Possible HIV

[StevierayRay]

Hello doctors, I spoke to Dr. Hook a couple months ago regarding my brief unprotected oral and vaginal sex. He said my symptoms were not that of ars but possible anxiety and just getting a bug possibly. I never had a fever just had a canker sore in the back of throat around 5 weeks post exposure and sore throat and swollen lymph nodes below my ears. The throat wasn't very sore after the canker sore but for three months now has remained tight and also have a pressure feeling under my chin as if those lymph nodes were inflamed a little.  I get a little pain in my ears as well and a fullness feeling to them.  I went to the doctor and they sent my blood they drew from my arm to the mayo clinic for lab testing. I don't know what test was performed but the results were negative. They drew the blood a day before my 8 week mark post exposure. I recently had about 5 weeks ago an unprotected oral and protected vaginal sex. Now for over the past week I have been getting random pains in my armpits as well as continued jaw pain and tightness in throat and under chin. Also get random pains in my body and seem to have a knot or swollen lymph node above my right shoulder blade. Stress knot maybe bc it has been there since before last exposure but I have been stressing about everything still over the past 3-4 for months thinking I do have HIV.  The symptoms come and go bust mostly remain present. No fever however. My anxiety has been extremely high as I worry about both events.... Is the 8 week test good even though I don't know what test was done? Or are these symptoms that I do in fact have HIV 3-4 months later? How about the recent exposure,could it be do to that? Should I be seeing symptoms now for 3-4 months or is this from the recent exposure? Do I need to be retested as I know the 3 month mark is supposed to be the "conclusive" point?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I don't know the nature of your "second exposure", and don't need to.  If your latest test is more than 4 weeks (and for sure 6+ weeks) afterward, then for sure you weren't infected.

In the thousands of questions in the 9 years since this forum started, nobody has ever had a documented HIV infection after an exposure they asked about.  If and when that happens, it surely will be from a truly high risk exposure (e.g. anal sex among men, shared injection equipment) and not a one-off heterosexual exposure, which almost never transmits the virus.

This thread is definitely over.  Do your best to accept the reasoned, science-based reassurance you have had --- several times, probably including your own doctors -- and move on with your life.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I don't know the nature of your "second exposure", and don't need to.  If your latest test is more than 4 weeks (and for sure 6+ weeks) afterward, then for sure you weren't infected.

In the thousands of questions in the 9 years since this forum started, nobody has ever had a documented HIV infection after an exposure they asked about.  If and when that happens, it surely will be from a truly high risk exposure (e.g. anal sex among men, shared injection equipment) and not a one-off heterosexual exposure, which almost never transmits the virus.

This thread is definitely over.  Do your best to accept the reasoned, science-based reassurance you have had --- several times, probably including your own doctors -- and move on with your life.

[StevierayRay]

So the second is exposure is nothing to worry about?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

As Dr. Hook made very clear in your previous thread, you had a low risk exposure and no symptoms that suggested you had HIV.  Most important, your 8 week negative HIV test was proof you weren't infected.  One of the most common positions we take on this forum is that HIV test results always overrule symptoms and exposure history in judging whether or not someone has HIV, as long as the test is done sufficiently long after exposure -- and 8 weeks is always sufficient, even though official advice continues to emphasize 3 month testing for the HIV antibody tests.  For further discussion about this, see the thread linked below.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1704700

The bottom line is that you definitely do not have HIV and will need to look elsewhere for the cause of your symptoms.  To me, most of them are typical for the physical manifestations of anxiety, nothing more.  But if they continue, you should continue to work with your doctor.

There is nothing more this forum has to offer, so this will be my only advice on this thread.

Regards--  HHH, MD

[StevierayRay]

Have also been having some headaches too..