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Still believe I am negative for HIV?
I have been dealing with anxiety regarding possible HIV infection. I have had a negative Rapid test at 12.5 and 14.5 weeks after a risk incident but there are some things going on with my body that are adding up that definitely have me thinking that I have had false negative results. I have had CONFIRMED Oral Thrush that has not responded to both the oral Rinse and the anti fungal pills I was given. I have had the thrush for well over 5 weeks now, I also was having upper abdominal pains so I had some blood work done and my ALT liver enzymes are elevated. Does this forum still believe me to be HIV negative in light of the thrush, abdominal pains, elevated liver enzymes, headaches, sore throat, stiff neck? How can I trust the test with all this occurring in my body?
I am closing this thread to additional comments as the OP's question has been answered. Thelastbullet- if you have further questions on your situation, please start a new thread- do not ask them in an existing thread. Thanks for your cooperation.
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Firstly, I will NOT be drawn into a debate with another professional in this forum. I will keep my response very simple here. As you say, you tested out to 14.5 weeks. In your response to another poster, you acknowledge the accuracy of a 3 month NEGATIVE.I can almost guarantee your physician elected to perform additional testing or genetic/autoimmune conditions based on your very obvious HIV Phobia, he wasn't "wrong" for doing so. In the presence of a "NORMAL CBC" (which is generally the baseline non-specific test medical professionals use in POC) , there exists very little (if any) possibility of an abnormal "Lymphocyte Subset". That said, I assume your "further testing" was NORMAL, if that's the case than you are CONFIRMED not to be in the extremely small group with whom the "Window Period" is extended. This means your NEGATIVE was valid and you are indeed NEGATIVE. Additionally, I will add once again reiterate that with MODERN HIV testing virtually ALL (including those with autoimmune disorders, using chemotherapy etc.) will in fact test POSITIVE within the 3 month WINDOW PERIOD. Please keep in mind that CDC guidelines are exceedingly conservative.
-JC-
-JC-
Dear JC,
Thanks.
I understand the lymphocytes analysis is not appropriate for HIV diagnosis, but it is relevant to check for other possible immunity disorders, like auto-immune diseases.
I have developed severe dermographism after my sexual risk exposure. Hence the ongoing fear and worries about HIV despite all my negative (5) HIV tests.
My general practictionere is done with me, she already refused to give me my most recent HIV test after 4 months (3 months was conclusive for her).
BUT
The HIV expert doctor I visited at the university hospital told me some freaky stuff (you can read them on another post of me to you). So he did not have a problem to test me again at 4 months (after a so-called 3 months conclusive negative), he did not tell me I shouldn't, on the contrary when he told me the 4 months was negative, I asked him 'ok, now I am done with HIV?', he said: 'no, you still have to test at 6 months'.
Why, why, why??????????????????
Coming from an HIV expert who is specialized in treatment of HIV+ people
A Professor Doctorandus in the medical sciences
I asked him if there was an indirect way to check for HIV possible late seroconversion or that I would have an immunity disorder given my dermographism. He suggested to give me the lymphocytes subset tests, which turned out to be normal.
So, it is not me, it is him who makes me worried, who still makes me doubting about my 3 and 4 months negative HIV test results. Of course he confirms there is only 1% chance left but he refuses to exclude me from that 1%. He says there is not enough known about those 1% to make a clear distinction between who and who doesn't convert later.
Or maybe it is just for his statistics???? Maybe he just wants to have me tested again and again to add my case to his statistics....
JC, if you would have been the expert I was visiting and you told me: 'after 3 months you have tested conclusively, you are HIV-', I would have believed you. But HE didn't.
So it is not me, it the expert making me worried ! Why can't he just tell me: STOP, no more tests, I don't want to see or hear you here again. No, he expexts me to come back in at 6 months to have my - in his opinion - conclusive test.
Thanks.
I understand the lymphocytes analysis is not appropriate for HIV diagnosis, but it is relevant to check for other possible immunity disorders, like auto-immune diseases.
I have developed severe dermographism after my sexual risk exposure. Hence the ongoing fear and worries about HIV despite all my negative (5) HIV tests.
My general practictionere is done with me, she already refused to give me my most recent HIV test after 4 months (3 months was conclusive for her).
BUT
The HIV expert doctor I visited at the university hospital told me some freaky stuff (you can read them on another post of me to you). So he did not have a problem to test me again at 4 months (after a so-called 3 months conclusive negative), he did not tell me I shouldn't, on the contrary when he told me the 4 months was negative, I asked him 'ok, now I am done with HIV?', he said: 'no, you still have to test at 6 months'.
Why, why, why??????????????????
Coming from an HIV expert who is specialized in treatment of HIV+ people
A Professor Doctorandus in the medical sciences
I asked him if there was an indirect way to check for HIV possible late seroconversion or that I would have an immunity disorder given my dermographism. He suggested to give me the lymphocytes subset tests, which turned out to be normal.
So, it is not me, it is him who makes me worried, who still makes me doubting about my 3 and 4 months negative HIV test results. Of course he confirms there is only 1% chance left but he refuses to exclude me from that 1%. He says there is not enough known about those 1% to make a clear distinction between who and who doesn't convert later.
Or maybe it is just for his statistics???? Maybe he just wants to have me tested again and again to add my case to his statistics....
JC, if you would have been the expert I was visiting and you told me: 'after 3 months you have tested conclusively, you are HIV-', I would have believed you. But HE didn't.
So it is not me, it the expert making me worried ! Why can't he just tell me: STOP, no more tests, I don't want to see or hear you here again. No, he expexts me to come back in at 6 months to have my - in his opinion - conclusive test.
Without getting into the technical aspects, we do NOT advise posters here to request NONSPECIFIC ASSAYS to rule out HIV INFECTION. The tests you're referring to are usually orders either after CONFIRMED HIV INFECTION or when an AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE is suspected (usually upon patient complaint, observed symptoms or an "OUT OF RANGE" CBC result. I believe your physician may have indulged your fears of HIV and orderd these tests just to put you at ease. In your setting, there would be LITTLE purpose for you to have those tests performed. It can be very counterproductive when physicans begin to practice "PATIENT DRIVEN " medicine.
Please DO NOT advise ANY posters here to seek "NON-SPECIFIC" tests to diagnose or rule-out HIV infection. We try to be ACCURATE and CONSISTENT in our information. The GOLD STANDARD test to CONCLUSIVELY rule out HIV INFECTION at the POC (Point of Care) level is a NEGATIVE HIV ANTIBODY TEST RESULT 12/13 WEEKS POST YOUR LAST POSSIBLE EXPOSURE. If you have any further concerns or questions you may PM me.
-JC-
Please DO NOT advise ANY posters here to seek "NON-SPECIFIC" tests to diagnose or rule-out HIV infection. We try to be ACCURATE and CONSISTENT in our information. The GOLD STANDARD test to CONCLUSIVELY rule out HIV INFECTION at the POC (Point of Care) level is a NEGATIVE HIV ANTIBODY TEST RESULT 12/13 WEEKS POST YOUR LAST POSSIBLE EXPOSURE. If you have any further concerns or questions you may PM me.
-JC-
Dear England,
I fully acknowledge your fear but you have to believe your test results at 3 months. You are HIV negative. The antibodies should have been detected already, and if not, because you would have been one of those rare late convertors, and if your current symptoms were HIV acute seroconversion syndrome related, then you would 100% surely have developed antibodies 2 to ma x 3 weeks after the start of your symptoms.
And if your body would not because your immune systems does not work, you would be already deadly ill (hospitalized, intensive care) or the tests would have detected big loads of antigen of the virus in your blood, you would be flooded with virus particles.
You can always ask a subset lymphocytes analysis, that would definetly rule out if your immune systems would not work properly. If the test is ok, really nothing to worry about possible late conversion.
I fully acknowledge your fear but you have to believe your test results at 3 months. You are HIV negative. The antibodies should have been detected already, and if not, because you would have been one of those rare late convertors, and if your current symptoms were HIV acute seroconversion syndrome related, then you would 100% surely have developed antibodies 2 to ma x 3 weeks after the start of your symptoms.
And if your body would not because your immune systems does not work, you would be already deadly ill (hospitalized, intensive care) or the tests would have detected big loads of antigen of the virus in your blood, you would be flooded with virus particles.
You can always ask a subset lymphocytes analysis, that would definetly rule out if your immune systems would not work properly. If the test is ok, really nothing to worry about possible late conversion.
Again, you fail to understand that there far more likely explanations for what's going on. Do you really think that everybody who has a fever, body ache, sore throat, is seroconverting as a result of HIV infection? If your best friend were experiencing the same symptoms, would you automatically assume that he was infected with HIV? Millions of people get the flu a few months after they have sex- such coincidence is logically inevitable if you think about it. There are plenty of common, community-acquired infections that can explain your symptoms.
I appreciate what normally occurs with HIV testing but I am trying to tell you I am one of the unlucky ones. Yesterday I broke a fever of 102, my thrush is getting worse and my second set of medication to clear it up is almost done. I have extreme body ache and pain, sore throat, major headaches. My entire body hurts, even my fingers. Something has changed in the last day and a half, I am getting much worse and feel extremely ill, I think I am sero converting just before the 4 month mark.
Taking your HIV testing history into consideration, you are CONCLUSIVELY HIV NEGATIVE. If indeed you have received the results on other blood tests/panels indicated, there are a myriad of conditions which would produce any or all of your results. An HIV antibody test is very sensitive, so sensitive in fact that a FALSE POSITIVE is exponentially more likely. Rest assured based on your NEGATIVE result, you're indeed HIV NEGATIVE. Continue to work with your Doctor(s) to determine the cause of your existing symptoms. -JC-
If you have liver issues did your doctor think about testing you for hepatitis? HIV is not the issue.
What can I say... I also have had several strange symptoms, but the tests are there! What I know is that once the window period is over, ELISA tests have a very high negative predictive power, that means that the likelihood of a false negative y extremely low! And you have two tests.
I also went to a Dr and made me several analyses, and the only strange thing he found was an elevated level of protein C (involved in inflammatory process), bun HIV negative.
I'm wondering if all this level of anxiety and stress could have triggered other infections unrelated to HIV, perhaps the herpes-like infection in my tongue or your thrush is the case.
Think about that...
I also went to a Dr and made me several analyses, and the only strange thing he found was an elevated level of protein C (involved in inflammatory process), bun HIV negative.
I'm wondering if all this level of anxiety and stress could have triggered other infections unrelated to HIV, perhaps the herpes-like infection in my tongue or your thrush is the case.
Think about that...
"Does this forum still believe me to be HIV negative in light of the thrush, abdominal pains, elevated liver enzymes, headaches, sore throat, stiff neck? How can I trust the test with all this occurring in my body?"
Yes, whatever is causing your symptoms is something other than HIV. Thrush can occur in (and is actually more common in) immunologically normal people, just like the vast majority (99+%) of people who get headaches, sore throat, etc. The ailments that you describe can be due to things far more common than HIV.
You are making a common mistake of equating symptoms with the worst thing imaginable, when there are far more likely and benign causes. The best analogy that relates to your situation is the relationship between headaches and brain tumors- if everyone who thought they might have a brain tumor after getting a bad headache actually had one, then the world population would be zero. It is natural for people to assume the worst, but the medical world doesn't work that way- in fact it works the opposite- the most likely causes are pursued first- and in your case the most unlikely cause has been ruled out.
Yes, whatever is causing your symptoms is something other than HIV. Thrush can occur in (and is actually more common in) immunologically normal people, just like the vast majority (99+%) of people who get headaches, sore throat, etc. The ailments that you describe can be due to things far more common than HIV.
You are making a common mistake of equating symptoms with the worst thing imaginable, when there are far more likely and benign causes. The best analogy that relates to your situation is the relationship between headaches and brain tumors- if everyone who thought they might have a brain tumor after getting a bad headache actually had one, then the world population would be zero. It is natural for people to assume the worst, but the medical world doesn't work that way- in fact it works the opposite- the most likely causes are pursued first- and in your case the most unlikely cause has been ruled out.
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Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
