Aa
Where to now?
Hi there
I'm a 35 year old male; had an exposure a few months ago. It involved unprotecetd oral (performed on me) followed by protective vaginal sex using a condom. Everyone tells me that this was low or zero risk; but I feel there were extenuating circumstances. I was there. The CSW was sick looking, had a very chesty cough, extremely poor oral health and neck lumps! Blood in the mouth was definite possibility. Yes, I was insane, but no point dwelling on that now.
At week 3.5 following exposure I had a viral like illness - retro-orbital headache, night sweats mouth ulcers - this was before I had googled any of the symptoms for HIV! This resolved, but I have been left with a peripheral neuropathy (diagnosed on nerve conduction tests) and persistent oral thrush. This has been dragging on now for nearly four months. Tested negative for all viruses including HSV, CMV, EBV, and HIV Ab/Ag was negative just shy of the four month mark. CBC normal, except my lymphocytes did take a dip towards the lower end of the normal range at the two-three month mark.
My question is, where to from here? I know my exposure was low risk, but I have these ongoing problems. There are certainly case reports out there of seronegative HIV infection, and/or delayed seroconversion. Should I request a viral load test?
Best Regards
I'm a 35 year old male; had an exposure a few months ago. It involved unprotecetd oral (performed on me) followed by protective vaginal sex using a condom. Everyone tells me that this was low or zero risk; but I feel there were extenuating circumstances. I was there. The CSW was sick looking, had a very chesty cough, extremely poor oral health and neck lumps! Blood in the mouth was definite possibility. Yes, I was insane, but no point dwelling on that now.
At week 3.5 following exposure I had a viral like illness - retro-orbital headache, night sweats mouth ulcers - this was before I had googled any of the symptoms for HIV! This resolved, but I have been left with a peripheral neuropathy (diagnosed on nerve conduction tests) and persistent oral thrush. This has been dragging on now for nearly four months. Tested negative for all viruses including HSV, CMV, EBV, and HIV Ab/Ag was negative just shy of the four month mark. CBC normal, except my lymphocytes did take a dip towards the lower end of the normal range at the two-three month mark.
My question is, where to from here? I know my exposure was low risk, but I have these ongoing problems. There are certainly case reports out there of seronegative HIV infection, and/or delayed seroconversion. Should I request a viral load test?
Best Regards
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.
I reviewed your discussion with Dr. Cummings on the international forum and I agree entirely with his assessment and advice. As he told you, despite your impression of the CSW's health, this was a virtually zero risk exposure with respect to HIV (and also for the other infections for which you were tested). We have also pointed out repeatedly on this forum that symptoms are pretty much meaningless in predicting whether or not someone caught HIV. But most important, your HIV test results -- on the other fourm you describe at least 2 tests and maybe 3, with the last almost 4 months after exposure -- prove unequivocally that you didn't catch HIV; no more testing along those lines is required. With the modern HIV tests you had, ther are few if any scientifically credible reports of seronegative HIV or such long delayed seroconversion.
By the way, I don't necessarily accept that you have oral thrush, unless an oral yeast infection has been professionally diagnosed. Thrush is not the same as coated tongue, for example. In any case, oral yeast infections are not uncommon in immunologically normal persons. I had it myself once.
So you don't have HIV, which takes your questions outside the realm of this forum. We generally don't advise about diagnosis or treatment of non-HIV/AIDS health problems. My main advice is that you consider seeing an infectious diseases specialist, if that hasn't been done.
Best wishes -- HHH, MD
I reviewed your discussion with Dr. Cummings on the international forum and I agree entirely with his assessment and advice. As he told you, despite your impression of the CSW's health, this was a virtually zero risk exposure with respect to HIV (and also for the other infections for which you were tested). We have also pointed out repeatedly on this forum that symptoms are pretty much meaningless in predicting whether or not someone caught HIV. But most important, your HIV test results -- on the other fourm you describe at least 2 tests and maybe 3, with the last almost 4 months after exposure -- prove unequivocally that you didn't catch HIV; no more testing along those lines is required. With the modern HIV tests you had, ther are few if any scientifically credible reports of seronegative HIV or such long delayed seroconversion.
By the way, I don't necessarily accept that you have oral thrush, unless an oral yeast infection has been professionally diagnosed. Thrush is not the same as coated tongue, for example. In any case, oral yeast infections are not uncommon in immunologically normal persons. I had it myself once.
So you don't have HIV, which takes your questions outside the realm of this forum. We generally don't advise about diagnosis or treatment of non-HIV/AIDS health problems. My main advice is that you consider seeing an infectious diseases specialist, if that hasn't been done.
Best wishes -- HHH, MD
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The nature of the exposure wouldn't make any practical difference. The test results rule, as long as done sufficiently long after the last possible exposure. Even if you had been injected with HIV infected blood, the evidence is that you weren't infected.
A related discussion, Cumulative "no risk"? was started.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
It won't make any difference. Move on. End of thread.
Many thanks again. ID doc was bemused, but unforthcoming. He did say there were other potential tests we could do, but the likely yield would be so low as to make them not worth it.
Just one last question. My GP has tried me on 5 days of Prednisone to see if this makes any difference to my neuralgia (it hasn't). Completely hypothetically (of course) if I were to test again for HIV, would the prednisone make a difference?
Best regards and thanks.
Just one last question. My GP has tried me on 5 days of Prednisone to see if this makes any difference to my neuralgia (it hasn't). Completely hypothetically (of course) if I were to test again for HIV, would the prednisone make a difference?
Best regards and thanks.
Many thanks. I shall take your advice, even though I'm pretty sure I've tested for everything which is test-able!
Just out of interest, would your advice at this point be any different if I had had an extremely high risk exposure?
Best Regards and thanks.
Just out of interest, would your advice at this point be any different if I had had an extremely high risk exposure?
Best Regards and thanks.
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