What are my symptoms? HIV?

[montrealer]

Dear Dr.

I have done the stupidest thing in my life. I was depressed (new to a city I don’t know anyone in). Something that i will regret for the rest of my life. I am a circumcised heterosexual male. On Feb 14th I had sex with a prostitute (not a street walker) the condom break and I cummed inside here. On Feb 25th I had sex with another prostitute(not a street walker), this time I condom slipped. (I don’t know in both times whether the failure happened at the end or not.  

I became very scared; I went for testing on March 4th (2.5 wks from 1st exposure, 1 wk from 2nd exposure). Done all test and all came negative. But the health nurse told me that the HIV test isn’t accurate and I must come again in 3 months. My anxiety level reached the sealing. I started reading on the internet about symptoms (I know bad idea) that freaked me out. I then started getting pain in my lower abdomen/ Pelvic area accompanied by a sensation to fart and purb a lot. (I suspect it’s my lymph nodes bit don’t know for sure, the pain stayed for 2 days, and was more noticeable after work). Then I couldn’t sleep so I took some medication Atarax to help me sleep, so I slept for 13 hours, next day the pain from my groin area faded, but I started having pain in my throat/ tonsils. I lost appetite and felt very weak that day and I vomited once and I have headaches sometimes, and I started smoking heavier than before.  I went to see a normal doctor and he said soar throats are caused by bacteria or virus. When he said virus I almost fainted he took a swab from my throat to analyze it for bacteria (I didn’t tell him any thing about my exposures) I asked him if my lymph glands are enlarged he said probably, then felt my neck/throat quickly and said not that much. (that is all 4.5 /2.5 wks from 1st/2nd exposure respectively). I also started feeling pain in my upper chest today.  I don’t feel like eating but I force myself to.  I measure my temperature 10 times a day and it is 36.5 Celcius (which is normal). I also sometimes (rarely feel a numbness in palm of my hand)But the lymph nodes enlargement under my jaws is driving me crazy.

All what’s on my mind is being HIV positive.

1-Do my symptoms tell you I have HIV or I am at high risk?
2-Can Anxiety/Stress/Depression cause lymph nodes to enlarge or pain in the groin area?
3-Are the tests in Canada accurate enough after 6 weeks?
4-How about Oraquick Tests? Can individuals order them?  
5-Should I be expecting a fever soon if I am HIV positive? Or if I am I sould have had it by now?
6-What’s the window for HIV symptoms to show?
7-In my case is it possible the HIV virus enlarged my groin lymph nodes, then after it broke it moved to my throat lymph nodes, and then it will move to the armpits?
8-How accurate were my STD results (other than HIV) , are them being negative reduces my risk of being HIV positive?

I measured by blood pressure at the pharmacy the other day and it was higher than normal 137/76 I normally

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Please read the many other threads on this forum that answer most of your questions; search for "HIV anxiety", "HIV transmission risk", "time to positive HIV test", and "ARS symptoms".  Your risk of catching HIV from the exposures you describe was very low and your negative HIV tests to date prove almost conclusively you aren't infected.

Quick replies to your questions:

1) Your symptoms don't mean much one way or the other; the negative blood test result is more important.  2) No, anxiety/stress etc cannot cause lymph node enlargement.  3) HIV testing is just as accurate at 6 weeks in Canada as anywhere else.  4) Oraquick testing is accurate, but they are ordered by health care providers, not individuals.  5) Most people with new primary HIV infection have fever.  6) Symptoms normally starrt 10-20 days after exposure.  7) Enlarged nodes "moving around" like that is atypical for HIV. 8) You can rely on the negative STD tests.

Of course your BP was high; you're anxious and stressed.

Bottom line:  Do read the other threads.  Stop worrying so much; the odds you have HIV are too low to measure.  Follow your own providers' advice.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[wwarrior]

All your symptoms, and I mean ALL, are consistant with stress and anxiety.

1-Pain in lower abdomen, farting and burping is a classic for anxiety...I'm sure is been acompanied by diareah...It is more noticeable after work because is the time when you are less distracted and concentrating on your "mishaps".

2-Sleeplessness...don't need to comment on that one.

3-Sore thoat without sings of infection of irritation could also be stress related, especially when you are symptom-hunting and you keep swallowing excesivelly and repeatdly to see if it hurts...

4-Swollen lymph nodes, as Dr. HHH has said before is hard to self diagnose. Your Doc said probably, if it was obvious he would have say yes. If you concentrate real hard you can made them(nodes) tingle too (I know I can). If you persistantly touch them they could enlarge.

5-Vomits and headache...stress...stress and more anxiety

6-Pain in chess.  This is one is also a clasic stress related symtom...I know of people who have fainted because of the anxiety related chest pressure.

I'm not a doctor but have had some anxiety myself and all that I have listed above is consistent with it.

The HIV risk assessment I don't touch but you can take Dr. HHH good advice to the bank.

Take care and good luck

[montrealer]

Thanks for your advice,

I have read your threads, but still wanted to post my own case to see if any small detail could change your assesment.

I have been poking myself alot lately so this is maybe why the lymph nodes enlarged. could it be that?

I will stop poking myself and try to not self diganos myself every 2 seconds , and hopefully i will feel better.

I really hope that i do not have HIV. This idea really scares me.

Warrior.. did you also think you were HIV positve and it turned out to be negative? I hope so.

Thanks

[montrealer]

Btw DR HHH, my negative blood test was just taken 1 week after my second exposure!

So is it really conclusive in your opinion?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

No, it takes takes several weeks for HIV tests to become positive.  But someone with your lifestyle ought to be tested for HIV and other STDs about once a year. It is a waste of time and energy to get tested after every single exposure and I recommend against it.  (If everybody with a new high-risk partner did that every time, the medical system couldn't handle the volume of testing!)

HHH, MD

[wwarrior]

That's a good question but easy to aswer.  Everyone that post (or come to read) in this forums or other forums do so mainly because they (or someone close to them) think they might have been at risk of exposure to a STD (HIV the majority). Very few do so out of curiosity or for research purposes.

Everyone comes with different symptoms and most (if not almost all) end up been coincidental but not causal of an HIV infection.  So when it comes to diagnosing HIV, symptoms don't mean much.  You can have every  symptoms there is to it yet not be infected.  The only way to know for sure is testing for it.

I think Psychiatrics will soon brand name a disease for people who worry about the posibility (real or not) of been infected with HIV.

Take care and good luck.

[wwarrior]

I'm not sure if Home Access HIV testing can be delivered to Canada.  I know it is FDA approve, however I'm not sure if Canada has approve it.

Nevertheless you can call them and ask them.  The number for Home Access is 1-800-400-8988 or you can contact them thru their website  www.homeaccess.com

Take care and good luck

[montrealer]

Thankd for your feedback Dr.

I have a follow up question. If you want me to post it in a new thread, i will.

After i read all your posts my anxiety disappeared and so did the symptoms. Not for long though. Just for a couple of days.

Now 3.5 wks after exposure i am sensing the following again:
Sore Throat.

-What seems to be enlarged lymph nodes under my jaw and one side of the neck (might be tonsils) The pain comes and goes and moves from right side to left side.
-Burning sensation in armpits and lower neck (also comes and goes)
-Feeling like i have a fever, but when i measure my temparture the thermometer tells me its normal
-Tensed muscles upper left shoulder (comes and goes)
- Sometime i get some chills

My Questions are:
1- what explaniation do you have for this pain that comes and goes and jums from one side to the other? Is it still anxiety/stress?
2- If i take antibiotics, will this affect my HIV test results (i am waiting for the 6 week mark)
3- If someone is infected with HIV, and takes antibiotics will it help his symptoms, or they will have no effect on the virus?
4- What explantion do you have for someone who feels he has a fever but he actually doesnt?
5- how do you explain the burning sensations?
5- what about the chills?

Thanks again doctor, i hope you can help me again.

If you require me to start another thread, please let me know

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I have no further advice for you.  See a health care provider; an online source is not the way to answer your concerns.  Most likely your symptoms are just anxiety.  They are not due to HIV.

Do not start a new thread with these questions.

HHH, MD