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Test how far out with persistent symptoms-new rash
Doctor, I hope you have a moment to comment. I am a heterosexual male and have been awfully worried for the past year and a half because of symptoms. I have had MANY exposures over the past few years. They have ALL been in the US and most have been with women from ASIAN massage parlors. On occasion I would get the "happy ending" but they would also insert their fingers in my anus without protection. I have tested multiple ways out to this time. I have had different kinds of antibody tests(rapid, western blot, with online testing companies using Labcorp and Quest at least each of these after a year after LAST exposure), as well as RNA and DNA by these online testing companies. I also had a hiv duo test 6 weeks ago which was negative(16 1/2 months post exposure). All have been negative. I have been told by my doctor that do not have HIV and he will not run any other tests. Symptoms that continue to haunt me are white patches on side of tongue that come and go, things in my vision that are annoying me and are getting worse in each eye, and as of last week, a NEW RASH on my chest for no apparent reason. Can you answer me this please:
1)Could I take this long to seroconvert since I just got a rash?
2)Should I have my wife tested?
3)Is there a kind of HIV that CANNOT be detected (group n,p, CRF, etc),(since girls were asian and may have LOTS of exposures since they are in that line of work)?
4)I take acid reflux med as well as paxil--can they affect tests and cause false negative?
5)Since i had exposures over at least 8 years like this, could I be at a more "aggresesive stage" of HIV and not be detectable?
6)What else can I do knowing that they symptoms and new ones keep popping up?
7)Can people be missed this far out with tests like these?
8)Are the online testing companies to be trusted?
I am a medical professional, so i know that these are not normal symptoms?
I really need your input and advice as what is my next step.
Thank you
1)Could I take this long to seroconvert since I just got a rash?
2)Should I have my wife tested?
3)Is there a kind of HIV that CANNOT be detected (group n,p, CRF, etc),(since girls were asian and may have LOTS of exposures since they are in that line of work)?
4)I take acid reflux med as well as paxil--can they affect tests and cause false negative?
5)Since i had exposures over at least 8 years like this, could I be at a more "aggresesive stage" of HIV and not be detectable?
6)What else can I do knowing that they symptoms and new ones keep popping up?
7)Can people be missed this far out with tests like these?
8)Are the online testing companies to be trusted?
I am a medical professional, so i know that these are not normal symptoms?
I really need your input and advice as what is my next step.
Thank you
With a new rash today and my primary starting me on fungal medicine.
1)is it possible that with my last exposure of MANY two years ago, and with a 23 month RNA and DNA as well as antibody test, that a person could ever show positive or be missed by current tests? We just cannot explain illnesses.
Thank you
1)is it possible that with my last exposure of MANY two years ago, and with a 23 month RNA and DNA as well as antibody test, that a person could ever show positive or be missed by current tests? We just cannot explain illnesses.
Thank you
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You're working very hard to convince yourself, and me, that you migth have HIV. You do not. You came here for reassurance, but you're trying very hard to ignore it. This is not a debate and I will not participate. There is simply no possibility you have HIV. The level of risk doesn't matter and your symptoms don't matter; the test results prove you aren't infected, and you cannot endanger your wife with an infection you do not have. And of course even if you had HIV, there would be no risk to your kids; HIV is not transmitted in households except by sex.
That's my last comment. Any more such nonsense and I will immediately delete the entire thread.
That's my last comment. Any more such nonsense and I will immediately delete the entire thread.
Thank you for commenting. I know the odds are GREATLY in my favor, but if you could give me your thoughts on these thoughts
1)Would it be a risk if the person had a nick/cut on her hand and inserted in my rectum?
2)Was the duo test I had any more beneficial than a regular antibody test since it was done at 16 1/2 months post exposure?
3)Can you have a negative antibody, p24, and viral load and be not detected?
4)Are there people who do not ever show antibodies but are indeed infected?
5)You said that rare strains may be missed. How is one found to be dx if these tests miss it?
6)Can one be infected and be in a more "advanced stage" of hiv but tests are unable to detect it?
7)Does oral hairly leukoplakia come and go?
Doctor, I understand the criticism I may take but I just want to be sure that I do not endanger my wife/kids. I regret all my prior actions. If you could please answer I will GREATLY appreciated it.
Thank you so much and have a great rest of the weekend!
1)Would it be a risk if the person had a nick/cut on her hand and inserted in my rectum?
2)Was the duo test I had any more beneficial than a regular antibody test since it was done at 16 1/2 months post exposure?
3)Can you have a negative antibody, p24, and viral load and be not detected?
4)Are there people who do not ever show antibodies but are indeed infected?
5)You said that rare strains may be missed. How is one found to be dx if these tests miss it?
6)Can one be infected and be in a more "advanced stage" of hiv but tests are unable to detect it?
7)Does oral hairly leukoplakia come and go?
Doctor, I understand the criticism I may take but I just want to be sure that I do not endanger my wife/kids. I regret all my prior actions. If you could please answer I will GREATLY appreciated it.
Thank you so much and have a great rest of the weekend!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.
You describe entirely safe sexual practices. HIV is not transmitted by hand-genital contact or anal fingering, and it is statistically unlikely any of the massage workers has HIV, regardless of their countries of origin. "Asian" workers are no more likely than others to be infected. Also, it is impossible to have HIV for more than 6 weeks with negative tests, especially with the multiple (mostly unnecessary) tests you had. Test results always overrule symptoms in judging whether someone might have HIV. The rash of HIV always starts within 10-15 days of catching the virus, not weeks or months later, and there are plenty of causes of white spots of the mouth or tongue besides HIV. That your symptoms are not "normal" says nothing about the cause. They not due to HIV.
To your specific questions:
1) No, it is not possible you have HIV.
2) There is no reason for your wife to be tested for HIV, unless she has had high risk exposures of her own.
3,5,7) There are no HIV types not detected by one or more of the tests you have had. Antibody tests might miss rare strains, so might RNA/DNA testing; but the combination of these tests and p24 antigen (part of the duo test) does not miss any HIV infections. You had reliable advice on this from your doctor; if you were my patient, I also would refuse to do any additional testing.
4) No medicines modify the reliability of HIV test results.
6) You're just going to have to accept the scientific evidence and strong reassurance you have had -- probably from several health care providers, not only on this forum -- that you do not have HIV and haven't even been at risk for it.
8) All online testing services use standard, reliable HIV test methods, approved by FDA.
I have to say I'm a bit skeptical about your claim to be a health professional; the nature of your questions and apparent lack of understanding of the scientific issues argue against it, or that you have forgotten much of your training. Health professional or not, you are not reacting rationally to this situation or to your symptoms. I have to suspect you are reacting emotionally to a sexual lifestyle and exposures that make you guilty. My response to "what is my next step" is that professional counseling seems a good idea; I suggest it from compassion, not criticism.
Regards-- HHH, MD
You describe entirely safe sexual practices. HIV is not transmitted by hand-genital contact or anal fingering, and it is statistically unlikely any of the massage workers has HIV, regardless of their countries of origin. "Asian" workers are no more likely than others to be infected. Also, it is impossible to have HIV for more than 6 weeks with negative tests, especially with the multiple (mostly unnecessary) tests you had. Test results always overrule symptoms in judging whether someone might have HIV. The rash of HIV always starts within 10-15 days of catching the virus, not weeks or months later, and there are plenty of causes of white spots of the mouth or tongue besides HIV. That your symptoms are not "normal" says nothing about the cause. They not due to HIV.
To your specific questions:
1) No, it is not possible you have HIV.
2) There is no reason for your wife to be tested for HIV, unless she has had high risk exposures of her own.
3,5,7) There are no HIV types not detected by one or more of the tests you have had. Antibody tests might miss rare strains, so might RNA/DNA testing; but the combination of these tests and p24 antigen (part of the duo test) does not miss any HIV infections. You had reliable advice on this from your doctor; if you were my patient, I also would refuse to do any additional testing.
4) No medicines modify the reliability of HIV test results.
6) You're just going to have to accept the scientific evidence and strong reassurance you have had -- probably from several health care providers, not only on this forum -- that you do not have HIV and haven't even been at risk for it.
8) All online testing services use standard, reliable HIV test methods, approved by FDA.
I have to say I'm a bit skeptical about your claim to be a health professional; the nature of your questions and apparent lack of understanding of the scientific issues argue against it, or that you have forgotten much of your training. Health professional or not, you are not reacting rationally to this situation or to your symptoms. I have to suspect you are reacting emotionally to a sexual lifestyle and exposures that make you guilty. My response to "what is my next step" is that professional counseling seems a good idea; I suggest it from compassion, not criticism.
Regards-- HHH, MD
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