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Had Sex With Person Unknown HIV Status. Had Abdominal Pain With Vomit And Diarrhea. CT Scan Showed Inflammation In Small Intestine. Guide?

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Posted on Wed, 25 Sep 2013
Question: I had a sexual encounter 2 yrs. ago with a partner of unknown hiv status.5 weeks after that encounter i had severe abdominal pain with vomit and diarrhea. I had a ct scan that showed inflammation in the small intestine. My platelets were low at 55,000. At 87 days i had hiv 1 & 2 that came back non reactive.Then a week later at 94 days i went for a pcr rna that came back Not detected. Since then i've been in a downward spiral of symptoms and pain. My hands/feet pain,stiff neck with multi level degeneratives,Positive XXXXXXX I went for a colonoscopy,lyme,lupus, all that came back negative.My platelets have remained low, between 45,000 and 75,000 for the past 2 years now.My neck pain has been unbearable at times. Is my hiv 1&2 and the pcr rna at 94 days accurate? Is it possible to have low platelets,vomit,diarrhea and still not seroconversion to detect? At 1 year later at no further risk I did do an at home hiv Oraquick saliva test that came back negative! Is that home test accurate enough to confirm? From the first episode of abdominal pain almost 2 yrs ago my life has changed overnight! I was perfectly fine until that moment and it all changed. Please help!!!!
doctor
Answered by Dr. Michelle Gibson James (27 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
You are HIV negative

Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic

HIV blood tests either look for the virus itself or for antibodies ( these are formed when a person reacts to the presence of a virus or bacteria).

Tests that look for antibodies have a longer window period. This is the time it takes for a test to definitively say whether an infection is present or not.
The window period for these tests ranges from 3 to 6 months.

Tests that look for the virus itself such as the PCR RNA test that you did, have a much shorter window period. In these test an accurate result can be obtained in 2 to 3 weeks.

A negative PCR test at 94 days means definitively that you are HIV negative.

In addition the subsequent test 1 yr later confirms it.

It is understandable to be concerned regarding possibly contracting this virus but based on these results you are definitely NOT HIV POSITIVE.

Hope this makes you feel more relaxed regarding this virus

Feel free to ask any additional questions
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Michelle Gibson James (32 minutes later)
Thank you for your quick reply! I'm paranoid because anything that happens with my wife i feel is a sign as well. She developed a dark rash in the middle of her chest and has had a few complications with ovarian cyst that all just started happening 1 yr after my possible risk. If you are confident that my results confirm i am HIV negative than is there a direction you can steer me in? My life was healthy and perfect and changed almost instantly overnight! One other thing that comes to mind is the night i woke up with severe abdominal pain (just to my left of the belly button), i went out to dinner with some friends. I had 3 very painful attacks over a 1 month period. This was the very first symptom and it was odd to me that after that dinner is when everything started the domino effect. Is there a possibility that there's some food allergy that develops instantly? What else causes,low platelets,fatigue,positive XXXXXXX joint pain,hands/feet,forearm pain,neck multilevel degeneratives that also seem to come on 9 months later but when it came it was almost pain overnight that has now been there for over a year? I wake up in pain everyday and am losing my mind on what to do! I don't take any medication because i'd rather fight thru it until i know what it is i'm taking it for. Please let me know what you think we could look for or try to eliminate!!!!!! Thank you
doctor
Answered by Dr. Michelle Gibson James (24 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
You may want to see a rheumatologist

Detailed Answer:
Hi

In terms of the abdominal pain that woke you up at night after a meal with friends, it is likely that it is related to the meal itself.
It may not be an allergy but intolerance to something that was eating for example some persons have lactose intolerance. This does not mean that using lactose in milk causes an allergic response but it causes indigestion, bloating and pain because their bodies cannot tolerate it.

A decreased platelet count is due to either decreased production of platelets or increased destruction.

Decreased platelets can be due to infection, liver failure, some types of leukemia, hereditary conditions and vitamin deficiency.

Increased destruction can be due to lupus, autoimmune conditions, infections, diseases of the spleen along with other conditons.

In light of your low platelets, positive XXXXXXX (though this can occur in some healthy persons) , fatigue and joint pain you may want to consider a rheumatologist.

These symptoms may be related to rheumatological conditions such as lupus, RA, sjogren syndrome, myositis (this would be associated with muscle pain), drug induced lupus.

Liver disease should also be ruled out.

Please feel free to ask any additional questions
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Michelle Gibson James (43 hours later)
Thanks again for your help! I've been going for a CBC every month for 2 yrs. now, is there any indicators within the CBC that would suggest a problem with the liver?Whatever the problem is with me,it seemed to hit me instantly. I felt like i was 20 yrs younger and bam it hit me and turned everything around.So the non detected HIV pcr rna at 94 days is accurate even if there was late seroconversion? And the Oraquick saliva home test at 1 year is also accurate? So a quick recap of my symptoms. First started with abdominal pain w/vomit/diahhrea. from that they found inflammation in the small bowel and low platelets. 6 months later my hands and bottoms of feet hurt bad and at that point discovered positive XXXXXXX 1:1280 & low vitamin D 22.3 & major fatigue and tongue lesions/canker sores. Then about 3 months later ( 10 months since the start of this) my neck was x-rayed and i was told multilevel degeneratives. Brain fog.Lingering abdominal discomfort led to an MRI that still showed inflammation in the terminal ileum 11 months since the beginning.My neck is still in pain every day since Aug. 2012. Along with that i currently have joint pain in my hands and forearm pain. My arms seem to fall asleep and tingle a lot more than normal. I get random itching that's and all over!I feel that something is traveling thru me and moving from one symptom to the next. To make matters worse, whenever something seems off with my wife,i fear that it's something she could've got thru me.Her rash on her chest,cyst vertigo.Is there anything else that comes to mind that could attack what appeared to be overnight and send me on a decline of symptoms? I haven't taken any medication in a yr. and 9 months and just want my life back.Tired of living in fear and pain. I feel my sickness has affected me from being an active husband/father. It has taken a lot out of me and i lost my energy to be as active with my kids cause of the fatigue.If it is liver or food related could it come on so quick like it did?Thank you so much for your help!!!!!!!!
doctor
Answered by Dr. Michelle Gibson James (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Based on those result you are HIV negative

Detailed Answer:
HI

In terms of the liver and the CBC, there is not usually a significant correlation.

If a person has chronic liver disease then it is possible that the haemoglobin may be low, this is because there is a type of anemia due to chronic or longterm diseases.
Low haemoglobin may also occur if there is bleeding due to the liver disease.

The HIV tests are accurate at the time they were done. The time interval was enough.
Based on those tests you are NOT HIV POSITIVE.

Your wife's symptoms are not related to HIV infection that she would have contracted from you as a result of that encounter.

The possible food intolerance would have caused the initial abdominal problems but these would only have recurred if you re ingested the same foods again.

The joint, muscle discomfort and tingling may be related to a rheumatological condition and it may be best if you see a rheumatologist for assessment.

Hope this helps you, feel free to ask any additional queries
Note: Get personalized answers to your HIV related queries You can choose to talk face to face with your doctor. Book a Video Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Michelle Gibson James

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 16808 Questions

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Had Sex With Person Unknown HIV Status. Had Abdominal Pain With Vomit And Diarrhea. CT Scan Showed Inflammation In Small Intestine. Guide?

Brief Answer:
You are HIV negative

Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic

HIV blood tests either look for the virus itself or for antibodies ( these are formed when a person reacts to the presence of a virus or bacteria).

Tests that look for antibodies have a longer window period. This is the time it takes for a test to definitively say whether an infection is present or not.
The window period for these tests ranges from 3 to 6 months.

Tests that look for the virus itself such as the PCR RNA test that you did, have a much shorter window period. In these test an accurate result can be obtained in 2 to 3 weeks.

A negative PCR test at 94 days means definitively that you are HIV negative.

In addition the subsequent test 1 yr later confirms it.

It is understandable to be concerned regarding possibly contracting this virus but based on these results you are definitely NOT HIV POSITIVE.

Hope this makes you feel more relaxed regarding this virus

Feel free to ask any additional questions