Hiv infection or stress

Hello doc,

My question relates to a possible exposure in late December 2011. I am a guy and had oral sex with three guys over the period of a week and approx 2 weeks later I started to feel not good, tried etc with some mild flue like symptoms headache and my skin was hot all the time like a fever. Did not think much of it, About a week later I was on the Internet trying to find out what could be wrong with me as since october i had lymph node under my right arm that slowly went down and was itchy the itch was like a small rash below my arm pit on my body it is now gone.i then read about hiv and since then have got a 'hairy tongue' something is clearly not right with me i guess. I am petrified it is HIV, maybe the stress is adding to it I am now hot all the time and occasionally itchy, have started to get more red in the face more than normal as I have always had rosacea. Had a rapt test yesterday using blood just on 5 weeks and it came up negative. was very relieved, but am still unsure when would I know more with another rapid test. And now my lymph node in the groin area is sore.  I have constant noisy or grumbling in the stomach, my testicles are moving all the time. Sorry to be descriptive but i am really worried, do you have any idea what it could be. As the days go on I get more stressed.

Is this all stress or is something wrong and I have HIV and can symptoms go from one to another or does it all come at once?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  there is no risk of getting HIV form oral sex, even if your partners happened to have HIV.  HIV is not spread through oral sex. This is explained in the reply i made just before yours which I have provided the link to below.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/HIV-Prevention/Oral-sex-last-day-of-menstruation/show/1675531

On the other hand, rash and swollen lymph nodes are not caused by stress (well, a rash could be but not swollen lymph nodes).  There are a huge number of non-STD viral illnesses that people acquire from time to time in the course of everyday life which can cause these syndromes- some have familiar names like mononucleosis and others do not.  If you are still feeling poorly you may wish to seek evaluation by your own doctor who if nothing else can provide symptomatic relief.  You do not need to be concerned about HIV related to this exposure however.

I hope this comment is helpful. EWH

[Stressed646]

Hi doc,

Can you please help me,

I just went to the doctor as you suggested and she has said that HIV is a risk and we need to get tests, she is also testing for other STD as well. After I quized her about the amount she said yes low but could not rule this out saying it is a possibility as bodily fluid to my month can still cause HIV. I said i had done the rapid test and it came up negative after 5 weeks, she said she is familiar with hat type of test. Is she right or just not as informed as you and the other doctors on this site are. I am now really really concerned and freaking out.

[Stressed646]

I meant to say she said she is not familiar with rapad test, this is driving me nuts.

[sunnylee198]

Hello Stressed646,

I hope you do not mind if I shared my experiences with you regarding some doctors that I have seen. And, Dr, Hook, I hope you do not mind that I posted my opinion in this thread too.

Stressed646, I think you should trust and believe Dr. Hook's advice that your risk is low and your 'symptoms' are really have nothing to do with HIV. The reason is simple. Dr. Hook is a specialist and with too many achievements to talk here. He has seen and treated way too many patients regarding HIV and STD.

Before, I got to know this forum, I also met with some doctors in my country. To my shock, they are not really well informed/studied about HIV especially.

Almost all doctors that I have met never heard of HIV DUO Test for antigen/antibody. Later I found out this test has been around in my country for at least 3-4 years already. However, not all labs in my country offer this test.

And, even funnier, one doctor even told me that I need to be tested every 3 months for 2 years to be conclusive that I'm HIV negative. I was like 'what? 2 years?'

Well, I do not blame the doctors. Doctors, most of them are conservative people. In other words play safe. Unless, they have been exposed, well-researched and their vast experiences can assist them else they will play safe, very safe in order not to get wrong. They will try to cover every possible angle.

So, in short, trust the expert. If this HIV thing still bothers you, get another final test at 12 weeks. When it comes negative, forget about the whole thing. Forget about the doctor as well. But, do not forget Dr. Hook. :)

Thanks.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

In science we can never say "never" becuase despite the fact that something has never happened before, it is possible that something that has never happened before coulld happen for the first time tomorrow.  Thus, there is a possibility that you could be struck by a meteor from space while reading this. I would not worry aobut it however. The same can be said about your risk for HIV from the exposures you described.  I have already urged you however to not worry about it as there is no reason to expect that you will be the first person to get HIV in this way.

Nothing more to say about this. I have provided my assessment and advice.  EWH

[Stressed646]

Thank you doctor I appreciate you response.