How do I deal with this?

[cutipup100]

I have been having terrible anxiety ever since I though, still think I have HIV. It has been a little over 2 months since my last unprotected vaginal encounter and I swear I have had a ton of symptoms, I know some do not "suggest" HIV but it seems to me I have it.

diahreea (sp?)
constipation
discharge from anus
discharge from vag.
swollen lymph nodes
sore throat
heavier period then usual
blood in stool (happened 3 times on seperate occasions within a few months)
feeling light headed
back hurting
neck hurting
upset/stressed, emotional
threw up 2 or 3 times within a few months
all of this won't stop and I don't know how to deal with this.
I am hoping nursegirl will help me out with this. she seems very nice and experienced. my doctor keeps saying I have anxiety issues I have been to hes time and time again over the past few months, have been to planned parenthood quite a few times, have been to a GI and have been to a GYNO a few times. I don't know what to do anymore I feel hopeless and cannot stop thinking about this, I cannot focus and cannot live a normal life. My doctor has given me Xanax and has given me Hydroxyzine (both low dosages) I need help and advice. please.

[worriedladyinuk]

I also had headache,body aches, tonsilitis wasnt painful contrary to wat ppl say which worried me more.tongue was white n tld doctor to test for oral thrush which came out negative. But nw think my tongue is looking hairy which is very worrying.got tld to drink loads of water which is helping but still very worried dat i always carry a thermometer wit me to test for fever signs.

[worriedladyinuk]

Hi, i had unprotectd sex wit an ex in april, n was very worried bout it aftr reading symptoms of hiv online. I went to get testd 3weeks aftr cos i cldnt sleep. D fifth week, i had a slight fever, cold hand n feet, chest pains, still cldnt sleep, was waiting for night sweats but still ddnt av any, went to d doctors cos was worried as to d slight fever which was 37.8c. Doc said i had tonsilitis which i felt was even more scary as iv never had it b4. Finishd my penicilin dose n tonsils still red a week aftr wit my swollen node at my neck n also av a sore throat. My ex got his test done early in march which came out negative n he seems to think im paranoid but im more worried cos i rarely fall ill n i did less than a month aftr sex, n he broke off wit his ex in feb which makes me more worried dat wat if she cheatd on him n him doing a test aftr a mnth wasnt conclusive .not been able to sleep at night since then n id av to take d nxt test in july for d 3mnths which is killin me cos cnt sleep.also my tongue was itchy n my feet were itchy for a bit. Though my doc thinks i might b anaemic, wat r d odds dat everything is happnin at d same time.

[cutipup100]

is this HIV or anxiety? my bowels are always messed up and I have been throwing up lately, about a handful of times recently. I need some advice/help on this situation please.

[cutipup100]

the stars which I am sure you know what word that is, is the quick blood finger test that takes 10 mins. they put the **** for pr*ck. eventhough I did not think that was suck a bad word lol.

[cutipup100]

nursegirl thank you sooooo much for responding!

I had the quick ***** HIV test at planned parenthood yesterday around 2:30ish but the lady did not seem like she knew what she was doing when she told me to get tested again in 3 months saying October? I was like isnt it September she said no. Anyway the result was negative. I hope she knew what she was doing on that part. How reliable are those tests? it was about 9 weeks after exposure.

You really did reassure me with your post. I am so anxiety driven and cannot focus on anything else at all. i cannot sleep. only a few hours at a time sometimes and this has been going on since May. I had to drop my math class in the summer. I could not focus on anything.

Lets say I did not have ARS, could you just go into primary infection? I mean with my symptoms and all is what I am asking. and start from that?

I did have many many many STD tests. All are negative so far.(knock on wood) I am very paranoid and took multiple STD tests at multiple places. I have discharge all the time, I don't know what that is about but apparently STDs associated with vaginal discharge, I do not have. (I do not know what the problem is going on down there either. No one could tell me, multiple swab, pee tests, wet mounts, ultra sounds, multiple people from planned parenthood looking down there, my gyno and my reg doctor. I supposedly have a cyst with free fluid, (but they say it is nothing) I am scared about that too... I don't know whats wrong.

I will ALWAYS use a condom from now on and am now afraid to get close to anyone even kiss for that matter. my ex and I are over with, so I am free to start a new relationship or whatever I please but I am paranoid and afraid now.

I appreciate everyone who takes their time out here in MedHelp for so many of you have been so helpful and I want to thank you nursegirl for explaining, for being there and leaving a lengthly response to my fears and anxiety.

[nursegirl6572]

You have to look at this rationally.  First of all, the chances that your partner had HIV are virtually ZERO...especially since you saw his test results.  That would only leave a very limited window period that he might have been in...vanishingly low.  People newly infected actually test POS very rapidly.  Also, the truth of the matter is...the very VAST majority of newly Dxed HIV cases remain in very high risk populations...homosexual/bisexual men (men sleeping with men)...and IV drug users.  While HIV happens in the heterosexual community...looking at the numbers, it is still rare.

Now....you are at a point where your test result would be VERY reassuring.  MOST newly infected people test POS within 6-8 weeks of exposure.  It is VERY uncommon for someone to take longer than that.  Rare in fact.  A test now will give you great peace of mind, and another at 3 months post the exposure will give you a conclusive result.

When you get your results...believe them...and from now on...insist upon a condom each and EVERY time you have vaginal or anal sex.  Unless, of course you are in a monogamous relationship where both you and your partner have tested together.

Be sure to also have standard STD testing done as well, just to rule out the more common (and mush easier transmitted) STD's (ie herpes, etc).

Your "symptoms" mean nothing...they never do.  A large portion of newly infected people never have even ONE symptom...and during a study where people went to the ER suspicious of "HIV symptoms", over 99, almost 100% tested neg...their symptoms were due to something different.

ARS due to HIV will leave you down and out for several days to a week or more...very high fevers (over 101), DRENCHING night sweats (not to be confused with normal sweating)...I've seen night sweats...you can't miss it...sheets completed soaked thru, and lymph node swelling ALL over, not just localized to one region.  The symptoms come at a certain time after exposure, all at once...and then they go away.  Nothing you've suggested even HINTS at ARS (Acute Retroviral Syndrome), or HIV symptoms.

You are in the clear...trust me.  Now, definitely get tested...and put this behind you once and for all.

[cutipup100]

Nursegirl would you mind helping me out? I would really appreciate it.

[cutipup100]

Oh no don't get me wrong you seem very nice too I have just seen a lot of nursegirls posts on here thats all and thank you for responding it means a lot to me

...I did test in the end of june and my last encounter was the beginning of june. which means it was only like 3 weeks which came back negative. the exposure before that was may 14th with the same person. which would have been like 6 weeks since the 1st exposure and 3 weeks since the last one. since then I have not tested. He tested in the beginning of June before our last encounter which came back negative (I went with him and saw the results at plannedparenthood, with a peice of paper circled NEGATIVE) and he has said he tested recently and I know he was only with 1 girl recently and he said they used a condom each time. I don't know weather to believe him or not. and we did have a serious talk about it together a few times on the phone and face to face. but I am really really freaking out. besides him I have not had unprotected vaginal sex with anyone recently. and on the HIV forum they say unprotected oral is no risk. I am honestly going nuts. How do I cope? any advice?  

[RubyWitch]

Sorry if I'm not as "nice" as nursegirl, but if you had unprotected vaginal sex and are now presenting with this host of symptoms, I would waste no time in getting tested. I am NOT saying you have HIV, but you engaged in one of the three most likely routes to become infected.
I agree with your doctor(s) that you have anxiety issues, and in my humble opinion, I think you have a good reason to feel anxious. I find it incredible that none of these doctors you've seen have suggested you get tested. If for no other reason than to calm your fears.
I'm sure nursegirl will respond and I hope she can blow holes in the advice I've handed you.
Peace
Greenlydia