Anxious and worried. Please help.

[Somebodywhoneedshelp]

I received unprotected vaginal sex 5 weeks ago. I took a fourth gen Ag/Ab (CMIA) after 4 weeks (27 days and 10 hours after the act) and it came back negative. But the following day, I got minor sore throat and tiny, flat red spots. They dont itch and not painful. I dont think I have fever but Im not sure coz i dont have thermometer to check. Then i have muscle and joint aches that come and go. I feel them in different parts of my body. Usually, they feel like short stabs that will last a few seconds. Then there was pain behind my ear. Not sure if it was a lymph node. I tried feeling it, there was a very very small bump. Then i started having headaches. Sometimes, they're sudden short stabbing headaches, sometimes dull aches. They will also last a few seconds and then go. I also have post nasal drip for almost a week now and sometimes a congested nose when i wake up. My throat feels tight all the time and it's difficult to swallow.

Can i trust my Ag/ab test? Based on what Ive read in this forum, it is conclusive at 4 weeks. But in other forums and websites, they said its not. What are the chances that my results was a false negative? I was relieved when I got my results but I started having all these symptoms and now I'm worried all over again.

[AnxiousNoMore]

Your symptoms are not unusual and some are likely in your imagination or from fear. Some are normal but since you don't have any medical training you think they are abnormal.  Time to move on from HIV since your test was conclusive.

[Somebodywhoneedshelp]

But why are there different information about the conclusiveness of an Ag/Ab test at 4 weeks? Some say it's not conclusive until the 6th week. The specialist in the lab even told me that it's best to do the test again at 3 months. Have there been any instances where a negative Ag/Ab test at 4 weeks became positive at 6 weeks? I took mine a few hours before the 28th day. Does that change anything? I don't mean to be argumentative, and I'm sorry if I sound like it . I know I don't have medical training which is why I am asking if the "symptoms" that I have look like ARS symptoms. It worries me that they all started almost at the same tine during a period when ARS usually appears. Granted, the sore throat only lasted for almost 2 days, but the muscle aches and post nasal drip, I've had for almost two.  And then all of a sudden, the pain behind my ear and the headaches. If I started having symptoms, shouldn't the Ag/Ab test pick up either the antigen or antibody in my blood? Should I go for another test?

[zell_lin]

If your symptoms that time were due to hiv,the fourth gen hiv test will pick up the antigen at least if theres not enough antibody that time.
You can redo your test again but i am sure it will be the same result negative again,do note hiv 4th gen test is a very very sensitive test and the odd that it missed out some infection is very rare when done in a proper time period

[Somebodywhoneedshelp]

Thanks zell_lin. But the only symptoms that I had when I got tested were the post nasal drip, congestion, and muscle aches. The other symptoms, minor sore throat, pain/small lump behind the ear, red spots, head aches, - I got them after I got tested and they added to the symptoms that I already had. And they all appeared on the 4th week which is when ARS symptoms typically appear. That's what worries me. Did I take the test too early? Should I have waited a few more days? Did the test fail to detect anything because my body probably did not have antibodies yet because I did not have symptoms yet? I just find the timing of the appearance of the symptoms and how they appeared at almost the same time, (although only for 1-2 days for some of the symptoms) really scary.

Again, I'm sorry if I sound argumentative or irrational. I appreciate the patience of everyone who tries to explain and answer my questions.

[AnxiousNoMore]

Your symptoms can't prove anything so it is a waste of time trying to work up a theory based on symptoms  - yours are self diagnosed which means likely they are just in your imagination from fear.
Some doctors are more conservative than others and some use outdated guidelines for the window period so you will not find consensus. If you prefer to go with 6 weeks, then test again at 6, but don't waste your energy studying what you think are symptoms. The expert doctors that we rely on use 4 weeks and don't try to figure if you have symptoms - so I would go with their expert advice and stick with the 4 week test result you got and move on from HIv fears.
if you can relax by quitting Googling and studying your body COLD TURKEY, I imagine your "symptoms" will disappear.