ARS & seroconversion

[clansman]

I'm panicking at the moment due to heavy cold/sore throat/cold sore symptoms which started at day 51 after my exposure. Also had various symptoms through week 5 and week 6. Tested negative at 6 weeks (41 days). mike_no suggested it was too late for ARS symptoms which would occur at 2-4 weeks however what I don't understand is  if symptoms occur approx 2 weeks before seroconversion and the window for a conclsuive result is 3 months why could ARS symtpoms not begin anytime up until 10 weeks?

Also, with modern tests would antibodies be detected 1 week after symptoms were showing?

Thanks everyone.

P.S. someone suggested my username was not politically correct - apologies for this. Wasn't meant to cause any offence. It was derived from my scottish heritage.

[clansman]

Thanks Teak. Still not sure I understand why they can't come on later in relation to the fact that antibody production can happen up until 13 weeks? However I'll bow to your experience on this.

So in the event that symptoms did mean something (I know you said symptoms mean nothing)I can conclusively disregard symptoms starting around 5.5 weeks? I'm particularly worried about a headache I had on day 45 followed by muscle ache under my left arm and on my left leg on days 46 and 47. At no point in the last 8 weeks have I had any fever. Just had a massive cold that started at day 51 - just getting over it now on day 56. This had me really freaked. All seems too coincidental for my liking.

[scareshitless]

this site should explain ur question.
http://www.hiv-medicine.com/textbook/acuteinf.htm

[clansman]

Standard ELISA antibody.

[clansman]

Sorry, but this doesn't really explain the question. I know that most sources say 2-4 weeks for ARS if it occurs however if seroconversion can happen until 3 months why not ARS until a few weeks before the end of the 3 months?

[clansman]

Thanks for the link - useful information about ARS but doesn't really answer the question (unless I'm too dense to understand). All the sites I look at say that ARS symptoms begin either 2-4 weeks after exposure or 2-6 weeks. Antibodies then develop to detectable levels within a further 2 weeks. So, if antibodies may take 13 weeks to be detectable as many say then surely that means the symptoms could happen up until 11 weeks?

Am I missing something?

Also, how many days after symptoms would antibodies be detected using latest modern Elisa tests?

[clansman]

Thanks for the link - useful information about ARS but doesn't really answer the question (unless I'm too dense to understand). All the sites I look at say that ARS symptoms begin either 2-4 weeks after exposure or 2-6 weeks. Antibodies then develop to detectable levels within a further 2 weeks. So, if antibodies may take 13 weeks to be detectable as many say then surely that means the symptoms could happen up until 11 weeks?

Am I missing something?

Also, how many days after symptoms would antibodies be detected using latest modern Elisa tests?

[Teak]

Symptoms, if they happen at all, happen 2-4 weeks after infection. They last one - two weeks. That's it they don't come on later than that. Symptoms or the lack of symptoms is not a way to diagnosis HIV. HIV has no specific symptoms. The only way to know your status is by testing.

[Teak]

ARS does not happen at 10 weeks, if they happen at all it will be 2-4 weeks post infections. Symptoms or the lack of symptoms is no way to find out your status. You did not say what type of test you took.