[Question #6385] Need your risk assessment.

68 months ago

Hello, I got messed up and I need your risk assessment.

Oct 01 - I was drunk and had an expsoure with a TS from Manila that I met in NYC. I performed 10 sec BJ and then we had mutual masturbation.

Day 4 - I had a fever and sore throut for a day.

Day 5-7 blocked nose and slight coughing. I was not too worried as it was too early for ARS to start

Day 15 I had sex with my wife

Day 31. Right after 2 weeks she had her menses which came 1 week to early and was very painful, like never before

Day 32 - I started having severe dry mouth which last until now. It’s getting better but my tongue looks terrible. The nee lesions are keep coming and some of them are painful. I always had terible tounge which I believe opens a route for an virus. I think I had citrobacteri freundi which has damaged my tongue.

Day 35 - I started having pins and needles in my leg. It was getting worse everyday until the point they become very week and achy.

Also my hands started having this burning sensation which sometimes come and go.

Day 40 - I noticed some flat non itchy spots on my torao and my arms. Some are very small, some are bigger. They do not stay for long, but the new ones are keep coming until now. It’s been a month and Im still seeing new spots everyday.

Day 41 - loose stoola for around 4 days

Below are all the test I have done:

11.08 - negative 4th gen

11.18 negative 4th gen, syphilis and chlamydia tests

11.25 negative 4th gen and hIV-1 PCR tests

12.03 negative HIV-1 PCR and 4th gen

In one of the blood test I had increased cortisol and low EOS, and low potassium.

Things to consider:

I think my immune is not the best due to the following reasons:

I always had a bad tongue which I believe is due to citrobacteri freundi or some other infection. The top of the tongue is really damaged.

I had h.pylori

I had mono few years ago which was caused by CMV and EPB viruses.

And few other infections..

Can you please let me know what would be your assessment based on the facts I have provided? I understand that it was ARS antibodies should be already detected but what I’m concerned about that my immune might be to weak to fight hiv-2 infection. My painful tongue, dry mouth, achy leg muscles and rash keeps very worried.

I’m positive I got some virus as my wife is having iregular menstrual cycles which she never had before. As I understood this may happen when cd4 drops low and affects your hormones. Is that correct?

Dear Doctors, please share your thoughts around all this? Should I get my cd4 tested?

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

68 months ago

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your confidence in our services.

There's a lot of information in your question, but in fact there's notthing at all confusing or complex. The HIV blood tests you had are among the most accurate diagnostic tests ever developed, for any medical conditions. As long as done sufficiently long after the last possible exposure -- as your tests were -- the results are absolutely conclusive. The results overrule all other considerations: no matter how high the risk of HIV at the time, and no matter how typical the symptoms may be for new HIV infection, the test results are what counts. Your results prove 100% that you don't have HIV. The status of your immune system doesn't matter: there is no such thing as these tests not detecting HIV. There are no exceptions.

So for sure you do not have HIV. You also had a low risk exposure: it is exceedingly rare to catch HIV by oral sex. And your symptoms aren't as typical for HIV as you seem to think, and nothing in your wife's symptoms that suggest HIV..

And no, you should not have a CD4 count. That test is only useful in people with known HIV, which you do not have. It should not be done if HIV tests are negative.

My advice is that if you continue to have symptoms that concern you, work with your doctor to learn the cause. For sure it isn't HIV -- you should be having absolutely no worries along theose lines.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

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68 months ago

Dear Dr. Handsfield -thank you so much for your response. It makes me feel better, however my wife is still not feeling good. Her periods got messed up. She is bleeding more than she ever did. I googled that irregular menstrual cycles is one of the symptoms in women that they should be aware.

1. Could it be affected right after exposure? Have you ever seen that before?

2. What if I got HIV-2 virus which is not getting detected due to weak immune system?

3. Can weakness in legs be the symptom of acute hiv? The sensations I have in my arms and legs is really weird. Even right now, while I’m in bed, I feel achy muscles like I was after a marathon. I visited neurologist, but he said to come back after 6 weeks to see if it could be a PN. As of now, it’s too early.

4. My rash keeps me worried. It does look like I saw on google - flad red non itchy all over a body, but 2-3 at the time. Not sure what else can cause such rash. I went to the dermotologist but he could not comment what type of rash was that.

5. Based on all the symptoms what other SDI could it be if not HIV? I’m So worried about my wife that I don’t know what I can do to myself, in case I got her infected.

Thank you so much in advance. I do appreciate your time Dr.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

68 months ago

I'm truly sorry your wife still doesn't feel well. But it is not due to HIV and has nothing to do with the sexual exposure you describe. It is simply impossible!

1) Nothing can influence menstrual pattern that quickly.

2) HIV2 would have been detectec by the tests you had. Also, HIV2 is very rare outside east Africa where it evolvled. The very few cases in the US and western Europe occured almost entirely in people who acquired their infection in east Africa where HIV2 is prevalent.

3,4) Sure, these could be an HIV symptom. But they are not in your case. Perhaps you didn't understand (or believe?) my initial reply. There are innumerable skin problems that have nothing to do with HIV, even in people who think they were at risk. Your trest result prove you do not have HIV.

5) Your aymptoms are not suggestive of any STD. For sure there are no infections you could catch by oral sex that could cause any of these problems.

The science is clear: you do not have HIV or any other STD. Period, full stop, no exceptions! Belive it and move on.

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68 months ago

Thank you Dr, but I’m still extremaly stress. My wife is feeling depressed and anxious. I think it’s more than a coincidence that she and I am feelinh bad showinv the symptoms similar to what HIV causes. Based on the article: https://www.tht.org.uk/hiv-and-sexual-health/living-hiv-long-term/menstruation

As well as affecting your immune system, HIV can sometimes affect your hormonal system and change the frequency of your periods. This may be the case if you have a low CD4 cell count and/or a high viral load.

As I understand, this make sense that the periods are affected due to low cd4 or high viral load. She had 3 periods in two months, and one was extremally paintful, the other one took longer than normally. It’s all messed up now. The 3rd came just in 12 days.Not sure if it can be affected by long dietance flight that we had few months ago.

I found many other articles where it mentiones that one of the early symptoms in women is the change with menstrual patterns.

Along with that she also had a severe headache for few nights. I’m really worried, and I can”t focus on anything else rather than going through various studies, articles and studies. I think I went through all your responses on her and medhelp but I can get myself convinced that I don”t have hiv.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

68 months ago

I'm sorry you're still stressed, but I cannot do any more than I have already. You don't have HIV. I suggest you go back and read my previous replies above. If you cannot accept the reasoned, science-based evidence and reassurance I have given, it suggests an underlying psychological issue. You might consider professional counseling both to get passed your stress and deal with any underlying issues.

Because you do not have HIV, the article you cite about hormones and mesntruation is irrelevant to your situation. And even if you had were infectged with HIV October 1, there has not been enough time for you to infect your wife and for her to start to have such symptoms.

That completes the two follow-up comments and replies included with each question and so ends this thread. Please do not be tempted to start a new one about this exposure and your HIV fears. But I do hope this discussion has been helpful. Please try to take it to heart: there is simply no possibility you have HIV. Also no possibility for your wife, unless she has had sex with someone other than you.

Best wishes.

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