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Tested Negative 6 weeks yet symptoms
Dear Drs.
I had an unprotected oral and protected vaginal exposure on 23rd February with a CSW in the middle East. I had a whole gamut of symptoms from then till the sixth week mark, when I tested in Mumbai, India. Antibody-negative, Duo test - negative, PCR - negative. I conducted the test at a hospital for HIV/AIDS patients. The Dr. there assured me I am ok and dont need further testing.
I was really assured but since the 7th week onwards till now I have a peculiar headache which hurts when I shake my head up/down apart from it feeling heavy. For the past week (been 5 days now) I have also experienced intermittent low grade fevers during the day (fever would come then break in an almost 6-8 hr cycle). The highest my temperature would reach is 99.5F. My back would become extremely hot and achy if I lie on it an I generally need to turn sides. Sometimes cold sweats during the day but no night sweats. I would feel my body having localized hot and cold regions. My back would be really warm, but my hands not. No sore throat. No rash. There would be generalized aches and pains in my armpits, neck, jaw giving me the impression that my lymph nodes are getting enlarged there, but I am really not sure if they are. I have no cough. Probably a slightly congested nose but not serious.
All my thoughts went back to whether my blood draw was done correctly at the hospital. I called up the Dr. and he told me not to worry. The testing equipment was a syringe and needle (not vacutainer). So I am really anxious whether they were reused or used after improper disinfection or probably not cleaned at all. If probably the needle had been re-used would my tests been positive? Are my symptoms suggestive of acute infection? Should I retest at the 12 week mark? The blood drawing procedure really has me worried, do you feel I should look that much into it and test to rule out that possibility?
Thanks
I had an unprotected oral and protected vaginal exposure on 23rd February with a CSW in the middle East. I had a whole gamut of symptoms from then till the sixth week mark, when I tested in Mumbai, India. Antibody-negative, Duo test - negative, PCR - negative. I conducted the test at a hospital for HIV/AIDS patients. The Dr. there assured me I am ok and dont need further testing.
I was really assured but since the 7th week onwards till now I have a peculiar headache which hurts when I shake my head up/down apart from it feeling heavy. For the past week (been 5 days now) I have also experienced intermittent low grade fevers during the day (fever would come then break in an almost 6-8 hr cycle). The highest my temperature would reach is 99.5F. My back would become extremely hot and achy if I lie on it an I generally need to turn sides. Sometimes cold sweats during the day but no night sweats. I would feel my body having localized hot and cold regions. My back would be really warm, but my hands not. No sore throat. No rash. There would be generalized aches and pains in my armpits, neck, jaw giving me the impression that my lymph nodes are getting enlarged there, but I am really not sure if they are. I have no cough. Probably a slightly congested nose but not serious.
All my thoughts went back to whether my blood draw was done correctly at the hospital. I called up the Dr. and he told me not to worry. The testing equipment was a syringe and needle (not vacutainer). So I am really anxious whether they were reused or used after improper disinfection or probably not cleaned at all. If probably the needle had been re-used would my tests been positive? Are my symptoms suggestive of acute infection? Should I retest at the 12 week mark? The blood drawing procedure really has me worried, do you feel I should look that much into it and test to rule out that possibility?
Thanks
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I have nothing more to say except to suggest you re-read my replies above. They accurately answer these additional questions. If this continues "taking a toll on" your relationship, you might consider professional mental health counseling. It is not normal to remain so concerned in the face of such overwhelming scientific evidence and repeated, reasoned reassurance -- undoubtedly from your doctor as well as from me. In the meantime, you should be continuing sex with your partner without worry about HIV.
Thank you very much for the assurance doctor, it has been very relieving. I would be really very grateful if you could please help me with the symptoms I am experiencing for the past week. I realize it could just be a common viral illness but please let me know if it sounds anything like ARS. I really cant think of continuing unprotected sex with my girlfriend with these symptoms in fear of infecting her.
23 rd April, intermittent fever (max 99.2F) during the entire day, backache (during the fever only), cold sweats when the fever breaks.
29 th April, sore throat, nasal congestion, green phelgm production. Went to a doctor, he said it may be a viral illness and prescribed antibiotics for the phlegm. He said the initial intermittent fever was perhaps the prodrome of the illness. I have had lymph node enlargement in my armpits and neck, probably in the groin too but am not sure.
5 th May, sore throat has considerably reduced but not totally gone. I now have a cough. Experiencing some mild aches through the body and a slightly painful and stiff neck. The intermittent fevers and backaches have considerably gone down but not totally.
No rash as such. I am really anxious about these symptoms, is this just some common viral illness or does it sound like ARS. The sore throat responded to antibiotics and normal gargling and steam inhalation. Does the sore throat of ARS remain constant or does it respond to treatments.
I am really sorry to be taking up your time with my continual questioning. This is taking a toll on my relationship with my girlfriend and I really don't want to infect her.
23 rd April, intermittent fever (max 99.2F) during the entire day, backache (during the fever only), cold sweats when the fever breaks.
29 th April, sore throat, nasal congestion, green phelgm production. Went to a doctor, he said it may be a viral illness and prescribed antibiotics for the phlegm. He said the initial intermittent fever was perhaps the prodrome of the illness. I have had lymph node enlargement in my armpits and neck, probably in the groin too but am not sure.
5 th May, sore throat has considerably reduced but not totally gone. I now have a cough. Experiencing some mild aches through the body and a slightly painful and stiff neck. The intermittent fevers and backaches have considerably gone down but not totally.
No rash as such. I am really anxious about these symptoms, is this just some common viral illness or does it sound like ARS. The sore throat responded to antibiotics and normal gargling and steam inhalation. Does the sore throat of ARS remain constant or does it respond to treatments.
I am really sorry to be taking up your time with my continual questioning. This is taking a toll on my relationship with my girlfriend and I really don't want to infect her.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I'm not sure I follow. Is your premise that the needle was contaminated with HIV infected blood? And that if so, your blood test would be positive because of that contamination? That's a very far out scenario and I see no rationale to speculate about it. Your test was negative. What's the point in worrying about how you would have interepeted a positive result?
Six weeks is much too late for onset of ARS symptoms. The timing confirms that something else is the cause. And if you're hypothesizing that you might have caught HIV from a re-used needle, forget it. That hasn't happened anywhere, including developing countries, for 20+ years. (And from a medical sophistication standpoint, India is an industrialized/developed country).
Do your best to accept the scientific evidence, common sense, and the reasoned reassurance you have had both from me and your own doctors. If you have a regular sex partner, resume or continue unprotected sex. HIV is not a realistic issue for you.
That will end this thread. Good luck.
Six weeks is much too late for onset of ARS symptoms. The timing confirms that something else is the cause. And if you're hypothesizing that you might have caught HIV from a re-used needle, forget it. That hasn't happened anywhere, including developing countries, for 20+ years. (And from a medical sophistication standpoint, India is an industrialized/developed country).
Do your best to accept the scientific evidence, common sense, and the reasoned reassurance you have had both from me and your own doctors. If you have a regular sex partner, resume or continue unprotected sex. HIV is not a realistic issue for you.
That will end this thread. Good luck.
Thank you doctor for your response,
I just wanted to clarify one part of your response. When you say a re used needle wouldn't affect the reliability of my blood test, do you mean that had a re-used needle been used the test would definitely have picked it up and been positive?
Also all the symptoms that I have mentioned have begun after my 6th week test. That's the prime reason I am worried.
Thanks
I just wanted to clarify one part of your response. When you say a re used needle wouldn't affect the reliability of my blood test, do you mean that had a re-used needle been used the test would definitely have picked it up and been positive?
Also all the symptoms that I have mentioned have begun after my 6th week test. That's the prime reason I am worried.
Thanks
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum and thanks for your question. It's one of those that can be answered accurately based on the question title alone, before reading anything else. One of the most consistent themes on this forum -- one that is restated at least twice very day, if you scan any few threads at random -- is that symptoms are an exceedingly unreliable measure of possible HIV infection, and test results highly reliable. Therefore, test results always overrule symptoms. If you have had a negative HIV test 6 weeks after your last possible exposure, that result proves your symptoms are not due to HIV. It doesn't matter what those symptoms are, i.e. no matter how typical for a new HIV infection.
All that is before I even read your question. Now I have done so. Guess what? There is nothing in either your symptoms or your possible exposures that changes anything. You had a virtually zero risk sexual exposure, since oral sex virtually never transmits HIV and the vaginal sex was condom protected. Your symptoms don't sound especially typical for HIV anyway, and they are consistent with innumerable other medical conditions, mostly minor. And you have been reassured by your doctors.
Your concern about the blood drawing procedures is unwarranted. I'm sure nobody is reusing blood drawing equipment -- and if they did, that's a risk for catching HIV, and of course would have no effect on the reliability of the blood test.
As for testing again at 12 weeks, from a medical standpoint there is no need to do so. However, testing at 3 months remains official advice, and obviously you're still very anxious -- so perhaps another negative test would further reassure you. In other words, it's up to you. Below is the link to a thread that explains why official advice usually indicates 3 month testing despite 100% reliability at earlier intervals:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/HIV-Prevention/what-is-the-window-period-for-hiv/show/1704700
Best regards-- HHH, MD
All that is before I even read your question. Now I have done so. Guess what? There is nothing in either your symptoms or your possible exposures that changes anything. You had a virtually zero risk sexual exposure, since oral sex virtually never transmits HIV and the vaginal sex was condom protected. Your symptoms don't sound especially typical for HIV anyway, and they are consistent with innumerable other medical conditions, mostly minor. And you have been reassured by your doctors.
Your concern about the blood drawing procedures is unwarranted. I'm sure nobody is reusing blood drawing equipment -- and if they did, that's a risk for catching HIV, and of course would have no effect on the reliability of the blood test.
As for testing again at 12 weeks, from a medical standpoint there is no need to do so. However, testing at 3 months remains official advice, and obviously you're still very anxious -- so perhaps another negative test would further reassure you. In other words, it's up to you. Below is the link to a thread that explains why official advice usually indicates 3 month testing despite 100% reliability at earlier intervals:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/HIV-Prevention/what-is-the-window-period-for-hiv/show/1704700
Best regards-- HHH, MD
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