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Positive test, negative western blot...

I know I'm going to get shot down here, but these kind of situations aren't easy. I've been searching everywhere for answers or clues and everything comes back confusing. I had a HIV combo test and the hospital I went to used this new Centaur chemiluminescence test which I have read is super accurate. It came back positive with an index of 2.69. However, the Western Blot came back negative, and they ran a separate test for p24 on a different machine and that came back negative. Up until now, I have only had rapid tests, all negative, crazily at 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 weeks and at 4 months and 6 months, all of varying brands. I had only had one elisa at 8 weeks which was also negative. I have had a chronic cough, on and off sore throat, and I have seen an ENT twice who told me I have geographic tongue and tested negative for candida. I know this is going to sound absurd, but by these forums and other forums standards, I basically didn't have a risk, so I have no idea how this could turn out this way. Even more disheartening was this pdf I found:
http://www.hivtestingconference.org/PDF/HIV_Conference_Program.pdf
They basically are using the exact same two machines that tested me, and they claim the Western Blot shouldn't be trusted. So in the past six months, from the start, I deep kissed a sex worker who I recall also lightly bit my lip, which started it all, then had two nasal endoscopies to check my throat(possible source of transmission?), and one of the HIV tests at one of the clinics was a bit dodgy. I badly want this situation to be impossible and for this to be a false positive, I just don't know whether the latest HIV testing device that is super precise is to be trusted over the western blot test. I am so confused and worried... I have my retest in the middle of next week, two weeks after this test, that will decide everything... :(

Has anyone else been in this situation?
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186166 tn?1385259382
you dont have hiv ! ! !
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Figure I'll follow up this thread with my retest. No doubt there will be others in the same situation as me with the same doubts and questions in the future. Not that this will help much, although I feel more confident that I am HIV negative now than I did a few days ago. I got my retest back and it was essentially the same results. The number this time was different, 1.72, rather than 2.69. My doctor said I could retest in two months if I want, but she thinks the results will be just the same again. She said I'm HIV negative and to just forget about this, that is, unless I had another exposure within the last 6 weeks(which I did not). One person told me on another forum that this is probably because it's CMIA and not Elisa, which is why it's reacting differently(since I had that long string of negatives on Elisa). The Western Blot this second time was also fully negative, along with another negative p24. I'm sure if I had something that repeat Western Blot would have picked it up, even if it was something faint, and even then the p24 would have showed something, even something small, if I was seroconverting(?). Anyhow, I'll try not to speculate anymore. This whole testing BS out to 7 months cost me a fortune and drove me to the brink of insanity with these random outcomes and varying opinions. I'm reading to quite everything and take up being a monk on a mountain and forgo my worldly possessions now. I need some peace.
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Avatar universal
Thanks, I know you're right. It's just that two CMIA's came back positive, then a separate p24 came back negative and the western blot came back negative. So that just leaves me confused. If it was done and final, I would think the doctor would have just told me so and sent me on my way, but she insisted I return for a retest this week. It just doesn't sit well with me, I've always hated surprises, and I especially hate when the surprises revolve around my health. Anyway, sorry to be a bother, I hope after the retest results I can stop this and get on with my life.
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
You didn't have a risk.  Would you recommend a pregnancy test to a woman who has never had sex?  It's the same kind of principle.  It doesn't matter WHAT your next results are...you don't have HIV.  You are chasing your tail.

Seriously, you would be better off spending your time seeking out some therapy to help you deal with this irrational fear you have.  I'm not saying that to be mean...I'm VERY familiar with how anxiety can affect a person...there is help out there!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I know, it is unneeded stress, and a massive waste of my time, but I wanted to follow the (old) guidelines and get that last test, and a good one at a lab since all the prior tests were rapid tests. Sadly it had to be this one that came back positive. If the next one comes back negative then I'm done for good, a changed man. If it comes back positive with another negative western blot, then I just don't know what to do from there.
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
This is a perfect example of why over testing is a BAD idea...tempt the odds, eventually you will have a false positive test, as you did.  If you were HIV POS, you would have had more than one positive test, and yes, the Western Blot is confirmatory.

The index values are something you need not concern yourself with, and no, it is not something new.

As to why your doc would order more testing?  No idea.  My advice is to trust the WB results and move on,  you don't have HIV.  If you can't do that, then seek out another doctor who is more knowledgeable about HIV and testing guidelines.

You never had a risk to begin with, so, sadly, this was all a HUGE waste of time, money and unneeded stress.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Teak, what I'm trying to understand, is whether this is ALWAYS the case. Whether the Western Blot ALWAYS surpasses the antibody test. Everywhere I've read about further testing with PCR or repeat testing. Not to mention, from all that I have read, this index number is an entirely new thing which I have never seen before. I am assuming it is something given only when receiving a positive, but what does it mean? Not to mention, how can I be conclusively negative when my doctor is ordering me back for a retest? That doesn't sound conclusive to me.
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Avatar universal
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Avatar universal
They took two blood samples from me at the time. From what I know, the positive came from the Advia Centaur XP Siemens Chimiluminescence Ag/Ab Combo. They used the Vidas HIV P24 II which came back negative for P24, and for they used the New Lav Blot I and II for the western blot for hiv 1 and 2 which came back negative.

Even then, when the Western Blot is negative, my doctor and the lab are still suspicious and want to retest. If it was final and done with, they wouldn't ask me to come back and retest. That's where my concern is.
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Avatar universal
Your WB test surpasses your antibody test. You are HIV negative.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
In my opinion the only mistake is that your doctor did not made new test from the same blood sample with the DUO test from another manufacturer. I'm sure it would be a negative. This sometimes happen with the Duo test (consistently throws positive results on one person) but again these people and cases are very rare. Changing the manufacturer by my knowledge should solve the problem.
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Avatar universal
Your western blot is negative and thats it.A viral load test is used to monitor people who are hiv positive and see if and when they require medication,its not a diagnostic test.
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Avatar universal
I'm trying me best to relax. I have read about the western blot sometimes being false positive since it can cross react with other things, but I haven't read anything about false negatives or how frequent they are. All I know is that if I'm still in the window period, it will be negative, that's all I know. I contacted a few of the hotlines, but got some pretty different answers. Two of them said that I should do the follow up and they expect it will be negative, one of them said I must request a viral load test immediately. This is such a mess... :(
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Dont think too much about those numbers. They are not meant to be interpreted by general population. Having said that, if your index was 4-5, that would have been more worriesome. Also, if you were strongly reactive, you WOULD have tested positive on the Westernblot test. Try not to worry about this incident. You are negative. Multiple negative tests beyond your window period have proved that. After so many negative tests, beyond window the window period, false positive is far more likely explanation. It will be over soon. Relax my friend!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
What do these index numbers mean? I read that anything below 1.0 is negative, but mine was 2.69. How high does this number get? I also read that when it's around 1.1 or 1.2 then it's probably a false positive, but mine was far over that, so is it a strong indicator or something?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am sorry to hear that your antibody test was positive. However, Westernblot test IS confirmatory test. Since its negative, you are negative. I have seen few questions like yours. In which experts always say that since westernblot is negative, the person is HIV negative. Also, you have tested negative well beyond 12 weeks. You shouldn't have even gotten another test. Every time people test beyond the window period, they run a risk of false positive. Your negative tests beyond 12 weeks prove that you didnt get HIV from the encounter you describe.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The western blot trumps any test and if it was negative then you don,t have hiv and your safe.It was used to confirm your positive combo result.
Helpful - 0
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