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undiagnosed virus PLEASE HELP!!
Hello all. I am a 28 year old male. Some of you may remember me from several months back. Well, I'm here again because my symptoms still persist, and I really need an answer as to what's going on with me. For those who are not familiar with my story, here it is:
In early March, I received oral sex from a stranger (I also had intercourse with her, but it was protected by a condom; no breakages, slip of condom, etc). About 3 weeks after this incident, I started to get a fungal infection in my groin/anal area, which would itch from time to time, along with oral thrush. My genitals also turned a red/pink color. At 5 weeks post-incident, I had all my std work done. Everything came back negative (Heb B, HIV, HSV 1 & 2, gon, clam, syph, etc), however, the fungal infection was confirmed by a swab test. I was prescribed a fungal cream and tablet, but they didn't seem to help. I was also getting headaches at the front of my head daily.
At the 10 week mark, I started getting swollen lymph nodes in my groin and armpits, along with unusual excessive sweating from armpits and palms of hands, even if it wasn't hot outside. I did not have a fever either. I also noticed I was having a tingling and pins and needles sensation in my left hamstring down to my foot. Every once in a while, if I'm sitting still, my muscles will twitch. This mostly comes from my legs, but occasionally it is in my arms and chest as well. I went back to the doctor to have another full panel STD check again, including HIV. The only thing that changed this time is that they picked up a Hepatitis B surface antigen with a 17,000,000 viral load, which I'm told is extremely high. The only problem is they didn't find any antibodies for it, and my liver function tests came back completely normal. I even retook my LFT/ALT 2 weeks after that, and they were still fine. The doctors were stumped with my unusual blood work.
So, I decided to just let things play out and hopefully kick this over time. All last month, for about 4-5 weeks, nearly all of my symptoms really mellowed out with the exception of the swollen lymph nodes. The headaches were gone, no noticeable redness on my scrotum, didn't itch down there (not enough to complain about anyway; I understand we all have an occasional itch there sometimes). Oral thrush and nerve tingling in leg, if they were there, were hardly noticeable.
Then, all of a sudden, about 9 days ago, my symptoms came back! They weren't as bad as the initial symptoms (for example, the sweating on my palms and armpits aren't quite as excessive as before). There is a bit of redness on my scrotum, but not as bad and doesn't itch like crazy as it did before. Oral thrush is back also, along with pins and needles in legs and twitching of muscles/nerves. I went to another doctor to get my lymph nodes checked out; they've been tender for about 3 months now. Doctor examined them and agreed that they were slightly swollen, but told me not to worry about it for now. I argued that I thought there were a couple in my groin that felt 'hard', but he said he's been working with lymph nodes for 43 years and disagreed with me. Btw, they're about the size of a pea. There are 2 on each side in the groin area. He couldn't even feel the ones in my armpits, which is understandable because even I have a hard time locating them. They're just painful from time to time. He told me to give it a few more weeks, then he could do a biopsy on them.
So, here are my list of symptoms to date:
1. Oral thrush (btw, the thrush is just a white coating on my tongue; it's not the typical thing I've read about on the internet where it looks like lesions/califlower or bleeds when scratched off).
2. slight redness on scrotum (genitals/anus doesn't itch near as much as it used to)
3. pins/needles sensation in nerves down left leg, along with muscle twitching
4. swollen lymph nodes in armpits and groin
Okay, so here are my questions:
1. Has anyone else experienced these symptoms and found the cause of it?
2. What could the Hep B surface antigen with 17,000,000 viral load and no antibodies mean? Especially if my symptoms are not classic Hep B symptoms?
3. I've read a lot about oral thrush online, and almost every link goes straight to HIV. Well, I've been tested twice now, and I've been told by all my doctors and other online experts that I DO NOT have HIV. I also understand that thush in HIV-infected people doesn't happen until a later stage. I have read that oral thrush can be due to 'viruses', but that's all it says. Not one website identifies these possible viruses. Does anyone have any idea of what kind of virus can cause thrush besides HIV?
4. If I have a lymph node biopsy, will this identify the problem?
This has been going on for about 5 months now if you include the start of the first couple symptoms. I really need some answers and for this to be overwith. Please help! Thank you, and God bless.
Also, is there any other tests I should ask my doctor about?
In early March, I received oral sex from a stranger (I also had intercourse with her, but it was protected by a condom; no breakages, slip of condom, etc). About 3 weeks after this incident, I started to get a fungal infection in my groin/anal area, which would itch from time to time, along with oral thrush. My genitals also turned a red/pink color. At 5 weeks post-incident, I had all my std work done. Everything came back negative (Heb B, HIV, HSV 1 & 2, gon, clam, syph, etc), however, the fungal infection was confirmed by a swab test. I was prescribed a fungal cream and tablet, but they didn't seem to help. I was also getting headaches at the front of my head daily.
At the 10 week mark, I started getting swollen lymph nodes in my groin and armpits, along with unusual excessive sweating from armpits and palms of hands, even if it wasn't hot outside. I did not have a fever either. I also noticed I was having a tingling and pins and needles sensation in my left hamstring down to my foot. Every once in a while, if I'm sitting still, my muscles will twitch. This mostly comes from my legs, but occasionally it is in my arms and chest as well. I went back to the doctor to have another full panel STD check again, including HIV. The only thing that changed this time is that they picked up a Hepatitis B surface antigen with a 17,000,000 viral load, which I'm told is extremely high. The only problem is they didn't find any antibodies for it, and my liver function tests came back completely normal. I even retook my LFT/ALT 2 weeks after that, and they were still fine. The doctors were stumped with my unusual blood work.
So, I decided to just let things play out and hopefully kick this over time. All last month, for about 4-5 weeks, nearly all of my symptoms really mellowed out with the exception of the swollen lymph nodes. The headaches were gone, no noticeable redness on my scrotum, didn't itch down there (not enough to complain about anyway; I understand we all have an occasional itch there sometimes). Oral thrush and nerve tingling in leg, if they were there, were hardly noticeable.
Then, all of a sudden, about 9 days ago, my symptoms came back! They weren't as bad as the initial symptoms (for example, the sweating on my palms and armpits aren't quite as excessive as before). There is a bit of redness on my scrotum, but not as bad and doesn't itch like crazy as it did before. Oral thrush is back also, along with pins and needles in legs and twitching of muscles/nerves. I went to another doctor to get my lymph nodes checked out; they've been tender for about 3 months now. Doctor examined them and agreed that they were slightly swollen, but told me not to worry about it for now. I argued that I thought there were a couple in my groin that felt 'hard', but he said he's been working with lymph nodes for 43 years and disagreed with me. Btw, they're about the size of a pea. There are 2 on each side in the groin area. He couldn't even feel the ones in my armpits, which is understandable because even I have a hard time locating them. They're just painful from time to time. He told me to give it a few more weeks, then he could do a biopsy on them.
So, here are my list of symptoms to date:
1. Oral thrush (btw, the thrush is just a white coating on my tongue; it's not the typical thing I've read about on the internet where it looks like lesions/califlower or bleeds when scratched off).
2. slight redness on scrotum (genitals/anus doesn't itch near as much as it used to)
3. pins/needles sensation in nerves down left leg, along with muscle twitching
4. swollen lymph nodes in armpits and groin
Okay, so here are my questions:
1. Has anyone else experienced these symptoms and found the cause of it?
2. What could the Hep B surface antigen with 17,000,000 viral load and no antibodies mean? Especially if my symptoms are not classic Hep B symptoms?
3. I've read a lot about oral thrush online, and almost every link goes straight to HIV. Well, I've been tested twice now, and I've been told by all my doctors and other online experts that I DO NOT have HIV. I also understand that thush in HIV-infected people doesn't happen until a later stage. I have read that oral thrush can be due to 'viruses', but that's all it says. Not one website identifies these possible viruses. Does anyone have any idea of what kind of virus can cause thrush besides HIV?
4. If I have a lymph node biopsy, will this identify the problem?
This has been going on for about 5 months now if you include the start of the first couple symptoms. I really need some answers and for this to be overwith. Please help! Thank you, and God bless.
Also, is there any other tests I should ask my doctor about?
Also, Grace, do you think that some 'virus at the office' would give me a viral load of 17,000,000??
as I said, I am not familiar with hepatitis testing to know what you had done, the false positive issues or anything else. I just know that when folks have active hepatitis infections, there are changes in their liver function and also their white count goes up along with changes in the differential count in their blood.
honestly I don't think what is going on is remotely std related.
honestly I don't think what is going on is remotely std related.
I understand Grace. I'm not sure how much knowledge you have on viral load......but, what I'm asking is, if this is NOT hep b and, instead, just another general, non-std related viral infection, do you think that some 'random virus' I picked up could give me a viral load this high?
Your high viral load is not from another virus. If anything, you should get your hepatitis B testing performed a again in a couple of weeks. If you are concerned you could ask if your doctor of they could discuss over the phone with an infectious diseases physician or a hepatologist or a virologist at a lab.
Oral thrush does NOT always mean HIV
In regards to your lymph nodes - have you lost weight? I take it you had a full blood count? If you are getting annoyed with this and are really, worried, you could ask your doctor for lymph node biopsy, but be aware it may not be necessary.
Oral thrush does NOT always mean HIV
In regards to your lymph nodes - have you lost weight? I take it you had a full blood count? If you are getting annoyed with this and are really, worried, you could ask your doctor for lymph node biopsy, but be aware it may not be necessary.
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis-b/tab/test
? infectious mononucleosis?
? infectious mononucleosis?
Thanks shyguy! I just don't understand how I would get a surface antigen with a high viral load and zero anitibodies with completely normal liver tests. Even the doctors were stumped!! And my symptoms have nothing to do with Hep B. But in any case, I will take your advice and follow it up.
And yes, i know oral thrush does not always mean HIV (and even if it was, it would come at a much later stage). I'm not in any way paraniod about HIV anymore. I've had my tests, and that's all that matters. I've stressed enough about HIV, and I'm done with it.
Yes, I did lose a lot of weight in the beginning, but there was a reason for it......I stopped eating!!! I would go days without eating anything; not because i physically couldn't, it's just that the mental stress I was putting myself through made it so difficult that I didn't even want to think about food. After a while, I regained most of my mental stability and started eating and exercising again. Got almost all the weight back! By the way, I lost that weight BEFORE I had swollen lymph nodes (if it matters).
And yes, i know oral thrush does not always mean HIV (and even if it was, it would come at a much later stage). I'm not in any way paraniod about HIV anymore. I've had my tests, and that's all that matters. I've stressed enough about HIV, and I'm done with it.
Yes, I did lose a lot of weight in the beginning, but there was a reason for it......I stopped eating!!! I would go days without eating anything; not because i physically couldn't, it's just that the mental stress I was putting myself through made it so difficult that I didn't even want to think about food. After a while, I regained most of my mental stability and started eating and exercising again. Got almost all the weight back! By the way, I lost that weight BEFORE I had swollen lymph nodes (if it matters).
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Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
