9 weeks after possible exposure

Similar problem to Icarus.
Unprotected vaginal with sex worker.

I wish my body will stay normal until my final test in 3 weeks but all these possible ars symptons just drives my anxieties through the roof.

I wish I could accept Dr. H diagnosis and move on.

I have already had a duo test at 6 weeks which was neg.

Week 7 experinced a cough for about a week.

Week 8 noticed itchy red spots on top half of back and on top of arms, which have now nearly gone except it leaves a mark like sun burnt recovery, light brown with dry flaky skin.
Also blotchy red marks underneath skin on arms for about 4 days.

I have not had any other symptons.

1) Is it possible for late ARS, I know I did not have a fever but could this still be possible.

2) I know this is theoretical but could I be a late serconvertor hence the 6 weeks test did not pick up any signs and that is why ARS is now appearing.

I do suffer from ezcema (eczema) but never this bad.
Aidsmed team gave me some insight but I would like to hear what others think as I am scaring myself to death with this rash thing.

I do not want another test until my 12 weeks is up as I am too afraid to test at the moment.

Please anyone......

[dobber21]

Hi RR,
The chance of contracting HIV from any single unprotected exposure is low. Your six week duo test is extremely reassuring. Think about it for a minute. No one in Dr. H's clinic has ever seen a six week negative turn positive at 12 weeks. No one on aidsmeds.com has seen it either. Ever. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I'm just saying it's extremely rare.

I know you're not going to let this go, and that you'll test at 12 weeks. What I would suggest is that you seek counselling now. I was in the exact same position as you, except I had two encounters. I was CERTAIN I was gonna be positive. And I wasn't. You said you suffer a skin condition but never as bad as this. Anxiety can make existing conditions far far worse. Seek professional help and try and get over this. I don't doubt that you'll be fine:)

[bamboosalt]

i dont think your symptoms are ARS.

ARS usually starts before week 4 after your potential risk day.

week 7 is too late.

[Russian Roullete]

I understand normally ars occurs at 2-4 weeks. I too think I am a noraml average guy and I really really don't want to be special in this case. Its just unders these circumstances anything which happens to my body HIV ARS spring to made. Even if I step back and think its winter, coughs are inevitable but it could be ARS and especially with this rash thing. Stress and anxieties can cause my exzcema to become worst than normal but again aRS springs to mind.

I have thought about counsulling but I think whats the point, only 5 more weeks, then now its four and so on. I am trying to take each day as it comes.

To tell the truth, the biggest thing on my mind apart from ARS is how would I tell my wife if and a big IF I become positive.

Life is great at the moment, just got a promotion and my marriage was excellent up until now. I feel I'm trying to avoid my wife and I think she knows something is wrong but she just can't put her finger on it.

Thanks for listening and for the advice.

[Xhost]

Hello Russian,

So, you have some symptoms, and you fear the worst. Doesn't sound much different than the position I was in just a few short months ago. Last year I met a woman in a bar, and cheated on my girlfriend. The next day, felt horrible about myself, and felt even worse once I started thinking about the possibility of having contracted some type of STD that I might give to my girlfriend. Felt even more terrible once I started reading about HIV, because many of the sites that I visited completely overstated my risks of having contracted it. But that is another story.

That one night led to a few months of overwhelming guilt, fear and misery. You talk about symptoms, well, let me tell you about mine:

*Horribly sore throat a week after the episode that lasted for a week or more
*Significant weight loss over a period of about a month. I dropped over 20 pounds
*The worst ear infection of my life - so bad that my doctor told me my ear drum might burst
*Multiple ulcers in my mouth
*Tingling sensations in hands and feet
*Muscle aches
*Lethargy
*Gastrointestinal distress, quite severe at times

Based on my "symptoms", I had myself convinced that I had something, most likely HIV. I spent hours and hours scouring the Web for HIV related information. And, every time I read about a symptom, the next day, I had it.

You might be asking: what was your risk? If so, I will tell you. As I mentioned earlier, I met a woman in a bar, she took me home, and we engaged in aggressive oral sex, all night long. I was drunk, she was drunk. I woke up the next morning, and there was mestrual blood everywhere - on the covers, on the sheets, on my pillow case, around my mouth. I looked at all this, then looked at myself in the mirror, and I freaked.

After a few weeks of worry, I found MedHelp, and I explained my situation to the doctor, and explained my situation. After reading on the Web for a few weeks in various Web sites, I was prepared for the worst. I was sure he would tell me that, yes, I was at an extremely high risk for having contracted HIV. Imagine my surprise, then, when he told me: you don't even need to test. Frankly, I couldn't believe it. What about the blood? What about my "symptoms"? What about the fact that I was a low down dirty dog for having cheated on my girlfriend?

Well, guess what, it didn't really matter. I understand that your own encounter was different from mine, but I do wonder if we are coming from essentially the same place, in terms of guilt, in terms of "symptoms", etc.

The deal is this: I went out and tested negative at 6 weeks, and no matter what anyone told me, I was still sure I had HIV. I was convinced that I had it, and I was also convinced it would be an appropriate punishment for having cheated on my girlfriend.

Fortunately, guilt, negative emotions or supposed "symptoms" have absolutely nothing to do with your, or my own, HIV status. Your test is the only thing that matters here, just like my own at 6 weeks. A vast majority of people will develop antibodies to HIV by 6 weeks, and will test positive on an HIV test by then. You may be wondering if you are the one guy who will test positive after six weeks. Well, stop wondering, you won't. In fact, as the Doctor states in the moderated HIV Prevention forum, in his umpteen years practicing medicine, he's never seen, or heard ot it.

I will point out to you now that while, yes, I had a bunch of "symptoms", once I came to the conclusion that I was HIV negative, all of those symptoms seemed to just fade away. No lie, no joke. One day I felt miserable, and the next, I felt pretty damned good. And I haven't experienced any of those symptoms again. All I can chalk it up to is stress, or anxiety, or guilt - or a combination of all three.

So, OK, perhaps rationally, you can accept this, but emotionally, you cannot. Fine, go ahead and test at 12 weeks if you feel that it will finally be conclusive for you. Based on your 6 week result, it will be negative, and then perhaps you can move on with your life then. I will end by saying, if you still cannot do it at that point, it may be time to consider therapy (which I eventually decided was right for me, and it did a world of good). But that is a discussion for another day.

Bottom line: you are going to be just fine.

[strata]

Your symptoms do not indicate HIV-related ARS.

The typical ARS rash is non-itchy, focused on the upper torso, and accompanies others symptoms, most often fever. Your rash sounds like excema, allergy, or other irritation.

Your cough, especially in the absence of other symptoms (especially lymphadenopathy) is not suggestive either.

Your 6-week negative antibody test is highly suggestive, and I'm guess would be considered medically conclusive by some (including Dr HHH). Get tested at 3 months since anxiety is obviously still an issue. It will certainly be negative.

The FEW documented cases that I've read of late seroconversion all involve co-infection with HCV (Hepatits C), usually with HCWs or IV drug users.

Your odds of infection at this point are vanishingly small:

.0005 * .05 = 1/40,000 even if we assume the girl had HIV, which she likely did not. You real odds are closer to 1/4 million.

[Russian Roullete]

Dobs, thanks, Anxiety going down.

I'm thinking about telling my sister, as she is a good listener but I'm afraid I might freak her out, same with friends.

I think I've turned into a hypochon...

I too was living carefree before my marriage, HIV never sprung to mind until I slept with a sex worker. Afterwards, instantly HIV just sprung into my head and that was it, if it was a normal person I don't think I would have even thought about HIV.

After another 3 weeks, I plan to celebrate like I was 18 again.

Even when my mother died I didn't feel as bad as I do now, for anyone who wants a life changing experience, I do not recommend this one.

Do you know what so ironic, I was planning on losing weight and my wife has even congratulated me (I smile when she tells me) on how much weight I've lost in the last couple of months. Great way to lose weight, not. Weight loss thing, I know is definately stress related. This is the only good thing about the experience losing 18lbs.

[dobber21]

Russian Roulette,
I was in exactly the same boat as you, new job, everything going great...or so I thought.
Look one of my regrets is not seeking counselling earlier. I did a lot of damage with that day to day thing. Stop thinking about IF you'll test positive. The chance of that happening is pretty much non-existent. I know you'll test again, but in the meantime go and talk to someone, it will help I promise.
I know you think this reaction to what you did is normal. It's not. I spoke about my situation with a friend. He told me when he was in a relationship a few years ago he slept around without protection. He did not think ONCE about HIV and he turned out negative. I slept around without protection before I started with my girlfriend and never once thought about HIV.
I'm not condoning this behaviour, it was stupid, but it kind of explains that this is a guilt thing.

The chances are extremely good that you'll be fine.
Now go and talk to someone:)

[Xhost]

Russian,

I understand completely, as, as I said before, I have walked a mile in your shoes. I've been there, and it isn't much fun at all. You've been through a lot lately, haven't you? And you are still going through it.

The good news is that, while it may take some time to make peace with yourself over this whole incident, you eventually will. One day you will decide that you have punished yourself enough for all of this.

You know what I am going to say now: you don't appear to have HIV, and your negative test at 6 weeks proves that. Your 12 week test is strictly a formality, based on the idea that, for you, that will be the conclusive test. And then you can put all this behind you, a wiser person for having gone through it.

You're going to be OK, RR. If you need to talk, plenty of good people in the forum who will be glad to listen.

You take care of yourself.

[Russian Roullete]

Xhost

Logically, I know my chances are good, very good in fact but as you have stated, its my emotions and possible ARS symptons.
The emotion FEAR, one which I have never really felt until now. The FEAR is HIV has no cure, is transmissionable to the person I love most and life as I know will change drastically. Yes there is life after HIV but one which, lets not go there.....

I have read your post and your experience was probable more scary than the one I had, thanks for sharing.

I wish the worlds doctors will get together and provide better advice about when to test.

As I say, only 3 more weeks to go, got to keep myself busy and try to stop thinking about my situation.

[Russian Roullete]

Thanks

You know when you mentioned when you read about a sympton, you get it the next day. Well, see the other postings, all us WWs mention a sympton tehn its like mass hysteria.

[jauni]

Anyway, as I was saying, my daughter was in East Africa and was date raped.  (drugged at a club.)  3 weeks later she traveled back to the states and had a yeast infection and had diarhea (diarrhea) for one week, and a generally overall, not feeling well.  She will go get tested.  I know the ratio of people in that part of Africa are 1 out of 3.  Would she be having symptons already, and are these symptons of early HIV.  I am frantic about this, but I'm trying to keep low key about it for her.  Is HIV always caught with unprotected sex?  How long should we wait to have her tested?

I am hoping to hear from you soon.

[jauni]

My daughter was recently in East Africa, and was date raped.  How soon should I have her tested, and how soon will the first possible symptons show up?  She is only 18, and I am extremely worried about this.  Please tell me what to do

[jauni]

Yeah, well, I will have her tested, but I can't see why I should stress her out with multiple tests.  Especially if they are not 100% positive results.  I will take her the first week of April to be tested.  How do you find a confidential place to have testing done?  What happens next if the test comes out positive for HIV?  What do you do then, and where do you get treatment at?
Jauni

[Russian Roullete]

I am not a doctor


From what I have gathered from reading all postings:

1) Test at 28 days with a HIV duo test as the average time for peopel who have detectable HIV antibodies is 22-25 days.

2) Then test at 6 weeks with the same test as a very high percentage of people will become HIV+ within 6 weeks.

3) For a confirmation test, test at 12 weeks with a standard elisa test.

Maybe you should start a new posting as this one is quite old or if you can post a posting to the doc.
you have to be quite lcukcy to post with doc HHH as he only excepts 3 postings a day for 15 dollars.

If I was you, I would go and see a real medical pratictioner first.

[Russian Roullete]

I dont know where you can have confidential testing in the states as Im in the UK.

If you start a new post at the address below, maybe some of the others readers can help.

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/HIVSupport/wwwboard.html

I am truly sorry to hear about your daughters, this must be an extremly stressfull time for your family. I sincerely hope the tests go well.