I hope I'm overthinking this...

Apologizes in advance for the long post...

Hi Doc,

Let me start by clarifing a couple of things. 1)I'm a 28 year old male. 2)I have an anxiety problem. 3)I have been a heavy beer drinker for about 8 years now. About 2 months ago I started experiencing testicular pain and occasional swelling. I went to the doctor and after examination he told me everything looked OK. A couple weeks later I was still having testicular pain, and the then I started having pains around my midsection and non-localized chest pain. Went to doc again, did tests for HEP A/B/C plus other STD's and everything turned out normally I'm not sure if they did an HIV test at that time. A few days go by and the pains got worse so I decided to go the hospital. ER Doc examined my testicles any said everything was ok. He told me that gastritis was the cause of the midsection/chest pain and told me to adjust my drinking habits which I did, and the those pains have since gone away. Testicular pain disappered shortly there after, however I thought swelling was still apparent. Fast forward to a little over 5 weeks ago. I recieved oral sex and also had unprotected vaginal sex with a girl I just met. 2 weeks go by with no problems and then my armpits and testicles started to itch, and I had a slight pain in my left groin, but only when I was touching it. Honestly, I didn't think anything of it. I didn't feel any bumps, but I wasn't looking either. That problem disappeared and then 3 weeks later I got a runny nose and a fever that never went above 101.5. I didn't have any other ARS symptoms that I could see. The fever went away within a day but at the same time I started coughing (not a dry cough...lots of phlegm.) I went to the doctor today and he told me that I have a respiratory infection. He also checked my testicles and told me that they are in the normal size range for my someone my age. While I still have phlegm, my coughing has pretty much subsided as well. I also noticed something else that really freaked me out, I look at my arms and it looks like my skin is wrinkling. If I put a fair amount of pressure on my skin, that area turns red and little white bumps appear for about 5 minutes. I have always had sensitive skin, but this is totally new. I called the girl and she told me that she works in a lab that requires her to get tested every six months, so she's clean. Of course, she slept with me in one night, so to me her explanation doesn't mean much. I know you can't diagnose me over the internet, but even so I'd like your opinion. My questions are as follows...

1) Is it normal for the few ARS symptoms that I had (armpit/testicular itch, left groin pain, fever, cough)to appear consecutively as it did, or should it have happened concurrently?

2) HIV, another STD, alcohol/anxiety related, or nothing at all?

3) Does it seem to you that I am taking all of these different symptoms and clumping them together which results in me blowing things out of proportion?

Thanks Doc

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You're right, I cannot diagnose anything over the internet, and it isn't my role to solve diagnostic dilemmas.  With such a complex medical history and with your own doctor's extensive involvement, I have to just defer to him.

1) Your symptoms almost certainly are not due to HIV, but if uncertain, discuss again with your doctor and ask whether another HIV test is warranted.  Then trust and follow his advice about it.

2) Can't tell; up to your doc.  Almost certainly not HIV.

3) Maybe, but that's also up to you and your doc.

Sorry I can't be more helpful.  good luck--  HHH, MD