[Question #11997] Massage Anxiety
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11 months ago
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Last July 29 I received a massage from a female therapist, fast forward when I was using my phone she suddenly tried to do a prostate massage but I felt her long finger nails at my anus thats why she did not continue and she licked the tip of penis maybe once or twice. I started panicking since I noticed that she was coughing before the massage started so I stopped the massage and took a bath right away. 2 weeks after the incident, I opted for an STD screening w 4th gen hiv test (no gono and chlamydia test) all came back negative, they didnt allow me to take the test for gono and chlamydia since my wbc and rbc were normal but there are mucus found in my urinalysis. I continued to have sex w my partner since the test came back negative. After 8-12 hrs, I noticed a cold sore on the left side of my tongue but it was gone after 2 days, after 24 hrs body pain and fatigue started, and all the symptoms ended after 5 days since I realized that I can only feel the symptoms when im thinking about it, started to eat healthy and cut all those unhealthy foods and soda since i was overthinking about the possible infection. After 1 wk, constipation started and I noticed that the surroundings of my anus was red (looked like folliculitis) and felt random sharp pain around my anus. 2-4 weeks after the massage I lost 4kg and my weight started fluctuating (losing 1-2kg overnight and gaining it back the other day) 6-7th week random moles appeared around my body, random body itching, random bruising, and still constipated. (no discharge ever since)
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11 months ago
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Qs
* is it possible that I felt the symptoms right a way because I took a bath right away after the full body massage?
* retest again? possibility of HIV and other infections?
* is it possible that the symptoms stated above are caused by my anxiety?
* cause of weight loss?
* what ointment should I put around my anus to stop the redness and constipation? since they wont give me prescription
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11 months ago
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Im sorry since I was cutting my message the timeline was messed up, After 8-12 hrs since the massage, I noticed a cold sore on the left side of my tongue but it was gone after 2 days, after 24 hrs body pain and fatigue started, and all the symptoms ended after 5 days since I realized that I can only feel the symptoms when im thinking about it, started to eat healthy and cut all those unhealthy foods and soda since i was overthinking about the possible infection. After 1 wk, constipation started and I noticed that the surroundings of my anus was red (looked like folliculitis) and felt random sharp pain around my anus. 2-4 weeks after the massage I lost 4kg and my weight started fluctuating (losing 1-2kg overnight and gaining it back the other day) 6-7th week random moles appeared around my body, random body itching, random bruising, and still constipated. (no discharge ever since)
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
11 months ago
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Welcome to the forum. Thank you for your confidence in our services.
The exposure described carried no significant risk for HIV or any other STI, and your symptoms have nothing to do with that event. Your doctors were correct that you did not need gonorrhea/chlamydia testing -- not because your blood counts were normal (that's nonsense--maybe you misunderstood them) but because they cannot be transmitted from the kinds of exposures you describe. You also were at zero risk for HIV and did not really need testing for it. However, your negative HIV test result at 2 weeks proved your symptoms were not caused by HIV, so perhaps that will help reassure you.
That the massage worker had a cough doesn't imply HIV or any STI -- you might have been at risk for a cold, flu, or covid, but that's all. HIV and STIs do not cause any of the other symptoms you report, such as constipation, anal redness, etc. And no infection of any kind -- STIs, covid, HIV, or anything else -- can start to cause symptoms only 8-12 hours after exposure. 36-48 hours is the minimum.
To your specific questions:
1. Feeling symptoms "right away" is not possible for any infection, and I don't see how bathing could have anything to do with it.
2. Retest (for HIV)? From a medical/risk standpoint, there is no need. However, if another negative test result would increase your reassurance, you are free to do it.
3. Possibility of anxiety? Now you're onto something! Most if not all your symptoms certainly could be from anxiety; and whenever someone suspects their own symptoms have an emotional or psychological origin, usually they are right!
4. Cause of weight loss? There are far too many possible causes for me to even guess, other than anxiety affecting your appetite or fluid intake: that's the only possibility for fluctuations over just a couple of days. Certainly it's not HIV or any STI.
5. I have no way to judge the cause of your anal symptoms. Even if I could, we do not provide direct medical care or advice. If your own doctors so no need for treatment, I'm inclined to agree. But recheck with them if the symptoms continue and you remain concerned.
I hope these responses are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.
HHH, MD
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11 months ago
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Hi Dr. hunter! please allow me to ask these follow up questions. Thank you so much!
- what I meant was, maybe I took a bath right away when my body was sore from the massage thats why I felt body pain and fatigue?
- so the test that I did at the 2nd week is conclusive enough that I don’t have anything? and that I don’t need to take the test again?
- About the weight fluctuation, when I started panicking I was drinking more water than usual and no more sodas, maybe thats the reason why I lost 4kg in 4wks and stress?
- are the symptoms from the 6th-7th week not related to any STI? Should I worry about it or just move on? (random bruising around my legs & forearm, random itching, oh and I wart appeared on my neck)
- how long can gono and chlamydia become asymptomatic?
- how long can gono and chlamydia become asymptomatic?
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
11 months ago
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- I still don't see how a bath could have made any difference in your symptoms.
- As I said above, the 2 week test proved your symptoms were not from an HIV infection. However, 6 weeks is required for proof you were not infected (with something else causing your symptoms)
- Yes, that sounds like a reasonable explanation for your weight fluctuation
- Correct. 6-7 weeks is much too late for onset of HIV/STI symptoms; and the symptoms don't fit with HIV or other STIs anyway.
- You were at no significant risk of gonorrhea or chlamydia. Asymptomatic gonorrhea is very rare; absence of pus dripping from your penis is strong evidence you do not have it and never did. Chlamydia can be asymptomatic. Both asymptomatic chlamydia and rare cases of asymptomatic gonorrhea can persist for several months. But if you combine the non-risky nature of the exposure plus absence of symptoms, you can be certain you have neither one. But if you remain nervous about it, you could have a urine test at any time. If you do so, it will be negative.
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11 months ago
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Thank you so much for your comments Dr. Hunter! I have one last question, is it okay that I continued having sex with my partner after my 2nd wk screening test?
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
11 months ago
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Yes, that's fine. As we have discussed, there is no significant chance you have any STI.
That concludes this thread. I hope the discussion has been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe.
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