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Weird body pains and swollen throat
Hello Doctor,
I am a 25 year old white male who on September 10th had unprotected insertive oral sex and protected vaginal sex with a woman I recently met. The condom did not break.
Symptoms
1) September 18th I was treated with Zithromax and Ciprofloxacin for a UTI at Urgent Care. I had a small pain when urinating with no discharge.
2)September 26th pain in my on both sides and top of groin developed.
3) September 30th tested at health department for gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Trich, and syphilis which all came back negative. The doctor saw no physical condition for my groin pain. I have recently switched from briefs to boxers in the last 4 weeks. White blood cell count was slightly elevated with a level of +1. I was diagnosed with a yeast infection on my penis which has since spread to the creases between my thighs and groin. I am treating it with Lotrimin anti-fungal cream twice daily.
4)Over the next few weeks I have had some weird body pains The pain is not constant and seems to come and go as it pleases. Sometimes the muscles feel like they are tight and just ache. The pain in the hand is around the muscle/tendon for the thumb and I have also noted a few bumps on the muscle. The pain in the fingers is an ache and sometimes my finger tips sting. I work at a computer all day at work, so this may be related to that. The pain in the upper and lower legs feels like the start of a cramp, but it never goes beyond that. Primary the pain is in my right leg. There is also sometimes tightness in the crease at each groin. I have had a pain in my upper and lower arm. I have pain in the back of my shoulder where the arm meets the body. My ankles kinda ache. The pain in the knee feels like I twisted or over extended the knee, which I have not done. These pains do not feel like the body pains I have had with the flu or anything other illness.
5)Since the start of September I have had constant allergy or sinus drainage down my throat and my throat is sore. On October 4th (23 days after incident), I went to the doctor and described my symptoms including all the pains. My doctor took some blood and ran some test including an HIV test. All test were normal.
6)On October 9th, I went to Urgent Care with a sore throat and swelling in the neck and throat. My throat was sore, red, and has some white spots all over it. My tongue also feels a like I burned it, but I have not. I also have a few red raised spots a few mm in diameter on my throat. I have two painless ulcers in my mouth. My neck and shoulder are also stiff. The doctor did a strep test which was negative. Given Zyrtec for my allergies and diagnosed with Pharyngitis and Inguinal Lymphodenopathy.
I am very worried and anxious that I may have HIV. I have not been sleeping right and have been getting headaches. I know symptoms are not a good indicator of HIV infection, but am worried. Temperature has not gone above 99.4 F, but I may have a rash on my neck, not really sure.
Do these symptoms sound like ARS?
I am a 25 year old white male who on September 10th had unprotected insertive oral sex and protected vaginal sex with a woman I recently met. The condom did not break.
Symptoms
1) September 18th I was treated with Zithromax and Ciprofloxacin for a UTI at Urgent Care. I had a small pain when urinating with no discharge.
2)September 26th pain in my on both sides and top of groin developed.
3) September 30th tested at health department for gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Trich, and syphilis which all came back negative. The doctor saw no physical condition for my groin pain. I have recently switched from briefs to boxers in the last 4 weeks. White blood cell count was slightly elevated with a level of +1. I was diagnosed with a yeast infection on my penis which has since spread to the creases between my thighs and groin. I am treating it with Lotrimin anti-fungal cream twice daily.
4)Over the next few weeks I have had some weird body pains The pain is not constant and seems to come and go as it pleases. Sometimes the muscles feel like they are tight and just ache. The pain in the hand is around the muscle/tendon for the thumb and I have also noted a few bumps on the muscle. The pain in the fingers is an ache and sometimes my finger tips sting. I work at a computer all day at work, so this may be related to that. The pain in the upper and lower legs feels like the start of a cramp, but it never goes beyond that. Primary the pain is in my right leg. There is also sometimes tightness in the crease at each groin. I have had a pain in my upper and lower arm. I have pain in the back of my shoulder where the arm meets the body. My ankles kinda ache. The pain in the knee feels like I twisted or over extended the knee, which I have not done. These pains do not feel like the body pains I have had with the flu or anything other illness.
5)Since the start of September I have had constant allergy or sinus drainage down my throat and my throat is sore. On October 4th (23 days after incident), I went to the doctor and described my symptoms including all the pains. My doctor took some blood and ran some test including an HIV test. All test were normal.
6)On October 9th, I went to Urgent Care with a sore throat and swelling in the neck and throat. My throat was sore, red, and has some white spots all over it. My tongue also feels a like I burned it, but I have not. I also have a few red raised spots a few mm in diameter on my throat. I have two painless ulcers in my mouth. My neck and shoulder are also stiff. The doctor did a strep test which was negative. Given Zyrtec for my allergies and diagnosed with Pharyngitis and Inguinal Lymphodenopathy.
I am very worried and anxious that I may have HIV. I have not been sleeping right and have been getting headaches. I know symptoms are not a good indicator of HIV infection, but am worried. Temperature has not gone above 99.4 F, but I may have a rash on my neck, not really sure.
Do these symptoms sound like ARS?
I have had similar symptoms as you describe following a low risk exposure event, specifically the muscle pains in various parts of my body that come and go. About five weeks after my event, I developed a sinus infection and have been dealing with a cough that won't go away for the past 3 months (and sinus drainage, dry throat, etc.). I have had a few additional symptoms that you didn't mention, i.e., hot flashes, alternating feeling hot and cold, fatigue, etc. I believe many of your (as well as my) symptoms are related to anxiety. The remainder (sinus drainage, throat problems) are totally unrelated to your exposure.
Relative to ARS, the first and most dominant symptom is a relatively high fever (over 101 or so). JohnnyV provided a nice description of ARS in terms of how the body reacts (i.e., the symptoms) as it fights the HIV virus a few weeks ago. If you're interested, you may want to search through the previous threads to find it. But from what you describe, you don't have ARS.
I noticed that you got an HIV test after 23 days. The negative result is good, but it was a bit too early to be definitive. But any negative test is a good one! I suggest you get another test in a few weeks (the doctor will tell you that any test after 6 weeks is acceptable). I agree with the doctor that it will be negative, given the event you described.
I had an HIV test 8.5 weeks after my event (it was negative), but I still have most of the symptoms. I keep wondering if I'm the one who has the false negative result. I didn't pick the name joeworried without having a good reason for doing so. My doctor wants me to do a confirmatory test at 6 months (he told me to wait that long, since my risk was so low and this is the far outside edge of the window perios). So I'm still anxious and will be so until I get that second test.
I noticed that you indicated that you are very anxious and worried that you may have contracted HIV. Trust me, you are not alone.
Hang in there as best you can and get another test in a few weeks. You will be fine.
Relative to ARS, the first and most dominant symptom is a relatively high fever (over 101 or so). JohnnyV provided a nice description of ARS in terms of how the body reacts (i.e., the symptoms) as it fights the HIV virus a few weeks ago. If you're interested, you may want to search through the previous threads to find it. But from what you describe, you don't have ARS.
I noticed that you got an HIV test after 23 days. The negative result is good, but it was a bit too early to be definitive. But any negative test is a good one! I suggest you get another test in a few weeks (the doctor will tell you that any test after 6 weeks is acceptable). I agree with the doctor that it will be negative, given the event you described.
I had an HIV test 8.5 weeks after my event (it was negative), but I still have most of the symptoms. I keep wondering if I'm the one who has the false negative result. I didn't pick the name joeworried without having a good reason for doing so. My doctor wants me to do a confirmatory test at 6 months (he told me to wait that long, since my risk was so low and this is the far outside edge of the window perios). So I'm still anxious and will be so until I get that second test.
I noticed that you indicated that you are very anxious and worried that you may have contracted HIV. Trust me, you are not alone.
Hang in there as best you can and get another test in a few weeks. You will be fine.
Hi, i have a question for you. About 7 1/2 weeks, i had sex with a sex worker. Is it possible that I'll be developing ARS symptoms? especially a swollen lymph node on my neck, which doens't hurt at all and a sore throat? I already had a test but ill be getting it on wednesday.. Im really scared..
Thanks for the words of encouragement. You and the doctor both have made me feel better and took some of the edge off the anxiety. Thanks for the heads up on post by JohnnyV. I will have to check it out.
I have not had any noticeable fever, hot flashes, alternating feeling hot and cold, or fatigue. The weird body pains have freaked me out a lot. I have never had my neck and throat swell up like this before, so that has me concerned too. My lymph nodes in the neck are a little swollen.
I am thinking about getting tested next week on October 24, if I can hold off that long. That will be 44 days. I hope the test will be negative and then maybe my life will return to normal.
Your negative result at 8.5 weeks is a very good sign, since the 6 week test is almost 100%. I am sure your 6 month test will also be negative and your life will return to normal too.
It is amazing at what anxiety can do to the human body, mind, and spirit. I have been so convinced that I have been infected that everything seems to be a symptom no matter how irrational it may be.
I know I am not alone with my worries. You hang in there too, that 6 month test will be here before you know it and it will be negative. Try not to think about it.
Thanks again for the encouragement. Good luck to you and everyone else who is in the same situation. Take care.
I have not had any noticeable fever, hot flashes, alternating feeling hot and cold, or fatigue. The weird body pains have freaked me out a lot. I have never had my neck and throat swell up like this before, so that has me concerned too. My lymph nodes in the neck are a little swollen.
I am thinking about getting tested next week on October 24, if I can hold off that long. That will be 44 days. I hope the test will be negative and then maybe my life will return to normal.
Your negative result at 8.5 weeks is a very good sign, since the 6 week test is almost 100%. I am sure your 6 month test will also be negative and your life will return to normal too.
It is amazing at what anxiety can do to the human body, mind, and spirit. I have been so convinced that I have been infected that everything seems to be a symptom no matter how irrational it may be.
I know I am not alone with my worries. You hang in there too, that 6 month test will be here before you know it and it will be negative. Try not to think about it.
Thanks again for the encouragement. Good luck to you and everyone else who is in the same situation. Take care.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Your current symptoms (pain in legs, hands, groin, or back; sinus drainage; spots in throat and on tongue) do not suggest ARS, gonorrhea, chlamydia, or any other STD. Further, you have seen health care providers who apparently can't find anything seriously wrong.
But if you are concerned about HIV, get tested. I truly do not believe you have it, but I have said many times on this forum that symptoms are a totally useless indicator of HIV infection in people at low risk, as you are. The blood test is far more reliable. Enough time has passed to have a reliable result, and the test will be negative. That will reassure you more than my words can. So get tested, and trust your doctors in their evaluation and recommendations for your other symptoms.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
But if you are concerned about HIV, get tested. I truly do not believe you have it, but I have said many times on this forum that symptoms are a totally useless indicator of HIV infection in people at low risk, as you are. The blood test is far more reliable. Enough time has passed to have a reliable result, and the test will be negative. That will reassure you more than my words can. So get tested, and trust your doctors in their evaluation and recommendations for your other symptoms.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
