Aa
Had unprotected anal sex and is stressing out
I cannot believe how completely and utterly idiotic and foolish I was but I feel utterly stressed and devastated. I am a bisexual guy who decided last week, on Monday for the first time to try anal sex. I asked the guy to put a condom on, and I have no idea who this guy is although he too seemed around my age of 25. But he did not, and we had unprotected anal sex for a couple of minutes although he did not ejaculate in me but outside. I know what an idiot I am, and will be going for an hiv test as soon as possible. but because i have no idea of this guys history or anything, although I know I was clean before, I am going beserk. These have been the longest days of my life so far truly. Do you know what the likelihood of me having caught hiv would be if he were positive? I wanted to turn back time immediately after it happened and did not know about the pep. i only found out about it yesterday and by then it was already 90 hours after, and it said that maximum efficiency was 74. Just needing to hear what I should do now, and somehow what I can do to remove this anxiety.
No offense, but you need some serious help. Did you seek attention for the OD? Keep in mind that you may end up with bigger problems than HIV if you attempt something like that.....you could have LONG term disabilities...it just isn't worth it.
Going off those meds cold turkey will wreak absolute HAVOC on your body. Especially withdrawl from a benzo like Xanax....it can be absolutely hellish.
My advice is TAKE your meds AS PRESCRIBED, and hang in there...you're almost there. The only person that is truly convinced that you have contracted it is YOU...everyone else knows the risks aren't nearly as bad as you are thinking. There is a good chance that this will all turn out okay...give yourself a chance.
Going off those meds cold turkey will wreak absolute HAVOC on your body. Especially withdrawl from a benzo like Xanax....it can be absolutely hellish.
My advice is TAKE your meds AS PRESCRIBED, and hang in there...you're almost there. The only person that is truly convinced that you have contracted it is YOU...everyone else knows the risks aren't nearly as bad as you are thinking. There is a good chance that this will all turn out okay...give yourself a chance.
ok. so took an p24 antigen and a double test a week or two after my exposure and they all came back negative. they then put me on zoloft for antidepression, and xanax for panic attacks due to my thoughts of impending doom, and also dormicum to help me sleep. i tried to overdose on all these the other day but i am still here. the only thing is decided to stop taking all these drugs all on one day after taking them for three weeks at double the prescribed amount. i went through some real bad withrdrawal symptoms, but I fear that these were not withdrawal symptoms at all like people try and persuade me they were and instead hiv symtoms. for example, I never have night sweats and yet in the last week have been having to wake up several times every night due to soaking the bed completely with sweat. the doctor said this was not a symptom of hiv but i know that to be wrong since i have since found that it is. I had cold symtoms, muscle tremors and spasm, numbness, diarrhea, nausea all in week three which lasted for a week. I am now scared utterly ********. Can anyone tell me whether night sweats truly are a big problem with ARS or if it is most likely anxiety or such. its just i have never had them before and for such a long time- over a week. also, how fine would my results be. i know they are not 100 percent conclusive but what chance is it that it is correct percentage wise. cheers
I know what you are going through. I've been there, and I would not want anyone to go through what I did. I'm still waiting for my 3 month mark, but I've started to hit the gym. Don't let anxiety and stress overtake you. I've experienced many of the ARS symptoms but it was probably due to anxiety.
My buddy suggested I start working out, but I was reluctant because I was concerned whether I had HIV or not. Hitting the gym was the best medicine and it calmed me down. Take control of the situation, believe me, I was in the same boat as you.
My buddy suggested I start working out, but I was reluctant because I was concerned whether I had HIV or not. Hitting the gym was the best medicine and it calmed me down. Take control of the situation, believe me, I was in the same boat as you.
i would if it werent for the fact that i had this in a really promiscuous place and he seemed like the kind of guy who had done it before, and if he refused to be protected with me then he would have with someone else too, and it just seems like the kind of thing. he had a blackmark on his waist. and i was so pissed. but will just chill.
Chill out! Take some Ativan if you have to! Go to a clinic and ask them what tests they offer and how long is the wait for results. Take a rapid test at 4 weeks and CHILL OUT!
i cant stand the anxiety anymore.please tellme what to do.i feel like just taking pills and overdosing. i just need to have something i can do proactively. im reading everyone elses situations and not one of them is as stupid a risk as mine. i know ive been a bloody idiot but ive never been so down. i didnt ask if he was positive,it was anonymous, i didnt have it protected i didnt do pep, i didnt wash straight away and have huge hemmroids now. an elisa at one month. which test is that.it has to e done cos i dont thinki can take much more.
Don't go for the blood donation, that's a crime. Besides, they don't tell you the test results unless something is wrong. Which means that you will be spending weeks waiting for that phone call - how is that good for the anxiety? I agree with nursegirl, anxiety has to be dealt with separately. As far as testing, you have multiple options while you are in the window period, as I already told you above. I recommend a standard ELISA at 1 month, 90% infected people will test positive by that time. So a negative result at that point should take care of most anxiety issues. PCR is also an option, but I don't recommend it. It often takes a long time (like a week) to run, so you will need to wait anyway and it won't save you any time. Bottom line: wait a little while, take some valerian root in the meantime. Then take a standard (or even a rapid) HIV ELISA. Best of luck
Is there any way of tracking this guy down and having him go for a test? That would be a sure fire way to find out.
I understand that you are stressed......but going for a transfusion is NOT the way to go...actually, you'd be forced to lie when they ask if you've had any high-risk behavior. That is just very irresponsible. Also, by the time they found out and told you....your window period would most likely be up anyway.
See your doc for some anti-anxiety meds. Remember....your chances are pretty good that it will turn out okay. Keep the faith and hang in there.
I know the waiting is hard...but you will know soon enough.
See your doc for some anti-anxiety meds. Remember....your chances are pretty good that it will turn out okay. Keep the faith and hang in there.
I know the waiting is hard...but you will know soon enough.
otherwise i will just go for a blood donation and try and get a confirmation that way
i am confused. so you say that a p24 is inefficient 8 days after, but also 30 days after. so when would be a good time to try it. i dont care whether pcr is not for detection I would rather take it to get it all over. the longer I wait the more anxious depressed and suicidal i am getting and need to try or have something. anything
Move on. PCR tests are not diagnostic tests and VL tests are not approved to be used for diagnostic use. They are monitoring test for people that are known to be HIV positive.
The viral load will test undetectable, which doesn't tell you wether you are positive or not.
ok, today is day 14 now, and when would taking the p24 be the best effective within the 30 day window
First of all, think before You do. I have had an anxiety about HIV before one year., I tested myself just in case and I was negative for HIV. Big stone went off from my shoulders, anyway, as I come back to these days when I was worried about HIV now I think it is ridiculous! There are more horrible illnesses in this world- CANCER, Terminal cancer, RABIES and many many more. HIVis not so scary anymore. When I though I have HIV,it was just anxiety. Because I was never sleeping around with anyone I meet anywhere..You should think before U do it... NEXT time remember this. Moreover, Test Yourself in HIV in order , not to infect anyone else You do not know! GOOD luck!
This is the general timeline of HIV:
day 0 - infection
day 10 - viral load becomes detectable
a week later - p24 becomes detectable
3 weeks - ELISA becomes positive
3 days later - bands appear on the Western Blot
1 month - Western Blot becomes fully positive
This is what happens most of the time. Now you need to discuss with your doctor how to go about this. As ECN said, p24 test is worthless at 8 days - p24 is never detected this early on. My opinion: you should get a regular ELISA after a month (a fourth generation ELISA can be even taken a week earlier, but you won't get it if you're in the US). If that test is negative that should relieve your anxiety. You should follow that up with another test after 3 months to be sure.
day 0 - infection
day 10 - viral load becomes detectable
a week later - p24 becomes detectable
3 weeks - ELISA becomes positive
3 days later - bands appear on the Western Blot
1 month - Western Blot becomes fully positive
This is what happens most of the time. Now you need to discuss with your doctor how to go about this. As ECN said, p24 test is worthless at 8 days - p24 is never detected this early on. My opinion: you should get a regular ELISA after a month (a fourth generation ELISA can be even taken a week earlier, but you won't get it if you're in the US). If that test is negative that should relieve your anxiety. You should follow that up with another test after 3 months to be sure.
Well your test were to early even to bo encouraging, if you can handle the waiting on the window period, test at 4 weeks with a DUO test p24/Antb for a 90% accurate result, then at 6 weeks for a 95%accurate, and then at 3 months for the conclusive result, Dont get a PCR, just imagine how you`ll feel if you become one of the 8% of people that get false positive results, and then have to wait the same 3 motnhs to get the confirmation, I know that is very hard, but there is nothing else to do just waiting and praying.
Good luck
Good luck
I just got back results from a blood test which gave me a negative, but I think I will go again and do that test when the viral load is most probably highest. When would that be? I am now on day 10. What other tests soon would be partially conclusive? I realise that the elisa at 3 months is what is definately needed, but I would rather keep on taking tests which would at least provide some good percentages of whether i have got it or not. The doctor also looked at my lymphocyte and other blood tests and said that all parts of my blood were functioning properly. Should there be other warning signs if i did have hiv, that would show a high or low amount of something in my blood. Could i also ask why a pcr test is not good for diagnosis and why I cannot try and take that?
In addition, I have started to develop a rash and sore through, and have extreme fatigue although this might be due to the depression and anxiety which is why the doctor has put me on zoloft, xanax and sleeping tablets. This incident of risk taking was not a usual form of behaviour for me and unfortunately it has brought upso many previous issues. Unfortuntaley also with the case of getting the guy tested, the sex was anonymous and I was drunk and I have no idea who he is or how I would get in contact with him. there is no possibility that way. also, I just have nightmares since I was sure I saw a black blotch around his waist at one time but cannot be too sure since it was so dark. In any case, I would very much appreciate it if there were answers to my previous questions and thanks for your info again guys. it has been of support in many times.
In addition, I have started to develop a rash and sore through, and have extreme fatigue although this might be due to the depression and anxiety which is why the doctor has put me on zoloft, xanax and sleeping tablets. This incident of risk taking was not a usual form of behaviour for me and unfortunately it has brought upso many previous issues. Unfortuntaley also with the case of getting the guy tested, the sex was anonymous and I was drunk and I have no idea who he is or how I would get in contact with him. there is no possibility that way. also, I just have nightmares since I was sure I saw a black blotch around his waist at one time but cannot be too sure since it was so dark. In any case, I would very much appreciate it if there were answers to my previous questions and thanks for your info again guys. it has been of support in many times.
The rash associated with HIV is pretty non-specific. It would usually be reddish in color and tends to show up the most often on the chest, neck, and face. It's most often accompanied by other symptoms, especially a fever, sore throat, and the usual other symptoms. Regardless, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of things that could cause a rash, and HIV is probably not the most likely of those. And you can't use symptoms to diagnose HIV, as I am sure you know.
At this point, only a couple of weeks out from your unprotected sex, there's no test that will tell you much of anything, although, as was already said, a negative p24 antigen test would be encouraging. An antibody test will do you no good at all, and a viral load test would be unreliable too. Much as it's hard to do, you're just going to have to wait a few weeks for your test to have any degree of reliability.
At this point, only a couple of weeks out from your unprotected sex, there's no test that will tell you much of anything, although, as was already said, a negative p24 antigen test would be encouraging. An antibody test will do you no good at all, and a viral load test would be unreliable too. Much as it's hard to do, you're just going to have to wait a few weeks for your test to have any degree of reliability.
The only thing that the ELISA and WB tests will tell at this point is if you were infected prior to your incident. The p24 test looks for the presence of a major HIV protein, it has nothing to do with the viral load test. This test is also not very informative at 9 days. I'm sorry, but you have no choice but to wait a while...
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