Not Feeling Well - Worried - What More Can I do?

[Ronnie99]

Question: I had a potentially very risky sexual encounter in early February of 2006. I am not very sexually active and I have been very worried about this incident since. About two weeks later I got a feeling of feverishness. Later on I would get occasional swollen glands under the arms but mostly in the neck. When I went to the doctor I was tested and found to have a new and active Epstein Barr infection (they ran a dual test of some sort). The level of infection was high also as per the test. They tested me again for ebv a month later and the level of the infection had fallen somewhat. I have had the following hiv tests since the incident:

7 week - elisa - negative
11 week - elisa - negative
12 week - pcr proviral dna – no virus detected
19 week - elisa (hiv-1 & 2) - negative
19.5 week - pcr proviral dna - no virus detected

The reason I keep testing is that I still feel bad even after 4.5 months since the incident. I have not had sexual relations since the incident.

Regarding symptoms, I always have had minor hair follicle acne in my arms which I occasionally pop at times. Generally they heal and go away after a few days after I pop them. Recently the little scabs from this acne got extremely angry and turned into larger sores. When they healed after a week they left discolored areas on my forearm, somewhat pinkish which went away after a few weeks. I also have a few new, odd oval shaped sores with a small round center on my forearms. These are very strange because they have caused the tissue surrounding them to turn a purple-brown color. They almost seem like cancer or a viral sore, but I don't know because I have never had such a thing before. They are starting to shrink and go away now.

I am extremely worried that I might be a late sero-converter from what I read on line. Is there anything more I can do to determine my status? I am very worried over this and don't feel well at all.

Thank you in advance for any information.

Regards,

Ron

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

As I have said innumerable times on this forum, symptoms NEVER are a reliable indicator of recently acquired HIV infection. Symptoms are ALWAYS much less valid that HIV teesting.  Your test results prove without doubt that whatver is causing your symptoms, it isn't HIV.  You ahve been overtested already.  Discuss your symptoms with your health care provider, but do not request any further HIV testing. You don't have it.  (On top of all that, your symptoms don't even remotely suggest HIV anyway.)

Please no "yes but" or "what if" follow up questions.  There is no additional information that would change my assessment or recommendation.

HHH, MD

[CaMass]

Let me just tell you that you are negative.  If you need further reassurance then test at 6 months past expure, but its not going to change you negative result!  YOU ARE NEGATIVE YOU ARE NEGATIVE!!  Congrats!  :)

[CaMass]

Let me also add this:  (which I am SURE the Doctor will agree with)

http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/gap/pmtct/Trainer%20Manual/Adobe/Module_6TM.pdf

It says

"A negative result usually means that the person is not infected with HIV. In rare instance, a person with a negative or inconclusive result may be in the 'window period". This is the period of time between the onset of infection with HIV and the appearance of detectable antibodies to the virus. THE WINDOW PERIOD LASTS FOR 4 TO 6 WEEKS but OCCASIONALLY up to 3 months after HIV exposure. Persons at HIGH RISK who initally test negative should be RETESTED at 3 months after expsoure to confirm results."


This is RIGHT off the CDC testing manual. Hope you trust your results now!!!!

[Ronnie99]

Thanks for the encouragement. I have read that the official CDC policy is a 6 month window though.

[Ronnie99]

Ok, I won't ask any what-if follow up questions. Maybe EBV was the primary issue all along and I just can't convince myself it is anything but HIV. I'm usually a level-headed person but I am totally frazzled by this subject. I think I'll join a monestary ;)

Thank you for your answer and have a great Independence Day!

[Ronnie99]

Oops, I mistakenly posted this question below on another thread, sorry:

Doctor: I won't post a follow up about symptoms per your request, but I do have another question. Is there any issue regarding the time it takes to test positive with an HIV antibody test if a person picked up another serious viral infection at the same time? As noted in my original post I appeared to pick up a first time Epstein Barr infection at the same time of my encounter I am worried about. I was just curious if there is any known effect on testing if a person has an active EBV infection.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

In general, no other medical condition significantly affects seroconversion to HIV, with the often cited (but not proved) possibilities of advanced cancer, chemotherapy, and the like.  I am unaware of any data that EBV or any other acute viral infection do so.  And if that happens, certainly there would be no delay of more than 3 months.

You don't have HIV.  Move on.

HHH, MD

[Ronnie99]

As a clarification for people wondering why I have tested so much note that I have tested a lot because I both still don't feel good/right which makes me uneasy. I am drastically different from the person I was before this incident. I would be out every weekend cutting acres of grass, working on my yard and doing chores around the farm. Now, I am a different person. I feel tired, weak, anemic and unable to do a lot physicially. I am not bed-ridden mind you, but I am not the guy who everyone used to rely on to help them out and be there when they needed a hand. I feel as if  have aged 30+ years in a short period of time. The hopeful part is that I have improved somewhat and I'm hoping that what has transpired has been the result of Epstein Barr which has been known to be a chronic condition in some people lasting for months. I just wanted to post this info above though so people who might question my testing will understand that I am doing it because I have lost my vitality, my energy and my health in many respects. I'm not doing it because I'm obsessed with testing, at least not conciously.

Regards,

Ronnie

[monkeyflower]

I'm sorry you're not feeling well. Fatigue sucks. However, you can totally put any thoughts of HIV to rest. Judging by your other comments, I'm guessing you're feeling a fair amount of anxiety about your exposure, and maybe your sexuality in general. I think that rather than pursue further testing, seek counseling instead.

[Ronnie99]

Monkeyflower: Thanks for the response. I am hoping all works out for the best. Have a great holiday (assuming you are in the US)!

[Ronnie99]

To keep people up to date, I got an OraQuick antibody test done a few days ago and it was negative. I am going to do one more test at 6 months and be done with the testing (even though I still don't feel right).