URGENT SHOULD I RETEST

Hello,15 weeks ago I had sex with a girl who IS HIV positive I want to mention that I have HSV2 which I hear it is easy to catch the virus due to open sores.13 days latter I started feeling very uneasy,runny nose with dry blood in the morning,I also started getting very dry cracked chapped lips,I developed swollen nodes in the back of my neck and armpits maybe..I developed a very red noticeable rash on the top of both my hands and 2 on each side of  my face. This followed with intermittent fevers 2 days at 37.7 and the rest between 36.9 and 37.4 ,I had night sweats for about 2 to 3 days that drenched my shirt my neck and forehead and my pillow case I mean soaking . I  developed a cough and shortly after a white tongue that still  persist today even after treatment of nystatin and apo-fluconazolie, it cleared up abit but I still have it. I also lost around 16 pounds and it seems that it came from my arms and chest,I managed to put back on 7 pounds but it seems to be on my abdominal .it seems to be swollen,and all through this time I was extremely tired I couldn't work for a month,I felt like I was dying ,I also developed the odd rash on my chest that looked like pin size pimple and then allot of small red dots on my biceps they almost look like petachie ..around a week ago I started getting very mild pins and needles in my hands and feet on and off,and also have joint pain..also a burning feeling around one of my ankles,I also developed abdominal pain which 1 time was extreme burning on both sides all around now the pain is mild and on and off, I had chest x-rays upper and lower endoscope and went to see an ENT none of the Doctors found anything except a fatty liver.I tested negative at 8 weeks and also 11 weeks and 13 weeks (91).Could I have HIV even after these negative results I,m very concerned I,m almost convinced I have it.DO I? did I test out far enough I still fell  kind of uneasy I don't even know what to do as far as test anymore.PLEASE HELP

[txtony]

every doctor's & questioner response in every forum i have visited state symptoms are notoriously, very bad, unreliable in diagnosing a new hiv infection. you have had 8,11,13 wks negative hiv test. your tests have proven, and trumptd your symptoms,that you are indeed hiv negative. you developed symptoms 13 days later, that are consistent with ars, HOWEVER neg,after negative hiv test prove your negative.  if hiv was your problem, you would have showed positive  in your 1st hiv test at week 8.  many sites say even cdc says 13 wks is enough.

[dobber21]

Hi there,
Well you did indeed have  a risk, but your negative tests suggest you're in the clear. At a recent meeting of HIV experts, not one out of 300 present had seen a negative test at 6-8 weeks turn positive at 3 months. Ergo, you are HIV negative.

The window period is confusing; it really is up to you whether to test again or not. I was in the same situation as you, had my 3 month negative, but lingering symptoms lead me to test again at 7 months. It was negative. The doctor pleaded with me not to bother. It all depends on what you yourself need to let this go. Tests at 13 weeks are 99.99% accurate. I find that the mind is the biggest problem here; testing again will probably ease your fears; it doesn't change the fact that anyone who is going to test positive, is going to do so 6-8 weeks later, at the LATEST.

One more thing; if your symptoms were due to HIV your three month test would have been positive. IT was negative, so if I were you, I'd let this go:)

[ssharpie]

I read 99.9 percent will test postive by 3 months there is that small amount .01 ,they also say test outside of the 3 months after the possible infection, i also read your suppose to test outside the 3 months is that 1 day after 90 enough?and i wouldnt even question it but theres nothing that could explain all those symtoms (symptoms) right after that 1 occasion?.it definatley wasn,t the flu i had a flu before and i never started breaking out with sores..

[RB888]

ssharpie

Your test results makes the answer easy - you are HIV negative. Getting you to accept this given the knowledge you had sex (unprotected I assume) with someone known to be positive, having herpes - which increases the risk but still does not make it easy to catch and a window period that included symptoms can be much harder.

Remember - all odds or risk assesments are based with the assumption the partner is HIV positive, so you were really at low risk given the difficulty transmitting HIV from female to male and it appers to be a one time encounter. This coupled with the fact that you tested negative at the appropriate time - conservatively at 13 weeks you are home free and connot be Infected with HIV.

Focus on the test results not on the exposure - hope this helps.

RB

[ssharpie]

Thansk dobber21
I have read what you have read also and i know they say 13 weeks in conclusive ,if she wasnt hiv positive and i didnt have all those symtoms (symptoms) i wouldnt be questioning at all,what if i am that.01 percent god i hope not,lets face it theres people out there that win the lottery every week and what are the odds on that,and i did read a few articles where they suggest to test at 15 weeks some can serconvent within 13 weeks,and the funny part is just alitle after 13 weeks is when i started feeling more normal again.thats scary and a mind game.what to do what to do

[mylastmistake]

Relax, you do not have HIV.  Since, you started have symtomps after 2 weeks of your exposure, your test at 6 weeks would be positive. Also, you tested at 11 and 13 weeks.  CDC is very conservative, and they said 3 months is conclusive.  Since, you tested out till 13 weeks, you know that you do not have HIV.  Take a deep breath and try to go somewhere for couple of days and do not think about HIV. You will see all your symptoms will go away. Stress and Anxiety cause lot of symptoms like ARS.  

[dobber21]

Actually its more like .0001, and anyways, that's as close to 100% as medicine can ever get. You're HIV negative.

But it seems like you're not ready to let this go yet. So I have some suggestions.
1. Seek Counselling. It's hard and takes time, but it works.
2. If the thought won't leave your head, test again at six months. It will be  waste of your time and money, as it was of mine, but if it's what's needed to allow you to get on with your life, go for it. The result won't change:)

[txtony]

there is a tiny population that seroconvert between 3-6 mos, immunodepressed, just had chemo for cancer, theoretically on npep regimen. it is up to you to test out past 6 mos, as dobber says. i too tested out 7 mos neg, w persistent symptoms, your not alone in this. on a bright side. everyone here have had similar symptoms or down right identical as yours, with hiv negative results.  youve had 3 past the window period. 50 % show + results 2 wks ~, 4-6 wks around 90, 6-8 wks closer to 99%. you had 8 wk -,11 wks - right there is enough proof your negative, but like all of us ww's, you had a 13 wks-,  thats by cdc standards hiv negative. since your still anxious, if you take 1 @ 6mos, no one will judge you. i wil say, it wont change.
im assuming your exposure was unprotected, even without test your chances of aquiring this hard disease to contract was small. 1/2000 i dont like numbers game, but i do like hiv negative test past any conservative window.

[dobber21]

why was HIV specialist floored?
if he is betting on you being negative, you are negative:)

[reassurance]

He was floored because I had mollusum on my neck. not a good sign

[txtony]

hey sharpie sorry about thread jumping, just have to give dobber here a high 5 for his negative hiv test. congrats man, i know how stressful it was to wait. you feel like a brand new man,huh...

[ssharpie]

Thanks Guys ill take your advice and try and put this behind me,maybe ill go at 6 months just to put my mind a rest.i guess i should be thank full for the 13 week negative it could have been worst..did you this article this poor guy tested postive only to find out 4 weeks latter he was negative.. http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=10576.0

[dobber21]

Feeling good! At least the pins and needles have gone away!

Thanks for your support:)

[dobber21]

I think you'll test again.
But I know your results won't change.
You are HIV negative. You dodged the bullet. Congrats:)

[reassurance]

If you didn't have HSV2 lesions before, then I would say that it is more likely that this illness is was part of the HSV2 seroconversion process. I don't know, its funny after thinking about HIV for  3 months HSV doesn't sound bad at all. I think we got you pinned, we this possibility and a negative antibody. I am not a doctor.

[ssharpie]

yea your probally right but i do feel better the doc on this form said the same thing that i,m negative,you also had the pins and needle in the hands and feet?..what made them stop..the hiv negative relief or was there a medical reason behind it..

[ssharpie]

yea your probally right but i do feel better the doc on this form said the same thing that i,m negative,you also had the pins and needle in the hands and feet?..what made them stop..the hiv negative relief or was there a medical reason behind it..

[ssharpie]

yea your probally right but i do feel better the doc on this form said the same thing that i,m negative,you also had the pins and needle in the hands and feet?..what made them stop..the hiv negative relief or was there a medical reason behind it..

[ssharpie]

yea your probally right but i do feel better the doc on this form said the same thing that i,m negative,you also had the pins and needle in the hands and feet?..what made them stop..the hiv negative relief or was there a medical reason behind it..

[reassurance]

please check my thread on the doctors comment and get back to me with the specifics

[dobber21]

They're still there on and off, but I'm not paying much heed to them!

You're negative:)

[dobber21]

What was your risk?
Your symptoms could be due to anything. You had a negative test at three months, right?

[reassurance]

my risk was condom breakage with hiv positive women. I had a negative 86/87 day test and negative bdna at 17 days and 42 days. I experienced rash on hands feet knees, outbreak of HPV, night sweats, anorexia, oral ulcers, ear infection with swollen lymph node resistant to antibiotics, still have dry mouth and tonsilitus, and pink papules on my stomach. I also have been having dry skin and had some atopic dermatits. I also went to an HIV specialist and was found to have a mollusk on my neck. All this with negative testing. That is why I have been having trouble letting this all go. I also appreciate what you do on this forum.

[dobber21]

Glad to be of help.
What did the HIV specialist say?
YOu had DNA tests done that were negative, those tests are really really sensitive. Plus, condom breakages rarely end up with HIV transmission:)

[reassurance]

HIV specialist was floored. He couldn't understand the negative not DNA but hiv rna bdna, it is a little different viral load. I saw him at like week 10, he said test at 3 months and 6. and said he would bet that I didn't have it.

[ssharpie]

I read your post on the docs side..what is your speculation I just asked the doc another question.also it is HIV-2 I have I,me not sure if I got this the day of exposer I only found out I had it when I did a complete test for std and got my results back on the 13 week negative HIV test.could have all those symptoms been an initial outbreak?I did get canker sores inside my month and also a lesion in the back of my throat and one on the side of my tongue,and I actually seen a picture of someone that had HSV and it looked the same,but would I have gotten night sweats?also the white in the back of my throat could be herpes I heard sometimes it attacks the throat and I know the ENT doctor said he wasn't even sure it was thrush..what do you think can does HSV-2 give you break outs all over and not just genital?

[reassurance]

If you did not have HSV 2 prior to that incident, yes HSV 2 and HSV 1 can cause a significant period of being sick and a rash on tops of your hands called erythema multiforme. Look it up, I think you are in a good position if this is the case, then your viral illness and rash can be attributed to HSV2. Please explain your rash to me in greater detail. I am not a dr. just someone else who has extensively searched the internet because of excessive anxiety and persistent symptoms.

[ssharpie]

Hello..reassurance
i looked it up its possible it looked like that as its gone now and were talking awile back i also know my first symptoms was the chapped lips,also i always had a rash on my hands and face i always thought it was excema or something..but it wasnt that bad, but it got alot worst when i got sick,and more pronoced and then it went away not long after even the small rash i already had before,.maybe it was my first outbreak from the stress of maybe getting hiv..maybe i did get herpes-2 from this girl and not hiv.i did havbe the white tonge though and still have it but not as bad..i still have that taste in my mouth as well,and abdominal pain but i heard herpes attack the stomach is this true?..also i always have white spots on the back of my thoat,sometime alot then other time not..what do you think..my highest fever was only 37.7 but i was extremly tired and i did lose weight but maybe it was the stress..do you have herpes?..and think maybe you got it as well..are you going to test again?

[dobber21]

I think you'll test again.
But I know your results won't change.
You are HIV negative. You dodged the bullet. Congrats:)

[ssharpie]

Hello..Dobbie
Did you think with my high exposer, that my 3 month (91 days) is conclusive?,should I still worry or put this behind me.,it funny I don't know if its all in the head ,but now that I have gotten my 91 day negative results it seems that all my symptoms are leaving including the white tongue I still have it but its almost gone and just slight abdominal pain,also read my post with the Doctor on his last response,does it sound like he's not to sure with himself and my negative or am I just reading it wrong.thank you