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symptoms after high risk exposure

i'm wondering if anyone has any insight into my situation.
here's the story:
i had unprotected sex 3 times with a guy who i later found out is in the high risk category for HIV (former meth addict and bisexual)
he never ejaculated to my knowledge
two weeks after our last encounter i got the flu - nauseau, diarhea, loss of appetite, mild fever
this went away after a few days
two weeks after that i feel these symptoms come back, this time with sore throat
i put two and two together and go to my doctor, explaining my situation
she thinks i just have a regular virus but refers me for an hiv test at my request
so i get the test at 6 weeks after possible exposure
test is negative for HIV
sore throat continues to persist for two weeks
i go to a walk in clinic who diagnoses me with strep without doing the test
i go on antibiotics which do not help
sore throat still present now approaching one month, occasional diarhea,body aches,  very noisy gurgling stomach, gas, i have lost about 10-15lbs, (although I had been dieting and working out prior to getting sick, i am also a vegetarian, but was extremely healthy before all of this)
I go back to family doc terrified that i have HIV
she gets me another test which is again negative after the 2 month mark
i am diagnosed with thrush which has not gone away after over a week of treatment
still have sore throat
now accompanied by itchy skin, dandruff and itchy scalp, strange red lesion on my foot, skin breaking out on face, chest and back, petechia on stomach, foggy consciousness occasionally, strange body aches
i go to a clinic and doc tells me he has no idea what is wrong with me based on the above symptoms, asks if i have history of blood disease or diabetes in my family, which i do not, orders a bunch more blood tests.
are all of these symptoms indicative of HIV? or can I rely on the negative test at 2 months?

15 Responses
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755829 tn?1246919225
Good news
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Avatar universal
Nice one - be safe!
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YEA!  Now you can move on with living your life and be happy that you are NEGATIVE! :)
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NEGATIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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i went for another test today.  this is the 3.5 month mark.  i should know in 10 days or so.
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Avatar universal
all my blood tests came back normal.  white blood cell counts normal, and whatever else he tested me for. i think they were the standard set of blood cell count tests.  would those be abnormal if I had HIV?

my family doc prescribed me more medication for my thrush which isn't going away. i thought my sore throat was gone but it seems like it's coming back, and now it looks like I have geographic tongue too (red patches at the front of my tongue where the papillae have fallen off).  they are sore too. other than that I feel pretty much normal.

i really don't know what else this could all be from and i'm trying not to think about it.  it's still in the back of my head though.  my doc said a conclusive test would be at 6 months, but also that the tests today are good at detecting earlier.  i would take your advice about the 3 months, but I might still be nervous about 'what if'. it's so hard to wait, but i guess it's only really another 3 months, and then i will know for sure.  

i really hope i am not one of those exceptions where a negative at 2 months turns positive after 3. i will let you all know.
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Avatar universal
Testing is based on the data from the manufacture and the manufacture files their data with the FDA which gives the approvals. No one can change the conclusive date except for the manufacture.
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I always thought testing guidelines were actually up to the individual states. The FDA regulates products, not the practice of medicine.

Regardless of how the guidelines are regulated, punkiecanada should not be scared over her sore throat.
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There are no tests approved to give a conclusive negative test less than 3 months post exposure. The CDC does not regulate the testing guidelines, tthey are regulated by the manufacture of the test and the FDA.
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Nobody should be scared after receiving a negative result after two months. Just do a search in the professional forum on the reliability of HIV tests 6-8 weeks after exposure.

While a three month test is considered conclusive by CDC you should view at as just a formality.
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i still have a sore throat and thrush and it's been over a month. i'm scared.
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As you were advised you need get tested. A conclusive negative test is 3 months post exposure. Use latex or polyurethane condoms and you will protect yourself from contracting HIV and most Stds. It's that simple.
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does anyone else have any input? teak?
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thank you, that's reassuring.
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366749 tn?1544695265
COMMUNITY LEADER
Never get confused with your symptoms, they are misleading most of teh time and quite a few actually infected people never had them. You get your last test at 3 months mark and move on with your life relieved. Seek medical help for your illness, which will have reasons other than HIV, after you have your conclusive 3 months test comes negative, which will,,,,,,,,,,
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