Undiagnosed symptoms following recent african travel

[Mary86]

Hi there,

basically i returned from africa about 5 weeks ago and have been having the most bizarre symptoms ever since. i wonder if someone can help me...
first of all i was getting fever, diarrhoea, and weight loss about 2 weeks after returning, along with recurrent bouts of thrush. there was no rash that i can recall. then these symptoms went away after about 2 weeks, then i had about a week of feeling fine and dandy. then i suffered from cold sore, and the feeling that the herpes virus had taken over my whole body, with tingling in my hands and feet and one eye.  this then subsided and ever since i have felt my short term memory has been a bit impaired and i feel generally lethargic. I have also lost some weight, and have noticed my leg is covered in quite painful bruises that i didnt notice before.  
some of these symptoms sound quite like those of early hiv but i have taken 3 tests (last one at 61/2 weeks following possible low risk exposure) and all came back negative. drs have been putting all my symptoms down to stress but im not convinced that random bruises and shingles like symptoms can be down to stress!?
just wondering if any other tropical disease can cause these type of signs and symptoms....
many thanks  

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Candidiasis is a fungal infection of any of the Candida species, of which Candida albicans is the most common.Symptoms of candidiasis includes severe itching, burning, and soreness, irritation of the vagina and/or vulva, and a whitish or whitish-gray discharge, often with a curd-like appearance in the oral cavity or from vagina.

Diagnosis can be confirmed by KOH microscopic examination and fungal culture.

Other possibilities that explain your symptoms can be internal diseases like liver and kidney disorders,diabetes and iron deficiency anemia.pls discuss these also when you consult your doctor next time.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional doubts.Kind regards.

[Mary86]

Hi there,
i have had a 3 month negative hiv test now (thank god) but still have so many symptoms!
i have heard a lot of them can be due to something called candidiasis and since im getting nowhere with gps/ drs i just wondered if i should consult a naturopath or something? what are your thoughts on candidiasis? (i know its not thought much of by traditional drs).
since my last post i have had very dry skin, rashes such as eczema appear, cold hands and feet, atheletes foot, ongoing diarrhoea, ongoing lethargy, some alcohol intolerance, really bad mood swings, sore throat, white tongue...the list goes on. the reason im thinking candidasis is because its the only thing explaining all my symptoms, and i was on a 3 month course of anibiotics before they came on. im only 22 and was so active and healthy before! its horrible.  do you know if candidiasis has an acute onset with fever, and then other lingering symptoms? and are there any tests that can be done?
still waiting on an infectious disease referal but i suspect when i see him he will say the same as the others 'we cant find anything physically wrong...'
thanks very much for your help
M

[Mary86]

thanks, yes my hiv test was a 4th generation one looking for antibodies and antigen and they told me its 98% accurate at 6 weeks, im just hoping im not in the other 2 %. i will contact an infectious disease specialist,
many thanks

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Three possibilities are there.Firstly it can be an infectious disease(as you are suspecting it),Secondly,it can be myloproliferative disorder and thirdly HIV infection cannot be ruled out. Many people do not develop symptoms after they first get infected with HIV. Others have a flu-like illness within several days to weeks after exposure to the virus.Although you were tested for HIV but ideally it should be done after 3 mths or 6 mths. Getting tested earlier than 3 months may result in an unclear test result, as an infected person may not yet have developed antibodies to HIV.

I feel that you should consult an infectious diseases specialist and discuss these possibilities with him.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing.