Doctor

[gettingmymessages]

Hello.Doctor around 18 weeks ago I started feeling very sick I had interment fevers,several Night sweats that soaked my pyjamas I developed a rash on my face and both hands and Had swollen glands in the neck, armpits and groin area,I also developed a Sore throat,a dry cough and a white tongue which I still have today,at times its so bad it actually bubbles up from the back of my throat when I get stressed..I also had extreme fatigue..I had also lost 14 pounds since that time..today I still have the white tongue not as bad but white foam will still bubble up my throat when I get stressed,I had pins and needles in both hands and feet,and know I have burning skin in the back of my neck,face and feet I feel like I,m on fire..I tested for cancer did a CT scan,upper and lower endoscope and the only thing they found was a fatty liver this was all done around 10 weeks.I also was tested for STD,s but not Chlamydia or goneriah I also tested for genital herpes which came back positive im sure I caught this 18 weeks ago,I also tested for HIV from week 8,10,11,12,13,and 15 1/2 all came back negative.I,m so confused what is it that is wrong with me,my doctor gave me apo-cefuroxime for my sinus infection but after the 2 weeks I feel worst now I started night sweats again and burning up the white tongue I had since the begging so its not the antibiotics..what do you think is wrong with me..it=s that HIV test Conclusive? and wouldn't that antibiotics cleared everything up it seems to make it worst..

[Kevin Pho, MD]

I agree with the HIV test given the white tongue.  A negative blood test would make HIV less likely. Scraping a sample of the white substance off the tongue can also be done and sent off to the lab to rule out fungal infection.

I would further evaluate the rash in conjunction with a dermatologist.  If the diagnosis is non-revealing, a skin biopsy can be considered.  

Rheumatologic disease can also lead to the rash and other symptoms such as the fatigue.  Blood tests to evaluate the ANA level and rheumatoid factor can be done.

Nerve conduction studies can evaluate for nerve dysfunction, and blood tests to evaluate for vitamin B-12 levels and thyroid dysfunction can also be done.

These options should be discussed in conjunction with a neurologist and rheumatologist.  

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_

[gettingmymessages]

Sorry doctor i also forgot to mention that before all this started..i was siiting down and started getting this sharp pain in my chest i thought it was a heart attack or bad acid reflux..then i started shacking anyways i ended up being rushed to the hospital..they checked for a heart attack but it came back negative..also i have shortness of breath since the antibiotic as welll as the stinging bruning skin..could have the primary herps infection caused all this?..i also have rashes and dry skin...again would my hiv test be conclusive...i cant think what else it can be

[gettingmymessages]

Hello.Doctor i,m not sure i understand your answers they dont seem to correspond to my questions..i know the white tongue is a yeast infection it was already confirmed by a doctor..also the rashes and dry skin are always showing up in new places! today white faint spots on my face very faint..what about the fever and hot skin?.is the 15 1/2 week conclusive to your knowledge?would apo-cefuroxime have cleared up any viral infection i would of had?what would cause the fevers?..can HSV-2 cause that?i,m also on Valtrex could this cause any of my symptoms?

[reassurance]

It is I reassurance, lurking around the undiagnosed victims forum, ready to answer some of your questions.
1. Definitely, the rash you had, the fever, the night sweats, sore throat, white tongue can all be related to initial HSV2 infection. The doctor on the HIV bulletin at first didn't understand that this was your first outbreak. In fact that rash is common with HSV outbreaks and is known to occur less powerfully with future outbreaks ( try erythema multiforme or EM minor).
2.  If you can believe that all those symptoms are from the HSV 2 infection, you can beat this.
3. And I am only lurking around the undiagnosed forum because I had the same rash as you but have no diagnosis of anything but HPV.
So good luck, I will check back here tommorow if you want to write me a comment back (oh yeah, the people on aidsmeds are jerks)

[gettingmymessages]

Hey reassurance what ever happened to you..i know you were in the same boat..i went back to ge another test at 15 1/2 weeks it was negative, but the doctor then said when i went back a week latter for other blood work to check for other std,s that maybe we should do another hiv test then she said i think i see something she was french so i wasnt sure if i heard here it properly..anywasy i,m going back on the 9th..also i still feel sick i dont know if its the valtrex..or what but my skin is burning aroud the neck and ankles arms almost everywere..also have a sore foot were the arch is..and still have the white tongue ..and still very dry skin and sometime i get these faint spots here and there..can herpes cause sores on your body and dry your skin?also canker sores in mouth..dry hands etc..do you always feel a burning in the back of your neck for awile with herpes..does it every go away..or do you think i,m a late serconventor..if its herpes then its a nasty diesease..i havent had any more out breaks since on valtrex or maybe i have but no sore maybe that might explain the odd feelings..i actaully had night sweats last week for 4 days in a row slight ones..what do you think

[reassurance]

With herpes, one may experience a prodromal period before outbreaks, even after the 1st outbreak. So, yes all of your symptoms even the less severe symptoms after  your first outbreak can be attributed to herpes. I don't have herpes, I have just read too much about everything so I don't know about some of your other symptoms. I would think Herpes as well or Valtrex, which I believe is powerful stuff could cause everything you are experiencing. As well as severe stress. About 5 weeks ago my the skin on my arms was burning and I was getting these little sharp needles in my skin after exercising. I wrote about it to the doctor on the dermatology forum and he said psychosomatization. Then the next day it all disappeared. So the hot skin could very well be somatizing, but it could also still be your body trying to fight off the Herpes infection of the prodromal phase of herpes for another outbreak which the valtex is stopping. Could you be a late seroconverter. NO, I read some of your posts on this site and the other and the body, and no and also if the person you had sex with had hiv, she or he would mayhe have a higher viral load this is not proven, but that would not increase the chances that you got it. Only if you had a herpes infection while you were having sex because then it could more easily get into your skin. Plus you were wearing a condom.
As for me, Negative at 19 weeks via oraquick blood. By the way, I was not crazy before this happened, so I understand your pain and inability to accept HIV NEGATIVE status. If you have anymore questions you can get in touch with me on the other board under the name difficult
Hope you feel better,
cheers,
reassurance

[no_omega]

I am a heterosexual man with hsv 2  who had sex with a woman about 2 months ago (3/24/07) only to find that the condom gave way. about 4 days later i had an unusal headache that made me feel disoriented. Since the occurence i havent felt normal. i have tingling in my hands and feet all day long, i have tinlging and pin sensations in my jaw area, my inner thighs and armpit area are constantly burning, my tongue burns and it looks like i have a white coat or dry thrush. i tested for hiv a month after the incident and it was negative. i await results i took from a second test at 8 weeks. my nerves seem like they are not functioning properly, it feels like a nerve disorder of some sort. i feel real itchy like i might break out with something. i get real cold and it feels like my tissues are cold as nitrogen. i also had what doctors called an abscess . another said it was a cyst and they claim it was under the skin and properly due to shaving. i took antibiotics and it cleared up. i notice the same general area always feels aggravated. my vision seems like it gets worse. no swollen lymph nodes as of yet, no fevers as of yet, no night sweats as of yet. i got a cbc (blood check) and they said no sign of infection in white blood count,  i am extremely scared and have convinced myself that god has served me a final warning.  does anyone have any answers to what might be going on. please feel free to any provide any info or a smiliar experience that may be of assistance. thank you.

[no_omega]

also it seems like i have a persistent runny nose that i cant shake for the life of me. neck pain, etc.  i saw a holistic doctor and my diet has changed but i dont see any big difference other than a few pounds from a change in diet. it also feels like a have a sour taste in my mouth. i notice that there is a yellowish brown color on the tongue. i believe this is from acid coming. i have had this condition for some time but it is quite active at this point. after reading about acid reflux it sounds like it may be causing acid in the mouth as well,. anyone please . this post is a continuation of my first post preceding this one.

[CC2007]

HI......

Your symptoms COULD be the result of having contracted Lyme disease.  Please hear me out....You could have suffered an unnoticed bite coincidentally coinciding with the espisode with the woman OR she could be carrying Lyme (and maybe any co-infections) and passed it onto you.  After all, it is a bacteria.  There have been experiments done with animals that proves that it can be contracted through contact and not the direct result of a bite.  There are scores of families where mom, dad and all the kids have it.  Unless you had the disease and were involved with it for years, you wouldnt' know this. The many symptoms it causes are so bizarre, it is a very difficult disease to diagnose. The tests are so unreliable that you can test negative and still have the disease.  I am providing you with a symptoms list.  If you concur, it would be within your best interest to find a LYME SPECIALIST.

Musculoskeletal System
Joint pain or swelling or tenderness
Stiffness of joints, back, neck
Muscle pain or cramps
Bone pain
Heavy feeling in one or more limbs

Neurological System
Tremors or unexplained shaking (especially at night)
Burning or stabbing sensations in the body
Weakness or partial paralysis/stroke-like symptoms
Pressure in the head
Numbness in body, tingling, pinpricks
Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking
Increased motion sickness
Lightheadedness, wooziness
Sudden jerking of fingers or entire limbs
Pain in spinal column

General Well-being
Unexplained weight gain, loss
Extreme fatigue
Swollen glands
Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)
Continual infections (sinus, kidney, eye, etc.)
Symptoms seem to change, come and go
Pain migrates (moves) to different body parts
Early on, experienced a "flu-like" illness, after which you have not since felt well.  (If it was mild, you may not even recall this.)

Eyes/Vision
Double, blurry or dim vision
Increased floating spots
Pain in/behind eyes, or swelling around eyes
Over sensitivity to light
Flashing lights
Optic neuritis

Ears/Hearing
Decreased hearing in one or both ears
Buzzing or clicking noises in ears
Pain in ears or sound sensitivity
Ringing in one or both ears
Pressure or feeling of fullness in ears

Digestive and Excretory Systems
Diarrhea, irritable bowel
Constipation
Irritable bladder (trouble starting, stopping)
Frequent urination that is not normal
Upset stomach (nausea or pain)

Respiratory and Circulatory Systems
Shortness of breath, cough
Chest pain or rib soreness
Night sweats or unexplained chills
Heart palpitations or extra beats
Heart blockage

Psychological well-being
Mood swings, irritability, rage
Unusual depression
Disorientation (getting or feeling lost)
Feeling as if you are losing your mind
Overemotional reactions, crying easily
Too much sleep, or insomnia
Difficulty falling or staying asleep

Mental Capability
Memory loss (short or long term)
Confusion, difficulty in thinking, brain fog
Difficulty with concentration or reading
Going to the wrong place
Speech difficulty (slurred or slow)
Stammering speech
Forgetting how to perform simple tasks

Head, Face, Neck
Unexplained hair loss
Headaches, mild or severe
Twitching of facial or other muscles
Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy)
Tingling of nose, cheek or face
Stiff or painful neck or creaking
Jaw pain or stiffness
TMJ – sudden onset, jaw spasms
Sore throat, hoarseness
Loss of sense of taste
Difficulty swallowing, throat spasms

Females only:
Unexplained menstrual pain, irregularity
Unexplained breast pain, discharge

Males only:
Testicular or pelvic pain

LYME FACTS
1. You do not have to recall a bite or have gotten the target rash to have Lyme disease. Less than 50% of people with Lyme do.
2. The tick that carries Lyme is as small as the period at the end of this sentence and their nymphs are nearly microscopic.  Ticks are on the move at 35º and above. It’s a year-round problem.
3. You do not have to experience ALL of these symptoms to have Lyme disease.  It is also typical for many of these symptoms to come and go or occur once and never occur again.
4. It is possible to have Lyme disease and have a negative test result.  After Lyme bacteria enter your system, it tricks your immune system into no longer producing antibodies to fight it, hence, a negative test result. There are also other numerous factors that can affect the results. (Google: Lyme disease negative test results.)
5. Lyme bacteria hide in the spinal fluid, bone, tendons, muscle and nerve fibers and tissues and in many cases are not “floating” around in the bloodstream where they can be picked up on a test. It is a cousin to the syphilis bacteria and very difficult to eradicate.
6. It takes a LYME SPECIALIST to diagnose, test for and treat Lyme disease and any of its associated co-infections. To find one go to www.LymeNet.org.
or www.ilads.org.  Lyme specialists do not require a referral.  

NOTE: Everyone may have symptoms that appear on this list; however, it does not mean he/she has Lyme disease.  If one has numerous symptoms on this list and no other explanation for them, consider Lyme.