worried and anxious

[gauthi]

Dear Dr

October 2008 I visited India and went to a reputed hospital in the city and got an endoscopy and a colonoscopy done on the same day. One day after the procedure I acquired high temperature with muscle, joint pains and sore throat.   I could not feel the sore throat but the doctor who examined me told me that I have a sore throat. After 4-5 days I developed a coated tounge, pink rash on my right cheek which had an area of a quarter coin and the other rash was on the back of my right shoulder and was bright red in color and stretched the length of a dollar bill.   The fever lasted for 7-8 days with extreme weakness but no lymphoadenopathy .  All the symptoms resembled ARS symptoms.I have also had pain in my eyes after the illness was gone.I was very worried and approached the gastroenterologist and he ruled out any possibility of HIV infection and told me that they clean the equipment thoroughly.  The other doctors whom I have seen during the illness also ruled out HIV infection by the procedure, suggested that it could be Dengue . But I was not satisfied and got a DNA test for HIV1 and 2 done after 6 weeks and both came back negative. Two months after this incidence I started having tickling sensation and numbness in my foot. I also experience pain in lymph nodes and this pain is still persistent. I again approached a doctor who insisted that this could not be HIV, on insistence he recommended a HIV test. This was done  2 1/2 months after the procedure. It was Elecysis combi test by a kit made by Roche. The results were negative giving a reading of 0.2.   Now that I am back in US, and the pain in my lymph nodes still exist, should I again get a HIV test done. Since the city where I got my procedure done has a very high incidence of HIV 1 and 2 and other rare forms?  What kind of HIV test should I get done here in order to rule out infection from other rare forms also? Can you suggest me which doctor I should be seeing for the pain in my lymph nodes?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Re-read my answer.  this is not HIV.  EWH

[gauthi]

Dear Dr Hook

They were seeing so many patients in a day that I was really worried. Secondly I do not have swollen lymph glands but I just have pain in my lymph glands and it comes and goes on a daily basis .

[Edward W Hook, MD]

There is no basis for you to be concerned at all about HIV transmitted during your procedures.  For starters, the fact that your symptoms began the day after your procedures is not compatible with the ARS which begins no sooner than a week and more typically 2 weeks following exposure to the virus.  The rapid onset of illness is far more compatible with some other food-borne or other environmentally acquired illness, not HIV.

In addition, you have been tested and re-tested for HIV with negative tests using multiple technologies.  the tests are good and reliable. There is no reason whatsoever for you to even consider the possibility of HIV.  

Instead, there are many other illnesses which can cause lymph node swelling.  Swollen lymph nodes are a non-specific response to any number of stimuli including infections due to bacteria and viruses, allergic reactions and autoimmune disease.  Of all persons with swollen lymph nodes only a tiny proportion of them have HIV.  If you are concerned about swollen lymph nodes, the proper place to get evaluated is with a good internal medicine physician.

My advice.  you do not need further HIV testing.  Forget about HIV and move forward.  I hope this helps you to do so.  EWH