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HIV Concerns due to risk and symptoms
Hello Dr,
I have posted this in the free forums and have received good advice but I want an experts opinion as well.
In 2008 I had a risky exposure with a female CSW. I had condom protected sex, with an unprotected handjob. I am afraid the condom was of poor quality and also now remember there being no condom wrapper, which has led me to freak out about it possibly being a used condom! I know I read you say that “CSW protect themselves from us”, but what if she knows she has HIV and doesn’t care? Also was the unprotected handjob safe if juices were massaged into my urethra? The handjob came seconds after the condom came off.
I am not sure how I was exposed but I believe I have been due to certain symptoms I have started experiencing since last December. Up until then, I have only had a weird unexplained body rash that appeared last year that I would consider "weird". This rash appeared in 2008 after the incident, maybe months later and again last year in 2010. It was dry pale and scaly and appeared mostly on upper arms, torso and upper legs. It did not itch. It looked similar to pityriasis rosea.
But as of December I have had the following HIV symptoms:
Main symptoms as of December 2010:
- Loose Stools / Diarrhea: I have not been having normal bowel movements. I only go mostly once a day, in the morning but my stools are soft and mostly diarrheal. I have tried taking probiotics, that helps for a bit but I go back to the soft formless stools. My stomach also vibrates / rumbles most of the day leading me to believe my digestive system isn't working right. This is my most scary symptom since it has lasted now a long time, and I know HIV causes malabsorption and wasting. I am not losing weight really though and lately have gained weight.
- Right groin / leg / hip pain: I have had a consistent pain in this area for months. I am not sure if it is the joint or muscle or a lymph node. The pain is within the leg and hurts when I stretch it at a certain angle. I also have groin pain that throbs without movement. All confined to the right side. I read this could also be something called Avascular Necrosis? I have never had a leg pain like this before.
- GERD / Acid Reflux / Heartburn. I have taken Prilosec OTC, that works but when I stop taking it, the reflux comes back. It is slightly better now though.
- Sinus / respiratory problems: I have been battling a stuffy nose, with yellowish / greenish discharge since last month. I have a consistent tickle in the back of throat, sometimes a deep dry cough and a constant tight throat. My nose also bleeds a little when it is blown (sometimes).
- Weakness / fatigue: One day I will be ok, the next so week I just want to sleep and go home. Also nausea quite a bit. This is affecting my day to day life and work.
- White tongue: Not sure if this is thrush or not but if I don’t brush my tongue for a day this white coating forms which I can scrape off with my teeth. The gunk that comes off smells and is yellow (feels like dry paste). I am also getting sore taste buds / sore tongue that come and go all the time, never had this before.
- Mouth sores: I get canker sores and mouth sores occasionally, on my gums and inside of cheeks.
- Tight throat & a dry mouth mostly at night. Throat isn't really sore as it is having a tight feeling sometimes. Eating causes zero pain however. I also always wake up with a dry yucky mouth, maybe due to me breathing through my mouth because of my sinus troubles.
- Eye Floaters: I see small clear bubbles in daylight all the time, and black floaters. I am nearsighted but I am noticing these all the time now and lots of them. I see black flecks when I scan my eyes.
- Tingling feet, other limbs. This has gotten better, was worse a month ago but still flares up. Mostly my right foot gets tingly.
- Rash on left side of head around ear where glasses contact my head. Looks like seborrheic dermatitis or contact dermatitis. I think I may have had this before my encounter but cant remember. I have had eczema as a kid.
- Dry hands, dry knuckles, flaky hands. I have always have had this I think, I wash my hands way too much due to an OCD thing I have had since I have been a kid.
- Sweaty armpits at night: (Occasionally) Is this night sweats?
- Possibly swollen lymph nodes. I am honestly not sure where to properly look for these but I have a hard lumpy thing under my right armpit I can’t locate on my left. My groin is lumpy and can feel hard things in there when I palpitate. Same with my neck. Nothing is “visibly” swollen. Just strange things when I poke around.
- I check myself with a thermometer every day and my temperature is usually 97.5. It will fluctuate under that, 96,97 and go up to the 98‘s. I don’t believe I am having fevers. Is this a good sign?
Are these classic HIV symptoms? Would HIV start affecting me all of a sudden 2+ years after? This was my only stupid mistake I have ever made that put me in danger. (Only sexual encounter). Is it possible I have HIV with a condom protected encounter, something could have went wrong without me knowing! I just feel not right at all since December, everything I get points to HIV. Most of what I am contacting now sticks with me and doesn't go away, isn't this a sign of a poor immune symptom? Experts out there... does this sound like I have HIV? Or could all of these symptoms be due to anxiety.. is that even possible??
I appreciate you taking the time to read this and help me,
Thanks Doctor.
I have posted this in the free forums and have received good advice but I want an experts opinion as well.
In 2008 I had a risky exposure with a female CSW. I had condom protected sex, with an unprotected handjob. I am afraid the condom was of poor quality and also now remember there being no condom wrapper, which has led me to freak out about it possibly being a used condom! I know I read you say that “CSW protect themselves from us”, but what if she knows she has HIV and doesn’t care? Also was the unprotected handjob safe if juices were massaged into my urethra? The handjob came seconds after the condom came off.
I am not sure how I was exposed but I believe I have been due to certain symptoms I have started experiencing since last December. Up until then, I have only had a weird unexplained body rash that appeared last year that I would consider "weird". This rash appeared in 2008 after the incident, maybe months later and again last year in 2010. It was dry pale and scaly and appeared mostly on upper arms, torso and upper legs. It did not itch. It looked similar to pityriasis rosea.
But as of December I have had the following HIV symptoms:
Main symptoms as of December 2010:
- Loose Stools / Diarrhea: I have not been having normal bowel movements. I only go mostly once a day, in the morning but my stools are soft and mostly diarrheal. I have tried taking probiotics, that helps for a bit but I go back to the soft formless stools. My stomach also vibrates / rumbles most of the day leading me to believe my digestive system isn't working right. This is my most scary symptom since it has lasted now a long time, and I know HIV causes malabsorption and wasting. I am not losing weight really though and lately have gained weight.
- Right groin / leg / hip pain: I have had a consistent pain in this area for months. I am not sure if it is the joint or muscle or a lymph node. The pain is within the leg and hurts when I stretch it at a certain angle. I also have groin pain that throbs without movement. All confined to the right side. I read this could also be something called Avascular Necrosis? I have never had a leg pain like this before.
- GERD / Acid Reflux / Heartburn. I have taken Prilosec OTC, that works but when I stop taking it, the reflux comes back. It is slightly better now though.
- Sinus / respiratory problems: I have been battling a stuffy nose, with yellowish / greenish discharge since last month. I have a consistent tickle in the back of throat, sometimes a deep dry cough and a constant tight throat. My nose also bleeds a little when it is blown (sometimes).
- Weakness / fatigue: One day I will be ok, the next so week I just want to sleep and go home. Also nausea quite a bit. This is affecting my day to day life and work.
- White tongue: Not sure if this is thrush or not but if I don’t brush my tongue for a day this white coating forms which I can scrape off with my teeth. The gunk that comes off smells and is yellow (feels like dry paste). I am also getting sore taste buds / sore tongue that come and go all the time, never had this before.
- Mouth sores: I get canker sores and mouth sores occasionally, on my gums and inside of cheeks.
- Tight throat & a dry mouth mostly at night. Throat isn't really sore as it is having a tight feeling sometimes. Eating causes zero pain however. I also always wake up with a dry yucky mouth, maybe due to me breathing through my mouth because of my sinus troubles.
- Eye Floaters: I see small clear bubbles in daylight all the time, and black floaters. I am nearsighted but I am noticing these all the time now and lots of them. I see black flecks when I scan my eyes.
- Tingling feet, other limbs. This has gotten better, was worse a month ago but still flares up. Mostly my right foot gets tingly.
- Rash on left side of head around ear where glasses contact my head. Looks like seborrheic dermatitis or contact dermatitis. I think I may have had this before my encounter but cant remember. I have had eczema as a kid.
- Dry hands, dry knuckles, flaky hands. I have always have had this I think, I wash my hands way too much due to an OCD thing I have had since I have been a kid.
- Sweaty armpits at night: (Occasionally) Is this night sweats?
- Possibly swollen lymph nodes. I am honestly not sure where to properly look for these but I have a hard lumpy thing under my right armpit I can’t locate on my left. My groin is lumpy and can feel hard things in there when I palpitate. Same with my neck. Nothing is “visibly” swollen. Just strange things when I poke around.
- I check myself with a thermometer every day and my temperature is usually 97.5. It will fluctuate under that, 96,97 and go up to the 98‘s. I don’t believe I am having fevers. Is this a good sign?
Are these classic HIV symptoms? Would HIV start affecting me all of a sudden 2+ years after? This was my only stupid mistake I have ever made that put me in danger. (Only sexual encounter). Is it possible I have HIV with a condom protected encounter, something could have went wrong without me knowing! I just feel not right at all since December, everything I get points to HIV. Most of what I am contacting now sticks with me and doesn't go away, isn't this a sign of a poor immune symptom? Experts out there... does this sound like I have HIV? Or could all of these symptoms be due to anxiety.. is that even possible??
I appreciate you taking the time to read this and help me,
Thanks Doctor.
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