[Question #12418] Follow up to question 12322, very worried about night sweats/symptoms

7 months ago

Dear Doctor,

Good morning. Apologies in advance. I wanted to follow up with you regarding my ongoing symptoms and take your opinion on this. This is with regards to the question 12322 re: unprotected oral (me giving blow job) encounter. Briefly, I (37M) gave unprotected oral (kind of rough) to other 42M (bisexual) for 20-30min, no ejaculation.

Day 12 : Whole body itchy rashes for 8 hours.

Day 18-19: Fever alone (mostly confined to cheeks and ears, and about 102F) about 1-2 days.

Day 20-21: Night sweats but no fever. Family member diagnosed with COVID this time.

Recently Day 34 – 37: Severe flu like fever, muscle/joint aches, running nose, cough (painful in chest when coughing and green sputum), night sweats. One family member diagnosed for FLU A.

Day 38-39: No fever, but my night sweats continue still.

Questions:

1) Night sweats are highly alarming me (obviously I am anxious). I don’t think I have GERD, but because of this exposure, I am kind of worried if this is any reflection of my body fighting HIV virus and causing night sweats. What is your opinion on this ongoing night sweats? Can I be sure that is not related to HIV? Can they continue for several days after flu?

2) I forgot to ask if there are any other STD’s that I need to be tested for apart from HIV and that could cause any of the symptoms I explained above. Thanks for your help.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

7 months ago

Welcome back to the Forum although I'm sorry you felt the need. The answers are not going to change. The encounter you have described was close to no risk and the symptoms you have reported do not suggest HIV or any other STI. In response to your specific questions:

1. Night sweats are non-specific and despite the misinformation you may have found on the internet, night sweats are NOT a sign of recently acquired HIV.

2. No

Clearly you are having trouble moving forward. For that reason, and NOT because I have any concern whatsoever that you have HIV, my advice is to get a blood test for HIV and syphilis. If the symptoms you are experiencing were due to either of these infections, tests would be positive. Once you have negative test results as I am confident you will, I urge you to put your unwarranted concerns about HIV and other STIs and move forward. EWH

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7 months ago

Dear Dr.Hook,

Happy holidays and I wish you a very happy new year 2025! Thank you very much for kind reply. After flu, I got severe cough and sputum had little blood. They prescribed azithromycin (total dose = 1.5 g over 5 days) for some bronchitis.

1) Can I be 100% sure that this flu like symptoms I experienced after 30 days (34-37 days) is definitely NOT ARS related ?

2) I took azithromycin as prescribed (form days 40-44). I read on this forum that taking Azithromycin can give false negative results for Syphilis tests and therefore test result is not conclusive/confirmatory after taking this antibiotic. Can you please confirm if I understood this right ? How long after taking Azithromycin do I need to wait to take the Syphilis test for conclusive results?

3) In your response above you mentioned "If the symptoms..tests would be positive...". I am very worried about this statement. Do you have any slightest doubt that any of the symptoms that I experienced above could be related to ARS or any STD symptoms ? Can you please re-assure me 100% that my symptoms are NO WAY related to any HIV/STD infection ? Can I definitely expect a 100% negative/non-reactive test result for all STD's ?

Sorry last 5-6 weeks have been terrible time in my life. Please advise me on when I can take tests for conclusive result since I took azithromycin. Have a great day!

Edward W. Hook M.D.

7 months ago

I don't understand why you ask questions and then ignore the advice give and return asking questions that have been answered. I have previously told you " "...performing oral sex on a person with untreated HIV is a low risk event with an estimated risk of acquiring HIV of less than 1 in 10,000 exposures. The are no proven cases of HIV which have been acquired from receipt of oral sex from an infected person." I also told you that symptoms which begin more than 30 days following an exposure are too late to be the HIV ARS. Therefore:

1. See above

2. You are incorrect, if you had syphilis your syphilis test would be positive

3. Repetitive- see above. Believe your tests

4. You can test at this time

You have one follow-up remaining. After that, any further repetitive, anxiety-driven questions may be deleted without a response and without return of your posting fee

EWH

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7 months ago

Thanks Dr.Hook. I did not test yet but planning to do so when I build up the courage to test. Final questions from my end, I promise.

1) Do you recommend HIV testing from medical risk stand point taking into account all my symptoms reported ? or is it only for my anxiety ?

2) If I decide not to test (taking into account symptoms), is there any risk from medical stand point for HIV/other STI's?

3) Can you comment on the whole body itchy rash I experienced ? Can I be confident that this itchy rash is unrelated to HIV ?

4) For few people who had similar exposures (giving oral even with ejaculation, with or without symptoms), I have seen responses from you and Dr.HHH not to even worry about testing, does that apply to me also ?

Thanks and have a great day !

Edward W. Hook M.D.

7 months ago

Once again, your follow-up indicates that either you did not understand or are ignoring the advice I have already provided. While testing is always a personal choice if you want to prove to yourself that you do not have HIV, you should test. Testing will NOT change whether or not you have HIV II am confident you do not) but will provide definitive proof as to whether or not you are infected which SHOULD address your continuing concerns. Thus in reply to your final follow-up questions:

1) Do you recommend HIV testing from medical risk stand point taking into account all my symptoms reported ? or is it only for my anxiety ?

I suggest testing to address your anxiety. I am confident that nothing you have described suggests HIV.

2) If I decide not to test (taking into account symptoms), is there any risk from medical stand point for HIV/other STI's?

There is no such thing as "never" in science because there is new information learned every day. Your risk of having acquired HIV from the exposures you describe is far lower than your risk of being hit by lightening while reading this reply.

3) Can you comment on the whole body itchy rash I experienced ? Can I be confident that this itchy rash is unrelated to HIV ?

I cannot tell you what the rash you experienced was but I can assure you that a transient rash of the sort you describe is virtually certainly not due to HIV.

Yes

This thread is now complete. Please do not return with further repetitive, anxiety-drive questions. If you do, the question my be closed without a reply and without return of your posting fee. EWH

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7 months ago

Thank you, Dr.Hook. Right now, I am having cycles of anxiety and panic attacks. One time I feel good, the other time I really panic that something bad will happen. Every time I feel scared, the only thing that really comforts me from my panic attacks is coming back and looking into your replies where mentioned that my symptoms are NOT related to HIV and your confidence that I will test negative for HIV. The one thing that really really bothers/panicked me was the itchy body rashes that started immediately after eating pizza(never allergic to any food I know of). They started on chest, tummy, quickly spread to back, thighs,buttocks, arms, feet, hands--very itchy (hives or pimple like) on day 12. Took one benadryl tablet and itchiness/most rashes gone in 2 hrs. Took one more benadryl tablet after 7 hrs and I never saw any itchiness although remnant of redness from scratching the rash remained. I hope I will get a negative HIV result although very very worried of this rash (I hope its not related to HIV). Hopefully I will pull courage to go for test, come back and post my negative test result soon! Wish me good luck Doctor ! Thanks for your kind words !

6 months ago

To everyone who ever is reading this and that has experienced the symptoms that I have, please read.

Today (on DAY 84) I tested NEGATIVE for HIV, Syphilis, HEP B, HEP C. other tests (Gonorrhoea, chlamydia and Tricho) are pending still but I am not worried much about those.

Dr.Hook, Personally I want to thank you for instilling confidence in me when I lost complete hope due to coincidental timing of whole body and itchy rash on Day 12. I never experienced any sort of like that before and was scared to death. You told me again and again with my repeated anxiety questions that I will test negative. As a mentioned earlier, I kept coming back and reading your replies before going for test and gathered courage from those comments. Last 3 months have been HELL from anxiety and Panic attacks. Finally I can breathe and appreciate how much health is important in life and finally can focus on work, family and life. Thank you to the forum for everything. I would like to make a donation if you can please guide me.

Best regards.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

6 months ago

Thanks for your follow-up and sharing your results. I know it will be comforting to others in similar situations. I'll close the thread now.

Any donation to AHSA, the sponsor of this Forum would be appreciated. Donations can be made through their web site.

Appreciatively. EWH

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