ARS like a cold or flu?

I know that symptoms of ARS vary and are non-specific, but I was wondering if there are some basic differences between ARS and other minor viruses -- like a cold.

Basically, 8 days after an encounter that may have had some risk, I started noticing what felt like post-nasal drip. Not really a runny/congested nose or sneezing, just drip in the back of my nose. Then it "spread" and the top of my throat became incredibly dry and scratchy. I wouldn't say sore (it didn't hurt to swallow). On the third day, it changed again, and became like a typical cold --- swollen nasal passages, sneezing, runny (yellowish discharge). That's what I'm feeling now, four days in. I don't have a fever or swollen lymph nodes and am not feeling tired, but I know it's not just allergies because of the yellow discharge.

Most of these don't seem like ARS symptoms, but it also doesn't seem like a "normal" cold -- there was no sneezing/runny/congested nose until 3 days in. And I know it's not allergies, because of the yellow discharge. I do know that there's a delay of a few days between the on-set of the flu and getting a runny/congested nose....the nasal symptoms come after. That's what seems to have happened to me.

I just can't get it out of my head that this might be ARS. It seems weird that I'd get a cold in the summer, plus the way the cold came on (no congestion etc for 2 days) is odd. But if I have a "flu-like" virus, maybe that would explain why it took 2 days to get the normal cold symptoms? And if ARS symnptoms vary so widely, maybe that's why my "flu-like" symptoms are so mild/non-existent. Does anyone know about ARS seeming like a cold?

[LIZZIE LOU]

are you referring to the same oral sex that you spoke of before?

[worriedguy820]

No it was an encounter I had a few days before I posted that. The encounter made me worry again about the oral sex incident.

[alienshadow]

If that was the case you would of mentioned it in your previous post. Dont keep adding fuel to the fire.

Anxeity and stress will cause you to have symptoms did you know that?

[LIZZIE LOU]

if you're gonna worry every time you have sex from a no risk situation...you might just want to have sex with "yourself" from now on (she says winking)

[worriedguy820]

I know. I didn't mention it because I figured it would make it easier to dismiss my fear as over-worrying. And I realize that could be all this is. I over-worry especially about health things. The last post was because I had a swollen lymph node 2 days after my most recent encounter. I knew it was too early for ARS so I feared that it was a sign I'd contracted HIV in my last encounter before that, the oral sex one.

But now I've definitely come down with a nasty cold/flu, just as I described it. And it started 8 days after my last encounter. It seems to have gotten much worse today. I feel sick now, nose completely blocked/runny, lots of mucous in my throat, and now feeling feverish too.

[alienshadow]

Hell I have had colds before my conclusive and after thats life we all get them . Plus most who contract HIV they do not have ARS symptoms. YOU need to move on buddy. I am not trying to be smart but I can tell you are reading to much on the net and it has you all caught up it happens to most here. I will tell you the more you read the more intense the fear becomes. That makes it harder to except a negative result. Lucky for me my friends here helped me avoid that (yall know who you are) As for me I have never looked back as you should do now you really had no risk

[worriedguy820]

Thanks for the reply, I hear you definitely. Patr of me knows I am obsessing and bringing this on myself. But part of me isn;t sure. The problem is that the risk from the most recent exposure, the one that came 8 days before my cold/flu symptoms, was different than before.It involved getting fingered by a guy, and he had been masturbating himself a little before fingering me. I read different info on this but it seem really risky to me. If he hs HIV and it was in the fluid on his fingers and he fingered me, that's got to be a hgih risk right? And then 8 days later in the middle of the summer I have what seems more and more like the flu. Just took my temp. 99.3.

[alienshadow]

normal

[worriedguy820]

Does that seem like a risky activity to you though? I read on line that there is no documented case of this. But how would they keep track of that...I doubt many people who contract HIV list getting fingered as their only risk, so it just gets credited to the highest risk for statistics. Fingered by someone whose finger has pre-fluid on it? How could that not be risky?

[alienshadow]

its not your anxiety is way up so I leave you with this

Only a test can tell you your status I would not test over this but it is a free country
Life is too short to waste your life on this exposure

[worriedguy820]

Thanks alienshadow. Like I said I realize what I sound like and how it seems like I'm flipping out over nothing. I read through other posts on here and I see all sorts of people who obviously don't have it doing the same thing I'm doing.

Just curious and please think for a second before answering. If you knew somebody was HIV positive and they masturbated and fingered somebody else, wouldn't you say there's a chance it was transmitted?

[worriedguy820]

Never mind. I was on a tear there. I've calmed down. I found some great info on the common cold and it decsribed the cycle of symptoms exactly like I've had them...post-nasal drip first, followed a few days later by congestion/runny nose/sneezing, just how mine has gone. Plus there seems to be a relationshop between high anxiety/stress and catching colds. So my high anxiety for the last few weeks maybe made me vulnerable, which would explain why I got a cold in the summer, which is weird otherwise. Hopefully I'll leave it there. I;m sorry for bothering everyone with this.