hiv testing

[geminiguy14]

hello Dr i just have a few questions. i went to the philippines for a vacation back in december, and mistakenly had unprotected sex with a csw. the intercourse was brief maybe 2 minutes and i am circumsised. i asked the girl if she was std free and she said yes and according to her she just had a hiv test the month before. i called the clinic in which the bargirls would get tested and although they cannot give a specific person's name due to privacy, they did say that no one has tested positive for hiv in that certain club. so i became paranoid and self prescribed myself with 2g of zithromax for other STD. the following week i took again 2g of zithromax to be sure. when i git back here in california i took a full std test including hiv antibody blood test at 5 weeks seince exposure which all came back negative. on the 8th week mark i took another hiv antibody blood test at a hospital and also toko the oraquick home test which also came back negative. on about the 7 1/2 week i experience a slight sting in my throat when i drank very cold beverages and coughing (are these ars) i must add the day before the sting in my throat i took a multi vitamin and it got stuck in my throat so it might have scratched it. finally at 9 1/2 weeks i took another oraquick home swab test and was negative. so my questions are as follows..

1. i have heard that overdosing on antibiotics will weaken your immune system. will those dosage of zithromax be enough to supress my immune system that it will delay the production of antibodies? i also take daily multi vitamins and exercise suplements like protein shake, zinc and l-arginine. will those have any affect on hiv tetsing?
2.does ars usually appear after 7 weeks? and does my symptoms sound like ars? there is no fever.
3.how reliable are the tests that i have taken and their time frame? would you consider them conclusive and no further testing is needed>

[geminiguy14]

thank you so much for the reassurance doctor. i had so much anxiety the last few weeks and it is good to hear from a proffesional. all ive read on forums was 3 months for a conclusive test which i believe you and dr hansfield had said in the past to be outdated data. thank you again dr.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Your 8 weeks result is conclusive with all currently used tests.  EWH

[geminiguy14]

sorry doctor, one more thing. Does it matter what generation elisa blood test was taken? im not sure what generation they used, all they said was that they used the Centaur machine to check for antibodies.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You have just repeated what I have already said accurately.  EWH

[geminiguy14]

thank you so much doctor!

so to conclude things before i go.

1.no amount of antibiotics or supplements will affect hiv testing duration?
2. zithromax does not delay ars?
3. my 8th week antibody blood test and 9 1/2 week oraquick home swab test are conclusive?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, none of the things you mention would have any effect on your HIV test results.  EWh

[geminiguy14]

thank you for your response Dr so just to be sure none of the supplements i take, l-arginine, zinc, fishoil, and multivitamins has no affect on the production of hiv antibodies and also hiv testing. nor does zithromax delay onset ARS symptoms?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  I'll be glad to address your concerns.  First, even before we get to your questions letme be clear that the exposure you describe was low risk.. Most bar girls do not have HIV and  even when they do, most unprotected exposures do not lead to transmission of infection.  Further, the three tests you have taken provided definitive results, proving that you were not infected through the events you describe.  With this as background, let's address your specific concerns.

1.  Antibiotics do not weaken the immune system.  Sometimes they predisposed persons to other infections but in your case this is not a concern.  The antibiotics you took would not predispose or mask HIV.

2.  No, the ARS does not appear after 6 weeks, thus your symptoms are not a sign of HIV.

3.  Your tests are completely reliable.  Believe them.  No further testing is needed.

I hope my comments are helpful.  EWH