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Is it HIV?

I had a risky encounter with a woman who is herself at high risk for being HIV+ based on what I know about her.

She has a long history of sexual abuse, being passed around by boyfriends and members of athletic teams, even anal sex against her will. I can't get a hold of her now to ask her if she knows she has HIV.

We spent the night together and engaged in unprotected vaginal (only) intercourse several times. Alcohol was consumed somewhere in the middle, and towards the end I noticed a red/raw area on the inside of my foreskin (uncircumcised). I knew something was going wrong but I was numb to it, I've been behaving self-destructively for a long time. I even had condoms with me but decided not to bother with them, for no particular reason.

So, as rare as transmission of HIV through vaginal intercourse is supposed to be (in the US at least), I seem to have made it as likely as possible.

Exactly 5.5 days after this I suddenly noticed I was feeling feverish and lightheaded. Tingling in limbs.

By the next day, I have dry mouth, slightly swollen lymph nodes (groin and neck), something that looks like a small rash on both wrists, bumps around tear ducts on both eyes, slight redness and pain in both eyes, almost total loss of appetite, pain in right testicle, entire genitals feeling "contracted" and total loss of sexual appetite.

The next day, a small red bump on right wrist (unlike a pimple or ingrown hair), aching in buttocks, shooting pains in legs, itching on back of neck, jawline, and wrists, pressure on the temples, some pain in the back of the head (a kind of headache I don't remember having), Something like a "head headache" later on. Increased shortness of breath.

The day after that, which is today, some of the symptoms have disappeared, but overall fatigue and muscular weakness remain. Some pain in the muscles.

I've read a number of stories of people having seroconversion symptoms (supposedly) and then testing negative for HIV. And people who respond to these worries like to point out that the symptoms are not specific to HIV. Not that it will determine whether I have HIV or not (and I know that a "probability" of infection can't be calculated), but I'm curious to know whether seroconversion really can be mistaken for other illnesses? A lot of people who did go through seroconversion will say it's not like anything else they experienced. And my symptoms have been *entirely* unlike anything else I've experienced. It just feels like the life is being drained out of me. I feel the seroconversion happening. I've been assuming I'm HIV+ and trying to plan ahead, going sometimes up but mostly down emotionally. Every once in a while I have a short lived feeling of hope or even defiance, I see a possibility that I might not have the disease. Whether I do or not my life has been changed. I will become financially involved in the battle against HIV either way, whether for myself alone or for all patients.

My question is, apart from the cliche that HIV cannot be diagnosed by symptoms alone, is there any realistic hope that I don't have the virus? Isn't seroconversion not actually exactly the same as other complications from viral infections?
Best Answer
Avatar universal
April, HIV symptoms do not show up after 5 days. You may be sick, but my opinion is that it's not from HIV. How many days has it been?  Find a 4th generation test in your area and go take it. It can detect the viral load at 9-11 days, and is completely reliable after 1 month. If it is negative, try your best to accept it. I just went through the same thing. I know its hard. Best wishes.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the final words of kindness. As I mentioned, I was having a hard time accepting the negative result, but I've now conclusively tested negative, again.

For anyone who may be reading this who is completely convinced he or she has HIV, I would personally not recommend using a private testing service (i.e. without the involvement of a doctor) to get quick results. You may not believe your results when you get them, as I haven't for the past 10 days. It was a waste. Only now that I've had a second negative HIV-1 quantitative (through the hospital) am I certain that I'm negative. I am pretty sure I have something else going on with my health and will be following up with doctor visits. I see so many people on forums in similar situations who almost *want* to be certain that it's HIV that's causing it. The virus has a powerful psychological hold on people. But even though I "knew" I had HIV for a period of over a month, on and off, I can't possibly know what it's like to be diagnosed. Fortunately for me.

Before going to the hospital, I also took an Oraquick test (a little after 5 weeks after "exposure") and the negative result didn't mean much. Also a waste.

I don't want to offer words of encouragement to others who worry they might have the virus. I find it unhelpful to read posts by people who, like me, thought they had all the symptoms and tested negative, but then celebrate it in a public forum. I don't know why that would be helpful to those who do end up being diagnosed.

It will take a lot of work to put this behind me. Since I got the phone call an hour ago, I've begun worrying that it might even be an HIV-2 infection. To rule out this unlikely possibility, I plan to go in for the final 12 week screening (antibody immunoassay). If I'm not settled on it by then, then I'll know I need to seek help. In any case I imagine this will be with me for a long time to come.
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13276481 tn?1451146767
Congratulations on your negatives. Thanks for letting us know.
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Avatar universal
If you don't have herpes on your genitals or on your mouth, then you can pretty much count on not having it. Herpes is pretty much always pretty obvious. Congrats on your negative tests. Time to move on. Consult your doctor if you still have troubling symptoms, remember stress makes everything worse.
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Avatar universal
Herpes questions post in the herpes forum.
RNA test at about 28 days is conclusive.
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Avatar universal
These were all the tests run with my blood/urine sample:

HIV-1 RNA
Chlamydia
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Gonorrhea
Herpes Simplex Virus Type I
Herpes Simplex Virus Type II
HIV-1 Antibody
HIV 1/O/2 Abs, Qual
Syphilis (RPR)

I just got the results back a few minutes ago: all negative. I literally do not believe this. A couple weeks ago I tested positive for chlamydia and took the antibiotic treatment for that. I suppose that could have been cleared up by now. How could I be negative for HSV-1, I thought nearly everyone had that? I had unprotected sex 5 years ago with a friend who was an escort, I was quite drunk and she took the condom off in the middle of it. Two or three days later I had red spots all over the head of my penis, and soreness on my backside and shooting pains down my legs. I was in such shock and denial that I never had it looked at and very irresponsibly tried to forget about it until now. How could it be that I would test negative for HSV-1 and -2?

I'm posting just to share results and express my honest disbelief, I'm not asking for any more advice. I'll go to the health department for another standard blood test at the appropriate time, and hope it comes back negative as well.
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Avatar universal
Sure thing. I decided to go ahead and get an early detection PCR test tomorrow morning along with a screening for several other STI's including herpes. Results some time next week.
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Avatar universal
It would be best if you post the result either way.
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Avatar universal
I'm done posting here, if I don't update the thread that will mean I had a positive (confirmed) diagnosis. At this point symptoms have cleared up, and the note about negative results from the girl has me at about an estimated 50-50 chance for my results. But all my mental preparation for being positive has gone out the window, I'm just desperate to be rid of it now. And the idea of having HIV is as horrifying as it was at the beginning of all this. I still think HIV infection is the best explanation of what I've experienced, but I think it's possible I've lucked out. If I do have it, I'll probably have to start the grieving process again (and live with it for the rest of my life). I'm a huge mess right now either way.
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12743456 tn?1429590914

Have you even been tested yet? If not, stop posting and get it done

Otherwise you will continue to read everything on the whole web and your head will be a mess.
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Avatar universal
Another weird update. The change in symptoms I think may have been due to an incidental infection that I learned other people in my family are now having at the same time, and its symptoms have disappeared completely. So I'm back to the old shooting pains and weakness etc. But I received a note from the girl in question saying she had been tested a week ago (why she waited till now to tell me I don't know) and was negative for everything. After I learned this my symptoms cleared up about 90% but are still there. Now it would be easy to conclude that I escaped HIV infection, except...

1. The whole point was that she might have been recently infected by an "ex boyfriend" who she said sodomized her against her will about 4-5 weeks ago (according to her). Then the likelihood of transmission to me would have been much greater, and she could be getting a false negative in this time frame. I don't know what test she took.
2.  She said she tested negative for "everything" but this is hard to believe since I tested positive for chlamydia after the encounter, and of course there have been all the seroconversion-like symptoms I described starting 5.5 days after the exposure risk. Caused by what other than HIV? From what I've read, the only other possible candidate would have been herpes, except...
3. I'm pretty sure I already had that, and it only produces the fever and tingling etc. when you first get infected. So that's out.

I've gone from 90-100% sure I was infected to now about 50-70%, but even that is just wishful thinking. The theory that she was only very recently infected still stands. I'm starting to find hope that I might not be infected, which might hurt me once I find out otherwise. I'm worried to have to break the news to her, and worried she'll think it was me who infected her, since she's been testing negative up to now.
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13276481 tn?1451146767
At this point anything and everything you experience physically will throw HIV at you. This stress has a serious impact on your immune system. Testing today won't be conclusive though close. You'll need to retest later for a conclusive result but if it brings you comfort than go for it. I've read in the Drs forum that if you indeed are experiencing seroconversion one will test positive. Do a 4th gen test. Based on her past I suggest you test for other STDs at the proper time.
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Avatar universal
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Avatar universal
1. No clue but they are not HIV related
2. That is up to you
3. No, again not HIV related
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Avatar universal
I'm posting again to get some advice on what to do next.

Since my last post, some weird things have happened. Symptoms of fever and loss of libido and "heat" pain in muscles started to flare up again, and the softening of lips and ears and other soft tissue areas worsened, and I even developed a limp after walking for just 10 minutes. I ended up drinking fairly heavily one night to deal with the stress, and worried I had really damaged myself this way, but the next day I was the most symptom-free I've been in weeks. I still had shooting pains and aches, and a light fever, but I didn't have a sore throat, no fatigue, and my lips and eyes had even recovered their fullness for the most part. I could go out in public and visit family with no anxiety.

My plan was to work on completing some essential tasks for another week, and then getting a test on day 28. Still stressed out, I drank again, not as heavily this time, but by the end of this drinking I felt something wasn't right, thought it was just the alcohol, and went to sleep with a feeling of dread.

I woke up an hour later and my skin is dry from head to toe, there is a sustained coldness and tingling across my arms and chest and neck. This is a completely new feeling over the past couple of weeks. My sore throat has suddenly come back, and my sexual appetite is active but causes a seizing ache and discomfort if brought to completion.

My questions are:

1. Could alcohol be causing these weird changes? I've read that seroconversion symptoms are supposed to happen all at once.
2. Can I put off seeing the doctor for another week? I'm debating whether to go out at all today. I'm supposed to be finishing painting a fence today, but I'm worried I'll become dizzy or experience debilitating muscle pain or fatigue, and start a scene that could lead to unwanted awareness of my condition.
3. Is it possible that my earlier symptoms were resulting from a separate infection, and only now the HIV seroconversion is kicking in? In fact, what I'm feeling now is more in line with seroconversion stories I've read: dryness, itchiness, aching, difficulty sleeping. The softening of tissue that I was experiencing before seemed to be linked more often to advanced HIV infections.

Thanks for any advice.
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Avatar universal
Planning to go in for testing and counseling on May 3rd. In the meantime I'm wondering if my symptoms are worrying enough that I should go in any sooner.

Over the past 2-3 days, itchiness and aching seem to be worsening. I'm now having shooting pains in my teeth and some difficulty chewing. The inside of my mouth has regained its firmness, but my lips are freaking me out a bit. They're smaller and softer than they used to be, and they remain chapped all the time. A slight scratchiness in my throat still persists.

If I use a fork at dinner, I notice a bright red dent in my finger by the end of dinner. Is there something seriously wrong with my blood that could indicate a rapid advance of the HIV infection?

Today I noticed the lymph nodes under my chin were swelling for the first time, but that swelling reduced dramatically after only an hour.

If these are signs that I'm heading straight for full blown AIDS, then I guess I should be getting tested as soon as possible, even if this is going to have unforeseeable effects on me psychologically during an already busy time. But I can't say putting it off another week will help all that much. I'm just not ready for the news yet.

The weird thing to me is that this weakening of soft tissue and feeling of anemia isn't mentioned in anything I've read about early HIV symptoms. My concern is that this means I'm going downhill faster than is normal, although, on the other hand, my earliest symptoms haven't been nearly as severe as for some people.

Thanks for any advice or insight.
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Avatar universal
Just wanted to update this thread after a week. I decided not to get the PCR RNA test, which my insurance would not cover, and because I'm just not ready for a diagnosis yet. In the next two weeks I have a number of tasks to complete before I have this dropped on me. At 28 days I'll use Oraquick or just go to an HIV clinic.

Symptoms have diminished if not disappeared entirely, some fatigue and weakness remain but I have a hard time separating this from the depression I'm definitely experiencing.

However, what's worrying me more is that there's a sort of "sickliness" I feel all over the surface of my body, particularly in the softer spots such as lips, earlobes, genitals, around the eyes, etc. If I have a small cut, it heals slowly and looks odd. My lips remain chapped day after day and my lips feel softer than they did before. My earlobes feel softer. Skin feels smoother and softer in a strange way, on my forehead is particularly where I've noticed this. I look in the mirror and my body seems sicklier, although I could just be inventing that perception. Overall, there's a feeling that my body tissue is being softened and weakened, which I strangely haven't read about in connection to early HIV symptoms, but would seem consistent with the fact that seroconversion is taking place along with a desperate response by the immune system.

Before I started to notice this change, I had developed some hope that I would test negative, but I consider this all but conclusive and don't feel in any rush to get the testing "over with" considering that the results are with me for a lifetime.
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Avatar universal
Pleasure April, good luck! Let us know how it turns out.

If it serves as any kind of reassurance, I too had all the acute symptoms post exposure plus chronic symptoms now like xerostomia, seb derm, skin irritations, folliculitis, angular cheilitis.. the whole spectrum of symptoms associated with both acute and then chronic HIV.  I have tested negative 9 times out to 4.5 months post exposure.  
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Avatar universal
Joe, thanks. I wasn't aware of the PCR RNA test, and the rest of what you said was informative as well. I'm not the type who likes to wait around, so I'll see if I can get that test done by day 14. For the past two days, I haven't even considered it a question whether I'm infected with HIV, but now that I am wondering (still 70-90% certain) I'll take your advice. Thanks again.
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Avatar universal
April, you dont have to play a waiting game if you think you may have been exposed.

If you were to take a PCR RNA test in the next couple of days, this looks for the actual viral particles of HIV in your blood. A negative result on this at 10-11 days post exposure virtually guarantees you are free of infection. These tests are available for both HIV-1 and HIV-2, although as you know the latter is extremely rare in the US and should not be considered unless your partner is from or has lived in Africa.

If the above is not an option, due to cost or lack of availability, your next best option is a 4th gen DUO test at 28 days.  Various studies have shown that the HIV-1 p24 antigen emerges to detectable levels in the blood around 7-12 days after the actual viral material, i.e. around 17-22 days after infection.

So rather than stewing over whether you may or may not have been infected, take responsibility for your health and get tested.
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Avatar universal
It's now been 9.5 days. I think what sped it up is that I got pretty drunk on the 5th day to deal with the stress, and by the following afternoon I was showing symptoms. I hope you're right but I'd still bet everything on the positive result. This has rattled me to the bone so much that I'll need therapy even if it's a negative result. Thanks for the test info.
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Avatar universal
At best, HIV isn't the *only* virus I contracted. But nothing other than HIV would produce this overall effect. That's why I would bet everything on it.
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Avatar universal
I've seen every one of the symptoms I described listed as seroconversion symptoms, and I've read that "in rare cases" the seroconversion begins in under a week.

I appreciate the optimism, but I would bet everything I have that I'm going to test HIV+, if not I would gladly donate everything to AIDS research.
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Avatar universal
Your symptoms have nothing to do with HIV. Too soon for them and overall those are not even ones of HIV.
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