Aa
Scared to Death
Ill be brief. I have had one sexual encounter since my last HIV test. It was unprotected vaginal for 20 min with a 20 yr old femaile of unknown status. I am 35, from missouri..no drug use or sex with men ever.
This was in Oct. 2010. Vaginal only. Here is a list of symptoms
3 weeks after i developed a rash under my armpit that lasted around 3 weeks. They were perfect circles, around 30 or so about the size of a quarter each. After 2 weeks I applied some OTC antifungal cream and they cleared up on there own.
Around 8 weeks after I developed a severe stomach issue that lasted 2 weeks.
At 9 weeks I was diagnosed with shingles which cleared up on their own after a few weeks. ER doc diagnosed the shingles. Here are my questions
1- Does the rash sound like ARS? It lasted well over 3 weeks with no fever or other symptoms.
2 - Would HIV cause the stomach issue at 8 weeks?
3 - Would HIV cause shingles just 9 to 10 weeks after exposure?
Here is where I worried. The doc did blood work in the ER and he said it was ok, but when I looked at it my normal protein range was 4.5 to 8.5 and mine was readng 8.5.
I looked on the internet to see what causes high protein and of course HIV was number one cause. When it does cause high protein due to HIV would it be like way outside the normal range?
Just some fyi...The girl was around 20. white and a college student. The shingles and the protein have me losing my mind. I have continued sex unprotected with my wife and just hope she is safe. Please tell me I am worrying over nothing.
This was in Oct. 2010. Vaginal only. Here is a list of symptoms
3 weeks after i developed a rash under my armpit that lasted around 3 weeks. They were perfect circles, around 30 or so about the size of a quarter each. After 2 weeks I applied some OTC antifungal cream and they cleared up on there own.
Around 8 weeks after I developed a severe stomach issue that lasted 2 weeks.
At 9 weeks I was diagnosed with shingles which cleared up on their own after a few weeks. ER doc diagnosed the shingles. Here are my questions
1- Does the rash sound like ARS? It lasted well over 3 weeks with no fever or other symptoms.
2 - Would HIV cause the stomach issue at 8 weeks?
3 - Would HIV cause shingles just 9 to 10 weeks after exposure?
Here is where I worried. The doc did blood work in the ER and he said it was ok, but when I looked at it my normal protein range was 4.5 to 8.5 and mine was readng 8.5.
I looked on the internet to see what causes high protein and of course HIV was number one cause. When it does cause high protein due to HIV would it be like way outside the normal range?
Just some fyi...The girl was around 20. white and a college student. The shingles and the protein have me losing my mind. I have continued sex unprotected with my wife and just hope she is safe. Please tell me I am worrying over nothing.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the Forum. I hope that my comments will help to reduce your concerns. let's start with your risk. The likelihood that your partner has HIV as a 20 YO heterosexual college student is less than 1 in 10,000 unless she uses IV drugs. Then, in the unlikely circumstance that she had HIV, the risk of getting HIV from a single unprotected episode of vaginal sex is less than 1 in 1000. Thus, putting just these two numbers together, you mathematical risk of infection is less than 1 in 10 million or, more than 100 times the likelihood that you will be struck by lightning.
Symptoms remain a terrible way to evaluate HIV risk. The symptoms of the ARS are TOTALLY non-specific and when people experience "ARS symptoms" they are much more likely to have something else, usually some other, more typical virus infection. When this has been studied in the US, less than 1% of persons seeking medical care for "ARS symptoms" are found to have HIV, the remainder having symptoms due to other processes. In contrast, over a given year, there is almost no one who has not had a viral illness, night sweats or both (sometimes on multiple occasions). In your case, your symptoms are not suggestive of the ARS. The rash is not a "typical" ARS rash and your symptoms have occurred weeks after the symptoms of HIV occur. The same goes for your stomach issues.
Persons with HIV get more shingles than the general population but most people who get shingles do not have HIV. Same goes for a high protein.
My advice, get an HIV test. AT 8 weeks the blood test results from a standard HIV antibody test are definitive. Your test will be negative allowing you to stop this needless worry.
I hope these comments are helpful to you. EWH
Symptoms remain a terrible way to evaluate HIV risk. The symptoms of the ARS are TOTALLY non-specific and when people experience "ARS symptoms" they are much more likely to have something else, usually some other, more typical virus infection. When this has been studied in the US, less than 1% of persons seeking medical care for "ARS symptoms" are found to have HIV, the remainder having symptoms due to other processes. In contrast, over a given year, there is almost no one who has not had a viral illness, night sweats or both (sometimes on multiple occasions). In your case, your symptoms are not suggestive of the ARS. The rash is not a "typical" ARS rash and your symptoms have occurred weeks after the symptoms of HIV occur. The same goes for your stomach issues.
Persons with HIV get more shingles than the general population but most people who get shingles do not have HIV. Same goes for a high protein.
My advice, get an HIV test. AT 8 weeks the blood test results from a standard HIV antibody test are definitive. Your test will be negative allowing you to stop this needless worry.
I hope these comments are helpful to you. EWH
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
No, as I said these do not suggest HIV. they are non-specific and could have MANY causes.
Your focus on your protein concentration is not going to be rewarding. Just as a high protein is non-specific, persons with HIV have a broad range of serum proteins. If you want proof that you don't have HIV, get tested, after committing to believing the test results (which will be negative). EWH
Your focus on your protein concentration is not going to be rewarding. Just as a high protein is non-specific, persons with HIV have a broad range of serum proteins. If you want proof that you don't have HIV, get tested, after committing to believing the test results (which will be negative). EWH
So the high protein and shingles would not worry you at all?
One more thing...as I stated my protein was 8.5 and my normal range is 6.5 to 8.5 so it is on the high side of normal. Am I right to use a little comman sense and assume that if protein were high due to HIV that it would be quite a bit outside the normal range instead of within?
I know I am probably a pain, but I am more concerned with my wife than myself as I have continued unprotected sex with her.
One more thing...as I stated my protein was 8.5 and my normal range is 6.5 to 8.5 so it is on the high side of normal. Am I right to use a little comman sense and assume that if protein were high due to HIV that it would be quite a bit outside the normal range instead of within?
I know I am probably a pain, but I am more concerned with my wife than myself as I have continued unprotected sex with her.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The internet is not always your friend. While it can be a great thing, it also can be quite anxiety provoking.. EWH
Thx for the quick response. I swear if you search online for things associated with HIV you are more apt to have a nervous breakdown than catch the virus.
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