expertise

[MDtobe2012]

Good evening Doctors,

23yr old male, athletic body 165lbs, in school full time and work 45 hours a week very active. Accepted to medical school and start in the fall!!!!!!!

october of 2007 I had a lapse of judgement( irresponsible for a future doc) one time encounter of unprotected vaginal and oral sex with a female of unknown status. 2 weeks later had NGU with pain upon ejaculation and a inflamed urethral opening. Neg urinalysis for chlamydia, gon, trich mono spot.

total of 4 weeks past the encounter became ill, low grade fever, white pus pockets on tonsils, dry couch, bilateral conjunctivitis, sore throat . I developed a pyogenic granuloma on my shoulder (had it lanced off) . I was thinking oral chlamydia or yeast infection.  the sore throat lasted ~6 months . generalized lymphadenopathy developed about pea sized bilateral in cervical chain along with one behind my right ear. I can feel them when I put my arms down in my axillary region. nothing in groin.

All and all I have had 18 HIV test ( mostly oraquick advance 1/2 all negitive.) a viral load ~10 weeks after the encounter undetectable.

1) I went to a infectious disease doc and he said it can actually take up to 36 months to seroconvert. I spoke with my virology professor (harvard trained)  she does HIV research for 15 years and she said 36 months is unrealistic. said the vast majority would be within 6 weeks to 6 months but there have been a few SIV monkeys take 6- 12 months so she said to be extra sure test at a year.

my last hiv test was about 2 years and 4 months after the encounter by a oraquick advance and was negative.

I am troubled by one a infectious disease doc stating it can take up to 36 months, and two I have bad stinging periodically in my nodes, and tingling that originates in my lower  extremities and occasionally in my abdomen. I have also had discomfort in my both my upper right and left quadrants   .

your thoughts and elaboration would be greatly appreciated .

thank you

[Dr. Jose Gonzalez-Garcia, MD, MRCGP, PhD]

If this were HIV the illness 4 weeks after the unprotected sex and the NGU I would defiantly test positive now? YES


Is it possiable for lymphnodes to remain swollen in absense of infection?

ENLARGED LYMPH NODES CAN BE CAUSED BY MANY CONDITIONS, NOT JUST INFECTION
Kind regards,
Dr José

[MDtobe2012]

Oh and last thing I wanted  to include in above message:

Is it possiable for lymphnodes to remain swollen in absense of infection?

[MDtobe2012]

Hello Doctors:

My troubles really stem from the stinging and acheing which occurs in my lymphnodes.  

Furthermore, you state that if the above illness we due to HIV seroconversion antibodies would have been detected after I became better.

If this were HIV the illness 4 weeks after the unprotected sex and the NGU I would defiantly test positive now?

thank you and that will be my last post

[Dr. Jose Gonzalez-Garcia, MD, MRCGP, PhD]

Hello,
Thank you very much for your post and welcome to our forum.
Let me try to reassure you: you are HIV negative.  I am afraid to say that the infectious disease doctor that you saw was totally mistaken and sounds like he is possibly stuck in the research done in the 80's and early 90's and has not read much since.  Sorry to be so blunt, but I think that becuase of his opinion, you are still worrying about this totally unnecessarily.  First of all, your sexual encounter was relatively low risk.  Secondly you have had so many negative tests; everybody sero-converts after 12 weeks.  And if you hadn't sero-converted, by now you would be a very sick man with a very high viral load and no immune system at all.  If you are worrying about all the symptoms that you describe in your post as being acute sero-conversion, that would then mean that you would have sero-converted and the tests would have been positive.
You need to forget about it and move on.  You need to concentrate on your studies this autumn and not waste any more time on this.  Good luck with your future career!
Best wishes,
Dr José