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Need Opinion re: Neuropathy
Hi Experts and All!
I need your help!
37 days ago, I had possible exposure to HIV with a sex worker in Bangkok at a massage parlor. The incident was quick- as the worker was sliding on top of me, my penis head accidentally dipped, at most halfway, into her vagina twice for roughly a second each time. After the second time, I realized what was going on and pushed her off of me. She then performed oral sex with a condom to finish.
After this incident, I have had a handful of symptoms that are fairly unusual for me. They are the following:
11 days after exposure: I started to have tingling and pain in my fingers and toes, burning sensations on my back, arms, neck and thighs, stiffness in my neck and upper back, muscle/quick shooting aches/pain in my outer and inner thighs, and prickling/electric shock sensations all over my body. Also, perhaps due to the neuropathy, I have experienced occasional itching all over my body (chest, back, arms, hands, etc). Finally, the pain is mild and not constant, however I go through this every day for a minute or two per episode.
19 days after exposure: I felt pain in the upper left quadrant of my abdomen whenever I coughed, lied down on my left side, or pressed down on the area, which is right below the 3rd to last row of the ribs. It's almost as if I felt my spleen being swollen/enlarged. However, I had an ongoing dry cough for about 5 weeks up until this point.
29 days after exposure: found 2 shotty lymph nodes on my neck. One the size of a pea underneath my left jaw and the other about the size of a bean on the base of my right neck.
36 days after exposure: I found red dots/spots mainly on my ankles and foot, however there are a few on my arm, thighs, and calves. I believe these red spots are from PN pain.
As for testing, I had a rapid fingerstick test (antibody) done at 4 weeks (9 days ago) and the test came back negative.
My questions are:
1. Is a rapid fingerstick stick test at 4 weeks accurate?
2. Are my symptoms possibly related to ARS?
3. Has anyone experienced the same neuropathy symptoms?
4. Assuming the girl is HIV positive (she no longer works at the parlor due to "personal issues"), is my risk exposure high?
Thanks for your help in advance! I am really nervous here and plan to get another fingerstick test this week (6 week mark).
I need your help!
37 days ago, I had possible exposure to HIV with a sex worker in Bangkok at a massage parlor. The incident was quick- as the worker was sliding on top of me, my penis head accidentally dipped, at most halfway, into her vagina twice for roughly a second each time. After the second time, I realized what was going on and pushed her off of me. She then performed oral sex with a condom to finish.
After this incident, I have had a handful of symptoms that are fairly unusual for me. They are the following:
11 days after exposure: I started to have tingling and pain in my fingers and toes, burning sensations on my back, arms, neck and thighs, stiffness in my neck and upper back, muscle/quick shooting aches/pain in my outer and inner thighs, and prickling/electric shock sensations all over my body. Also, perhaps due to the neuropathy, I have experienced occasional itching all over my body (chest, back, arms, hands, etc). Finally, the pain is mild and not constant, however I go through this every day for a minute or two per episode.
19 days after exposure: I felt pain in the upper left quadrant of my abdomen whenever I coughed, lied down on my left side, or pressed down on the area, which is right below the 3rd to last row of the ribs. It's almost as if I felt my spleen being swollen/enlarged. However, I had an ongoing dry cough for about 5 weeks up until this point.
29 days after exposure: found 2 shotty lymph nodes on my neck. One the size of a pea underneath my left jaw and the other about the size of a bean on the base of my right neck.
36 days after exposure: I found red dots/spots mainly on my ankles and foot, however there are a few on my arm, thighs, and calves. I believe these red spots are from PN pain.
As for testing, I had a rapid fingerstick test (antibody) done at 4 weeks (9 days ago) and the test came back negative.
My questions are:
1. Is a rapid fingerstick stick test at 4 weeks accurate?
2. Are my symptoms possibly related to ARS?
3. Has anyone experienced the same neuropathy symptoms?
4. Assuming the girl is HIV positive (she no longer works at the parlor due to "personal issues"), is my risk exposure high?
Thanks for your help in advance! I am really nervous here and plan to get another fingerstick test this week (6 week mark).
A quick update:
I just completed a rapid fingerstick test at the 8 week mark (59 days) and the result came back negative.
However, my neuropathy symptoms have worsened. I am getting the pins and needles feeling more often in my feet and it appears that the sensation has spread up to my knees. Furthermore, I have developed weakness (or maybe numbness) in my ankles, knees, and left arm (from elbow to shoulder). It appears that the symptoms progress during the day and hits its peak at night.
This is very concerning and I am a nervous wreck at the moment. I have also tested negative for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.
Has anyone gone through this or know what this can be? Still need to test for hep, herpes, cmv?
Also, is a negative result from a rapid fingerstick test at 8 weeks a good indicator?
Thank you in advance!
I just completed a rapid fingerstick test at the 8 week mark (59 days) and the result came back negative.
However, my neuropathy symptoms have worsened. I am getting the pins and needles feeling more often in my feet and it appears that the sensation has spread up to my knees. Furthermore, I have developed weakness (or maybe numbness) in my ankles, knees, and left arm (from elbow to shoulder). It appears that the symptoms progress during the day and hits its peak at night.
This is very concerning and I am a nervous wreck at the moment. I have also tested negative for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.
Has anyone gone through this or know what this can be? Still need to test for hep, herpes, cmv?
Also, is a negative result from a rapid fingerstick test at 8 weeks a good indicator?
Thank you in advance!
Symptoms never indicate HIV infection. There are actually no clinically defined HIV symptoms. Just take DUO test at 28 days if you are concerned.
Thanks for the reply!
Do you know if my symptoms are common ARS, including the armpit pain?
Do you know if my symptoms are common ARS, including the armpit pain?
Brief insertion is called dipping and is low level risk. Highly unlikely you contracted HIV from such a brief exposure. Just take a DUO test now and expect a negative
Started to feel pain my right armpit today. No swollen nodes in the region. Can't anyone reply??? A bit nervous...
Stress is killing u. Am in the same situation but I believe am negative. U risk is low! I can say ur HIV negative. I want to be ur friend to help each other ***@****
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