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Follow up

Doctor(s) this is a new post to follow-up on the one I admittedly abused previously although I hope you'll recognize my efforts to offer starting a new thread if excessive (http://www.medhelp.org/posts/HIV---Prevention/HIV-STD-persistent-groin-pain-question/show/2112834#post_10033186). I'm flawed what can I say. I admit that anxiety is absolutely paralyzing me and taking over my life so much that I don't see any other way than to get tested for HIV despite the low risk of condom protected sex and unprotected oral receipt. So I hope you can help me with these few additional questions. 1) Can Valtrex ever delay the time for ARS to develop? I know you said that my symptoms at 15 weeks (3 consecutive nights of bed drenching and I mean drenching night sweats that may or may not have been caused by a mild fever spiking at night plus sore throat) were too late for ARS but just wondering if it could perhaps be due to the course of valtrex antiviral I started taking 8 days after exposure as a precaution not knowing if the lesion was herpes. Once again I am a flawed human being but because I had NEVER experienced soaking night sweats before it's just difficult for me to "shake" it off and leading me to continued what-ifs. The other thing not helping me mentally is the continued testicular discomfort (even after ongoing levaquin as recommended by urologist 10 days in now) and this constant focus on my genital area makes it easy to keep thinking about things. Very depressing. 2) HIV test: I was vaccinated for Hepatitis B about 20 years ago (the one with the 3 separate shots if I remember right). I've read that this vaccination can sometimes yield false positives with the Rapid HIV test. Is this true? Or do you usually recommend a certain other type of test? Thanks for everything you do and.........sorry for everything I do.

2015-04-08 03:08:20

Amy

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I'm sorry to see that you remain so hung up on these issues despite the reasoned science-based and intensive reassurance you had from Dr. Hook. Straight to your questions. 12) There are no medications that interfere with testing for HIV with the theoretical exceptions of potent immunosuppressive drugs or chemotherapy. I stress theoretical; to my knowledge there have been no reported instances in which interference actually happend. Valacyclovir and hepatitis B vaccine have no effect on testing for HIV or any other STD. I don't care that you never had similar symptoms before. That of course says nothing about the cause. Whatever you have it isn't HIV or any other STD. That said scanning your other discussion with Dr. Hook I don't see a clear statement that you were tested for HIV. If you were and the result was negative more than a few weeks after your last possible exposure you can rely on the result. HIV test results always overrule symptoms exposure history or anything else. If you have not been tested of course you should do that -- not because there is any serious chance you have it only for reassurance to help convince yourself that you don't. Any lab based antibody or antibody-antigen test will be equally reliable. Since you are worred about having a false positive result I suggest not having a rapid test; FP results are rare but occur more frequently than with the lab based tests. As you said yourself you're on the edge of rather serious abuse of your MedHelp privileges. If you have not been HIV tested and decide to do it feel free to report that result. Other than that there will be no other discussion -- follow-up comments of any other kind will be deleted without reply. Also note the MedHelp rule that permits a maximum of 2 questions every 6 months on each of the professionally moderated forums (see Terms and Conditions). Any more before next November would be deleted without reply (and without refund of the posting fee).

2015-04-08 03:08:54

Emma

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