Almost suicidal. High risk exposure and now candidiasis. Plz help.

[scardstr8]

Hi, this place is a godsend. I need some help. I had a high risk exposure (broken condom for good 2 minutes: almost zero experience with condoms so didn't know when it broke) to a female sex worker in Shanghai 3 weeks ago.
No fever yet, but have fatigue and upset digestive sys - likely from stress. Starting yesterday, I noticed some nodules on the front tip of my tongue. Probably just from worrying, I figured. Then a couple of hours later, I noticed that I had developed a slightly depressed, red patch (lesion?) on the very middle tip of my tongue, about the size of a dime. I woke up today to a coated tongue (not cottage cheese texture, but white), bad breath and the same red patch, with no loss of papillae like typical Erythematous candidiasis, but who knows. Of course, I jumped on the Web and found out that Candida infections of the tongue are a strong indicator of HIV acute infection. Is this what I think it is?? I should mention that this did not develop until I started surfing the net two days ago for HIV and ARS and stressed the living sh#t out of myself - didn't sleep for 48 hours and had frequent panic attacks.
Please offer some comments and insight... anything, because I about to lose it mentally. I plan to get tested here in Taiwan in another week (full 4 weeks since exposure). I never thought a person could be so frightened...

Thanks.

[scardstr8]

Thanks for all the input everyone, God Bless. I'm taking it one agonizing day at a time right now for 3 more weeks. Just popped a small fever today, so that's a bit worrisome ( I know, I know). Just wish my body would stay 100% for a few weeks! I saw a doctor for some sedatives to help me calm down and sleep at night. I'm also going to stay away from reading any more stuff on the Internet.

[worriedashell]

I was in the same situation. I had every symptom possible. swollen glands, flu like, thrush, rash etc...everyday something new..I almost attempted suicide 3 times but kept putting it off until the next test result..Guess what I just had my 16.5 week negative with just as many tests.
Everything will probbly work out fine...The mind is extremely powerful.

[freddy999]

Hi,

I also have sore worn away patches on the tip of my tongue that come and go but are nearly always there. I also have dry mouth at times, bad breath and white elongated papillae on my tongue that comes and gies

I have had 17 negative HIV tests out to 37 weeks and 1 PCR DNA at 15 weeks.

Do you think HIV is causing my tongue symptoms ?

[peekawho]

You need to spend some time reading Dr. HHH's moderated forum.  You did NOT have a high risk exposure even though it was with a sex worker.  Most SWs are NOT HIV pos, and most are tested more regularly than ordinary folks are.  

Have a test in 5 or 6 weeks.  Your tongue means nothing.  Many other things, all more common than HIV can cause a coated tongue.  Symptoms mean nothing.  

Hang in there, go read a bit of DR. HHH's sensible advice, and stop reading anything else.  This is certainly nothing to be suicidal about.  If you actually do feel that way, your life is in far more danger from your mental state than from HIV.  See a therapist at once.

[Russian Roullete]

Look, I am in the same situation as you, I had a fever, fatigue, weightloss after unprotected sex in shenzhen. I kept on worrying and had severe anxiety and panic attacks to the stage where I nearly broke down. Take each day as you go by, it is hard because you keep on thinking you have HIV. I took a test at 18 days but with hind sight I should have waitted until 28 days to be 98% sure after a HIV duo test. Nevertheless I sweated out the remaining days until day42 and took the test. Believe me, after testing negative at 6 weeks and knowing the porbability to be in the lottery range of having HIV, all your symptons will disappear. As the doctor and other postings on this forum have stated that they have never seen anyone turn positive after 6 weeks. You are half way there.

The symptons I were having were due to stress and I think I might have caught the flu due to the cold season.
So don't worry

[worriedcrazy1234]

Researching on the internet is probably the dumbest thing anyone can do if they are worried they may have contracted HIV (unless you go to this site). Every site out there sites the CDC, which is good, but the CDC is also very conservative. They set guidlines in such a way that no one will fall through the cracks. For example, if 1 person takes 6 months to seroconvert then they have to state that.

Regardless, I have been in your situation and the more research and thinking you do the worse off you are going to be. Honestly, all that you have to do is the math and it should make you feel better. The chances of your partner having HIV is extremely low. Even if she did have HIV the chances of passing it on from vaginal sex is 1 in 2000. Let's get crazy here and say there was a 50/50 chance she had HIV (the chance really is near zero though). Now do .5 X .0005 = .00025. That's 0.025%. That's unbelievably low, not to mention we just gave her a 50//50 chance of haing HIV, which is MUCH higher than reality. You are more likely to die on your way to work in a car.

Not only that, ask any HIV doctor if they have ever heard of the insertive partner getting HIV from a condom breaking. I seriously doubt a doctor will say they have. I know "Ann" from aidsmeds.com knows a lot of HIV infection stories and has never heard of the insertive partner getting HIV from a condom breaking.

I would bet my life savings that you did not get HIV.