can be noted from the tone of their posts) does not have any follow-ups...
(b) I'll like to also ask if it is possible that all of the above symptoms arises from pure health anxiety or the likes of it? Or anxiety coupled with another bacterial/ viral infection?
(c) I also read that these symptoms are highly contagious in nature, with many forumers posting how they passed it on to their families, wives, children etc. In that case, wouldn't this /certainly/ overrule that it is a mental problem related to depression/ anxiety/ guilt?
Given that such posts have been on the internet for about 8 years, it really beats me why nothing has surfaced, and/or no significant updates have seen those who were "infected" with these symptoms back then.. Beats me.
Maybe it's all in the mind. Any thoughts? Appreciate your help!
I have had a sexual exposure more than 4 months back, since then I've done 7 4th gen HIV tests leading up to 12th week so I believe I'm in the clear of the typical strains of HIV. I have also done full STD screens (incl. Hep B/C) and I'm clear.
However, I have been experiencing severe symptoms as follows:
- Extreme fatigue (yawn a lot even after sleeping for long hours / early)
- Red dots (bleeding into skin) cherry angiomas looking
- Muscle twitching all over body, mostly legs now (mainly felt at night when I'm at rest)
- Blurry vision (comes and goes)
- Inability to hold in urine, bladder spasm, yellow and foamy urine (almost all the time)
- Dry lips, dry mouth, white tongue (despite drinking loads of water)
- Red-looking eyes
- Brain Fog / dizzy
Some of them still persist even until now.
These symptoms seemed to align with a lot of forumers relating to the Chinese HIV-like illness, or the "unknown virus" forum.
However, I do not have specific symptoms on any sexual organ, which is questionable. And I did not have any fever, or significantly enlarged lymph nodes; just feeling very dehydrated, blurry, brain-fogged all the time.
I notice that the forumers who are having these symptoms, like myself, all have a common denominator, that is, we all have had a sexual encounter prior to these symptoms. However, I notice that whilst there are some forumers who continued posting year after year on the same thread, many of the other forumers did not continue to find out the nature of their illness after a short while.
(a) Could this be attributed to their recovery from the illness (hence the lack of replies), or perhaps severe complications that we do not know of? Otherwise, it is quite weird how such worrying symptoms (as can be noted from the tone of their posts) does not have any follow-ups...
(b) I'll like to also ask if it is possible that all of the above symptoms arises from pure health anxiety or the likes of it? Or anxiety coupled with another bacterial/ viral infection?
(c) I also read that these symptoms are highly contagious in nature, with many forumers posting how they passed it on to their families, wives, children etc. In that case, wouldn't this /certainly/ overrule that it is a mental problem related to depression/ anxiety/ guilt?
Given that such posts have been on the internet for about 8 years, it really beats me why nothing has surfaced, and/or no significant updates have seen those who were "infected" with these symptoms back then.. Beats me.
Maybe it's all in the mind. Any thoughts? Appreciate your help!
First, what was the sexual experience that you think put you at risk of HIV?
3 Comments
Thank you for getting back to me.
It was an unprotected oral, and protected sexual exposure. I've tested repeatedly and under the advice of many professionals, deem myself to be clear of HIV.
However, the symptoms persist and it's affecting my daily life and work. I googled the symptoms and they pointed me to a few other forumers who were tested negative but have similar symptoms.
My GP says that my bloods showed up fine, and that there was no explanation for my symptoms. Told me it's probably due to anxiety, however I'm not sure if it's really the case because the symptoms are so real and other forumers seemed to be having a different opinion about their own symptoms.
Cheers!
It was an unprotected oral, and protected sexual exposure. I've tested repeatedly and under the advice of many professionals, deem myself to be clear of HIV.
However, the symptoms persist and it's affecting my daily life and work. I googled the symptoms and they pointed me to a few other forumers who were tested negative but have similar symptoms.
My GP says that my bloods showed up fine, and that there was no explanation for my symptoms. Told me it's probably due to anxiety, however I'm not sure if it's really the case because the symptoms are so real and other forumers seemed to be having a different opinion about their own symptoms.
Cheers!
All of your HIV tests were a waste of time, so you might as well have done tests to see if your were a pregnant male.
You can't get HIV from oral since saliva inactivates it and you can't get it with protected sex using a latex condom either for obvious reasons. All of the above can be verified from the HIV forum. HIV is somewhat of a simple disease in that it can only be caught from unprotected anal or vaginal sex or sharing needles, none of which you did.
Your "symptoms" are self diagnosed and would not be of interest to a HIV doctor for many reasons. They can be in your head from fear making you over-analyze your body and imagining things as you tense up and sweat with fear, or if they are real they can be from other diseases that you can actually contract (unlike the HIV which you had no more risk of than of being a pregnant male.) Only your doctor can diagnose your "symptoms" to determine if they are real, and he stated they are not - if you are sure they are real and your doctor says not, you can always go for a second opinion to see if you do have Lyme.
I would disregard any other "forumers" advice whatever you meant by that, because they are not doctors, and all your symptoms (and possibly all theirs) are self-diagnosed and can be highly likely to be incorrect, depending on the individual circumstances.
You can't get HIV from oral since saliva inactivates it and you can't get it with protected sex using a latex condom either for obvious reasons. All of the above can be verified from the HIV forum. HIV is somewhat of a simple disease in that it can only be caught from unprotected anal or vaginal sex or sharing needles, none of which you did.
Your "symptoms" are self diagnosed and would not be of interest to a HIV doctor for many reasons. They can be in your head from fear making you over-analyze your body and imagining things as you tense up and sweat with fear, or if they are real they can be from other diseases that you can actually contract (unlike the HIV which you had no more risk of than of being a pregnant male.) Only your doctor can diagnose your "symptoms" to determine if they are real, and he stated they are not - if you are sure they are real and your doctor says not, you can always go for a second opinion to see if you do have Lyme.
I would disregard any other "forumers" advice whatever you meant by that, because they are not doctors, and all your symptoms (and possibly all theirs) are self-diagnosed and can be highly likely to be incorrect, depending on the individual circumstances.
Hi AnxiousNoMore,
Thank you for your reply.
I will seek a doctor's second opinion, and possibly also ask about Lyme.
By any chance, do these symptoms mirror any form of anxiety? Just curious.
Will be visiting a counsellor next week.
Regards.
Thank you for your reply.
I will seek a doctor's second opinion, and possibly also ask about Lyme.
By any chance, do these symptoms mirror any form of anxiety? Just curious.
Will be visiting a counsellor next week.
Regards.
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