Aa
Trying to put this behind me Dr. H
Dr. H,
- Unproctected encounter with what most would call a low risk individual. (Married mother of two - not a one night stand, someone that I grew to know over time, but DO you ever really know someone?)
- About one month after encounter, I experienced a sharp pain and twitch to side of head, followed by numbness and tingling on my left side..... CAT scan and bloodwork showed no issues. ER doc said "probably neuralgia of some sort," and sent me on my way. Me being who I am, looked up his answer on the internet and the only cause that I saw out of the many listed was HIV. Rationally I know there are hundreds of reasons but irrationally, I am stuck on HIV but trying to move on...
HIV tests 7, 10 & 12 weeks (I live in the in US) all neg (ELISA's)
All STD's - neg
Symtoms since:
- Peripheral Neuropathy (face/cheeks/ears burning); ocassional ache in bottom of foot, hand (left)
- Aches in armpits and groin,
- Lips tingling, facial/body/neck twitches
- Tongue with teeth indentations, edges jagged, back of tongue feels irritated, bit discolored
- Uvula hitting back of tongue
- Feeling of lymph node pain/swellingburning in neck, tightness, neck itching
- Itching
- Burning (feeling like heartburn) lower neck, upper chest
- Lymphocytes at 7 weeks 15%, at 10 weeks 20% (lab reference range 25% - 45%)
- B-12 low at 154 vs lab reference range starting at 225
I have crohn's disease. I do have a small piece of bowel that flares up and was shown as flared at last CAT back earlier in the year, but it is tolerable so i don't medicate for it. Had a resection years ago as well. Most recent medication was 6MP (mercaptopurine) 50mg tabs which i have not taken consistently since first of year. Did have 100mg total during for a flare during the window period.
My questions are these:
- 12 weeks conclusive? Test again?
- Does crohn's and 6MP extend my window period since it is an autoimmune?
Thank you for your time!
- Unproctected encounter with what most would call a low risk individual. (Married mother of two - not a one night stand, someone that I grew to know over time, but DO you ever really know someone?)
- About one month after encounter, I experienced a sharp pain and twitch to side of head, followed by numbness and tingling on my left side..... CAT scan and bloodwork showed no issues. ER doc said "probably neuralgia of some sort," and sent me on my way. Me being who I am, looked up his answer on the internet and the only cause that I saw out of the many listed was HIV. Rationally I know there are hundreds of reasons but irrationally, I am stuck on HIV but trying to move on...
HIV tests 7, 10 & 12 weeks (I live in the in US) all neg (ELISA's)
All STD's - neg
Symtoms since:
- Peripheral Neuropathy (face/cheeks/ears burning); ocassional ache in bottom of foot, hand (left)
- Aches in armpits and groin,
- Lips tingling, facial/body/neck twitches
- Tongue with teeth indentations, edges jagged, back of tongue feels irritated, bit discolored
- Uvula hitting back of tongue
- Feeling of lymph node pain/swellingburning in neck, tightness, neck itching
- Itching
- Burning (feeling like heartburn) lower neck, upper chest
- Lymphocytes at 7 weeks 15%, at 10 weeks 20% (lab reference range 25% - 45%)
- B-12 low at 154 vs lab reference range starting at 225
I have crohn's disease. I do have a small piece of bowel that flares up and was shown as flared at last CAT back earlier in the year, but it is tolerable so i don't medicate for it. Had a resection years ago as well. Most recent medication was 6MP (mercaptopurine) 50mg tabs which i have not taken consistently since first of year. Did have 100mg total during for a flare during the window period.
My questions are these:
- 12 weeks conclusive? Test again?
- Does crohn's and 6MP extend my window period since it is an autoimmune?
Thank you for your time!
Thank you, that's what I wanted to hear. It is appreciated!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
What happened to "No yeah buts, no what if's, no how comes"?
This information does not change my opinion or advice. Even if you have an oral yeast infection (thrush), it makes no difference. Oral yeast is a sign of advance HIV, i.e. overt AIDS many years after catching HIV; it is not a sign of acute HIV infection. (I had it myself once.)
Move on. I won't have any further comments.
This information does not change my opinion or advice. Even if you have an oral yeast infection (thrush), it makes no difference. Oral yeast is a sign of advance HIV, i.e. overt AIDS many years after catching HIV; it is not a sign of acute HIV infection. (I had it myself once.)
Move on. I won't have any further comments.
Dr. HHH,
I have done pretty well overall, first visit to the site since my last reply to you and have checked into counseling offered by my company through an assistance program.
I would like to appeal to your compassion for a moment... Please....Since the time of my last reply, I have seen my primary care for a follow up visit. She looked in my mouth to check out the irritation that I have on the back of the tongue and the teeth indentations etc..her first thought was a mild case of thrush, but did not test for it and is not treating it at this moment. She asked it it hurt....my reply was, "it doesn't hurt tremendously, more an irritated feeling then anything, doesn't hurt when I swallow." It was enough to make her pause for a moment and go... "hmmmmmm."
Based on what I communicated earlier and understanding your original reply..... can you help me over this hump concerning the tongue issue..... it would mean alot.
thank you!
I have done pretty well overall, first visit to the site since my last reply to you and have checked into counseling offered by my company through an assistance program.
I would like to appeal to your compassion for a moment... Please....Since the time of my last reply, I have seen my primary care for a follow up visit. She looked in my mouth to check out the irritation that I have on the back of the tongue and the teeth indentations etc..her first thought was a mild case of thrush, but did not test for it and is not treating it at this moment. She asked it it hurt....my reply was, "it doesn't hurt tremendously, more an irritated feeling then anything, doesn't hurt when I swallow." It was enough to make her pause for a moment and go... "hmmmmmm."
Based on what I communicated earlier and understanding your original reply..... can you help me over this hump concerning the tongue issue..... it would mean alot.
thank you!
Dr. thank you! No yeah buts, no what if's, no how comes. I appreciate the feedback given within this community, but felt it was worth the $20 to get your professional opinion so start my process to move on and you didn't disappoint and did not take anything in the way of being critizied.
I honestly needed to hear it from you as a result of the many, many, many posts that I have read from you to others..... it was just something I needed.
As I sit here and type this, i have a great deal of pain coursing thru my body, but I have a better sense of calm, which I can say wasn't there prior.....so, thank you for taking the time.
I appreciate the "tough love" if you will, that you just delivered and it will go a long way to helping me overcome the irrational fear that I have.
thank you again, thank you for all you do for the community and I wish you well.
Best!
I honestly needed to hear it from you as a result of the many, many, many posts that I have read from you to others..... it was just something I needed.
As I sit here and type this, i have a great deal of pain coursing thru my body, but I have a better sense of calm, which I can say wasn't there prior.....so, thank you for taking the time.
I appreciate the "tough love" if you will, that you just delivered and it will go a long way to helping me overcome the irrational fear that I have.
thank you again, thank you for all you do for the community and I wish you well.
Best!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You have asked the same questions several times on the HIV community forum. You were accurately informed that the risk you caught HIV from the exposure that worries you is nil, that your symptoms don't suggest HIV, and that negative HIV test results at 11-12 weeks are completely reliable.
As we have said innumerable times on this fourm, symptoms never are useful indicators of new HIV infection and test results always outweigh symtpoms and non-HIV lab test results. Therefore, your symptoms and lab test results are meaningless in the face of your negative HIV tests. Your symptoms don't suggest HIV anyway. We also have repeatedly pointed out that no medical problems and no medications alter the reliability of HIV test results, with the possible exceptions of very advanced life threatening illnesses (e.g., terminal cancer) or very potent chemotherapy -- neither of which applies to Crohn's disease or 6MP.
Intellectually you know these things are true, as reflected by at least one thread in which you realized you were "probably splitting hairs" and another in which you helped reassure another questioner about his own negative HIV test result at 12 weeks. You're obviously having trouble integrating your intellectual knowledge into a genuine belief that you don't have HIV. But the bottom line is that you do not, and you do not need additional HIV testing. It is well past time to let it go and move on. It is not normal to be so "stuck on HIV " (your words) despite such strong evidence, which suggests you might benefit counseling to get beyond this -- which I mention out of compassion, not criticism.
Let's not have any "yes but" or "what if" follow-up questions. It is unlikely that any additional information would change my opinion or advice.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
As we have said innumerable times on this fourm, symptoms never are useful indicators of new HIV infection and test results always outweigh symtpoms and non-HIV lab test results. Therefore, your symptoms and lab test results are meaningless in the face of your negative HIV tests. Your symptoms don't suggest HIV anyway. We also have repeatedly pointed out that no medical problems and no medications alter the reliability of HIV test results, with the possible exceptions of very advanced life threatening illnesses (e.g., terminal cancer) or very potent chemotherapy -- neither of which applies to Crohn's disease or 6MP.
Intellectually you know these things are true, as reflected by at least one thread in which you realized you were "probably splitting hairs" and another in which you helped reassure another questioner about his own negative HIV test result at 12 weeks. You're obviously having trouble integrating your intellectual knowledge into a genuine belief that you don't have HIV. But the bottom line is that you do not, and you do not need additional HIV testing. It is well past time to let it go and move on. It is not normal to be so "stuck on HIV " (your words) despite such strong evidence, which suggests you might benefit counseling to get beyond this -- which I mention out of compassion, not criticism.
Let's not have any "yes but" or "what if" follow-up questions. It is unlikely that any additional information would change my opinion or advice.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
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