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Terrified!!

Dear All,

I had 2 exposures around 80 days ago. 1 was protected insertive oral with a CSW, 1 was unprotected insertive oral 4 days later with a different CSW. Both took place in high risk Asian countries with AIDS epidemics. What disturbs me more is the first exposure - although the oral was protected, I put my fingers in her vagina for around ten seconds, rubbed my fingers on her breasts, and stupidly later licked her breasts (so I likely inadvertently ingested her vaginal fluid). She also playfully bit my nipple , although as far as I am aware my skin did not break.


Since then, I have had several alarming symptoms, my health has deteriorated and I have a huge amount of anxiety.


symptoms from day 7-30 past exposure:
- Persistent fever, headaches, night sweats
· cervical lymphadenopathy
· swollen tonsils
· white exudate on tonsils
· swollen/puffy eyelids (periorbital edema)
· palatal petechiae
· weight loss — 5kg

symptoms from day 30- current
· chronic diarrhea — loose stools with total and quick bowel evacuation 1-2 times/day. Rumbling/gas
· no more weight loss — but have not been able to gain weight, probably due to the above.
· oral thrush & thick white coated tongue
· Dry flaky skin in facial T-zone (sebhorreic dermatitis?)
· palatal petechiae still there
· dry mouth — particularly in morning on waking. Inability to summon saliva
· peripheral neuropathy hands & feet every night - has caused me to wake up several times during the night
· cold feet
· fatigue / insomnia / anxiety
· blood tests showed low iron

Positive Tests
EBV IgM — - positive (came back around day 20)
EBV IgG - - positive (came back around day 30)
This would explain the first batch of symptoms - but not the second, because they dont seem to be related to EBV (i.e. mono/glandular fever).

Negative tests —
1 week post — HIV fingerprick rapid
3 weeks post — hiv duo ab/ag
5 weeks post — hiv duo ab/ag
8.5 weeks post — hiv duo ab/ag
10 weeks — HIV fingerprick rapid


At several points in the last 2 months, I have been sure I have contracted HIV.
The tests above , particularly the later ones, reassured me for a couple of days - but then new symptoms would arise and I would enter the cycle of depression/anxiety once again. I am desperately worried I am infected, and may pass it on to my beloved partner.


Please help.
- Do i need to test for HIV again at 12 weeks? Or my DUO results reliable?
- Given the HIV associated symptoms, should i request a different type of HIV test (eg PCR RNA?)
- is it possible that my EBV infection could have stunted the development of HIV antigen/antibodies, hence my negative HIV test results so far?
20 Responses
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3147776 tn?1549545810
This is an HIV-specific forum.  Since neither of you has HIV, please continue to converse about other possibilities using our private message feature.  Thank you.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Foxy, what exactly was your exposure and where?
Maybe we can help each other figure out what is causing our symptoms..
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Wantonjoe,

Every said you were negative.

Dry mouth means nothing. It was stress.

Dr Handsfield on the expert forum has always said, it is impossible for anyone who test's negative on Duo post 8 week's to test positive after.

Nobody is going to prove him wrong.

Foxyfox, you are not helping.

Please start your own thread if you are concerned.

Wantonjoe, be happy and thanks for posting results.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
We had same risk i also had same syptomns as you i still get night sweat my risk was .6 months 1/2 ago i had 7 tests all negative latest test was 6 months and 1 week still worried
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi guys,
Just tested negative again at 89 days (3 months) with a rapid.
Should i test again tomorrow to be totally sure?
:-) just kidding... I am going to put this behind me now and move on.
Thanks for your support all.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
We can't help you anymore here.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
To those of you with clinical HIV experience, eg. nursegirl, please could you help me to know -
1. things like sebhorreic dermatitis, normally how quickly does this appear in HIV positive patients post infection?
2. what about xerostomia (chronic dry mouth)?
3.  what are your experiences of late seroconversion?

for peace of mind i am going to get tested again tomorrow, it will be 90 days...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
If you have had a negative 4th Gen test at 80 day's; there is no way any responsible person on this forum is going to say your anything but negative.
4th Gen test is conclusive at 4 week's.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Your multiple test prove that you are indeed negative. The DUO test is conclusive after 4 weeks (28 days). You're just anxiety filled, which I completely understand.  Very recently I was in your shoes.  You just want to believe it's positive, and cannot accept a negative test. You gotta do it.  You're HIV negative.  Make sure you keep it that way, my friend,
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You have been answered abotu HIV.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Vance, respectfully, with the very real health issues Im experiencing post exposure, its not possible to simply 'move on'.

I am simply physically not the same person I used to be - and there are various markers to indicate this (CBC, weight, etc).

Would any other experts besides Vance care to share their insight?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
MOVE ON
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just to update.. i had a 11.5 week (80 days) DUO test , and it was negative.
6 tests all negative within 80 days. However, I am still physically in poor health and cant shake the feeling that something is deeply wrong.

· chronic diarrhea persists
· unable to gain weight which was lost in the past 2 months
· dry mouth and hairy white coated tongue
· Dry, flaky skin in facial T-zone (i think this is sebhorreic dermatitis)
· palatal petechiae still there
· peripheral neuropathy hands & feet
- general malaise .
- last blood count (Taken 1 month ago) indicated higher lymphocytes than  neutrophiles (though this could be explained by the EBV mono)

does anyone have any ideas?
> can this be post-viral lingering EBV symptoms?
> can this be late seroconversion HIV? all over the internet there are both anecdotal reports and document case reports of late seroconverters, HIV seronegative infections, etc - so  for sure it can and has happened. Hence, replies such as "no risk and cannot be HIV, duo test negative is conclusive at 4 weeks" is not reassuring.

really appreciate any of your thoughts.
there must be a way forward other than continual testing.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Think that has been answered.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
so can i put this behind me and resume normal relations with my partner?
(while of course pursuing my investigation of what is causing my health problems)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
No.
1. Because of saliva
2. Because that does not get back to the blood stream
3. Minimal amount of fluids are not a risk
4. Other mouth bacteria
5. Too small of wounds
etc...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks again for coming back so quick .
The thing I am worried about is that I brushed my teeth probably 10 minutes prior to the episode.  My gums always have minor bleeding when I brush, so I would have had small but fresh wounds in the mouth.
Does this provide a route of transmission?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
No. Oral sex is not a risk. Saliva has properties that inhibit the virus from infecting someone. What it does is it breaks down the virus thus making it unable to take hold and infect someone.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Vance,
Thanks for your quick response - please can you elaborate?
As she was a CSW in a high-risk country, there is a high chance she had HIV, and if I ingested her vaginal fluids would this not be a risk? Particularly if she had a high viral load?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You had no HIV risk.
Helpful - 0
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