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HIV with all symptoms. Worst 3 mo of my life!

Hello
I am glad this sort of forum exists. Thanks!
I will write my story line here. Hopefully it could help for any advice and general knowledge for all readers. I have included all symptoms and contributory events (sorry if I am graphic).

I  broke up with a boyfriend and went crazy meeting other guys. I had unprotected receptive anal sex with guy 1 but w/o ejaculation on the 3rd week of October/09. Couple of days after ward I had protected insertive anal sex with guy 2. I come to develop diarrhea the last week of October.  A week later I have receptive and insertive unprotected sex with guy 3 w/o ejaculation.  

Early Dec I developed a mild sore throat and felt SOB. Early Dec I have protected receptive anal sex with guy 2 ( he started going in bare with precum, but then took it out and wore protection) and a week later I had unprotected receptive anal sex with guy 1 without ejaculation.  NOTES: There was never inside ejaculation even when using protection, I always asked their status and they said negative (in retrospection, they didn’t act assuring) and diarrhea started late October.

Mid Dec, I went to get an HIV test, and it came back negative. ( I am not sure which test they did, but the drew blood, ELISA? or WESTERN?)

Mid Dec, I go on a beach camping trip and one night I woke up drenched in sweat, a fever and vomited. I had felt weird while eating those s’mores. The diarrhea persisted and actually worsen, rushing to the bathroom after meals and going right after ice cream.

Jan 1st , I leave to Europe and right before coming back on the 10th, I developed a cold. My sinuses were plugged, mucous, another sore throat, nightsweats, but no fever that I could tell (never measured it). A week later I found 4 submandibular lymph nodes (Doc said less than 1 cm). I later find more that the doc didn’t find… 1 submental, 1 post cervical, 1 on each clavicle, and hard masses over my parotids.  The doc ordered some tests. Stool comes back positive for occult blood and leukocytes, and no P/O. CBC shows high albumin, high Hct, high Hg, no thrombocytopenia and WBC on the lower margin but still within range.

Throughout the month of January I had horrible headaches, really bad posterior right eye pain especially when I moved my eyes up, neck pain, SOB, transient pink marks on chest, nightmares, woke up every morning at 5:30 for no reason with strong chest pain, felt hot but no fever (walgreens thermometer marked highest 99 deg F for sublingual and 99.9 deg F for rectal. Each symptom lasted for about a week. I had lost appetite and lost around 10 lbs.  The whole month of January was horrible. I felt depressed stressing this whole time about HIV.  

I consult a gastro and go in for a colonoscopy first week of Feb. He found nodules on the sigmoid-rectal area. Biopsy comes back showing infiltrate on the basal lamina suggestive but not conclusive of IBD. They start me on mesalamine but the diarrhea hasn’t resolved.

Mid February I go in for another HIV test (blood drawn) and comes back negative.  This was 2 months and 1 week  (total 9 wks) after my last high risk sexual encounter ( and last encounter for a while).
My questions and thoughts are… I get this diarrhea in Oct and no other symptoms. With Feb test, I can tell that Oct diarrhea is prob not HIV related?

Ok, then I have an IBS  or IBD (although no one in my fam has this). Does acute HIV infection show  a similar picture as an IBD? Considering my ARS like symptoms in Jan, does my neg result in Feb conclude that Dec events were not contributory for HIV infection? …or should I keep on stressing? If not conclusive.. at this moment, are there any other specific tests I can do? Which test did they prob use if they drew blood and what is the specificity and sensitivity of it?  Can having IBD put me more at risk of contracting HIV if anally receptive? Is there a thing as a slow progressor, could I be one considering my symptoms flu-like and associates symptoms presented a month after and a test 9 wks after exposure is negative?

Thank you for all your input. I hope this will help others with questions. I have been surfing this forum since early January! This has completely been affecting my life.  Your help is greatly appreciated and I appreciate your time.
Yes, I do use a lot of medical terminology here, as I am a student in the health field but the physicians I visited seem not to care much about asking me about risks or even considered HIV. They were hesitant to ask me about my sexual life. It was frustrating. HIV tests were done at local LGBT clinic.
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Avatar universal
Not any of those will delay seroconversion.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Also, is there any information on delayed seroconversion because of stress, anxiety or taking oral and suppositories of mesalamine for IBD.

Thanks
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks dude_hk ..surely will!  Thanks all who followed my story. Its greatly appreciated! I wish u all the best!

One last thing...and I think this might be considered educational or something.
Is there any information on the relationship between how much virus was there in the fluid (semen, vaginal, blood, breast milk) and the onset of symptoms, Antibody formation, cell-mediated reactions, and results showing positive.

Just asking!

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Avatar universal
Good to know of your conclusive negative result.
enjoy your life and be safe.


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Avatar universal
3 mo Oraquick (finger prick) negative - non reactive
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Avatar universal
You 3 month post exposure test willl be conclusive.
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Avatar universal
Thanks Teak!

So I havent written in a while. I kind of felt relieved but now my anxiety is coming back. I am testing tomorrow at 12 wks.
Just to get things clear for me and potential readers, when they say (experts, Dr. HHH and others) that a 9 wk neg result using ELISA should cause me not to worry... is this because I really shouldn't.
I just cant seem to really understand this. They say that nobody that has tested negative at 4-6 wks, tests positive afterwards. Well, the posters here really have low risk exposure and I didn't. Many ppl that get tested do it routinely. Does this **** the numbers. I am just unsure if the information provided is 100% accurate.

Do they base the 4-6 wk negative result as an equation of having a low risk exposure?
I mean....it just doesn't do it for me.

What are the chances .. lets say... we infect subject A through anal sex. At what week will we see a pos test? for sure 3 mo..but what about 4-6 wk... do u read me..am I clear?
In another way...ppl who do get infected start showing AB/pos ELISA test results at what week?

I will later post how it went!
Thanks

PS: I found this scientific paper on HIV Colitis....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
No IBD will not delay seroconversion.
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Avatar universal
Thanks dude_hk.

I really hope so. But the 12 wk mark makes me anxious.

Also, does Dr. HHH have anythign to say about the IBD issue. And if having a disease like IBD could delay seroconversion? and if there is any correlation/association on when ARS symptoms started/ended and AB show?

Thanks
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Relax,you have 9 week negative test result.
the existing guideline is 3 month post exposure,but your result will not change if you have another test at 12 week.
Helpful - 0
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