HIV/AIDS Community

Yes, if you had untreated HIV for 9 years it is quite likely you would be very sick by now. On the average, it takes about a decade for an untreated individual to move from HIV to the last stage of the disease, AIDS. At that point, some very significant symptoms are seen, including severe weight loss, diarrhea, extreme weakness, often oral thrush, bouts of a specific type of pneumonia. etc. Symptoms that are very difficult to miss.

Listen to what your physician has told you.

If you remain concerned, why don't you get a screening test? There are rapid test where results are available in 20 minutes. Perhaps seeing that nice negative result will help you finally close that door on this anxiety.

Gail

So over the nine years minor symptoms occur at some point? I have not had any symptoms. Also there are certain medical websites that say that in untreated hiv during normal blood tests (CBC) the untreated hiv would cause significant damage to white cell counts. I had a white blood cell counts in the normal range and actually my wbc count was at the higher end of normal. Would you say that the blood counts would be abnormal after so long?

And Gail what about my wife (she knows I am crazy and knows my history) she has been tested 3 times, and we did cord blood banking and they test for all infectious diseases and all good. I mean we are talking about 9 years of unprotected sex. I know that some people have a special gene but it is rare. Would you think she would have it by now?

thank you for taking the time to answer me

We do not attempt to diagnose HIV by minor symptoms nor by looking at CBC levels. We also do not attempt to diagnose someone by whether their partner has or has not become HIV positive from them.

Gail

I can appreciate that. I was asking about the likelyhood. And I also realize that no diagnosis can be made without a test. So when you say after 9 years I would be sick. Does the disease go from latent to aids or are there signs of hiv? And also I realize her status means nothing but was asking about the likelyhood of her being negative.

I have read that if someone had untreated hiv the damage can be seen in routine blood test. Low white counts, etc.

And as far as being very sick by now are there warning signs at some point between the initial infection and the 10 years. I have heard people often get lots of sinius infections, chest infections etc. What I am trying do here which I am sure you already know is reason this out while I wait to get tested. I am trying to tell myself there is no way that I can be walking around with hiv and still be healthy with no treatment and after this many years and have normal blood counts. My physican says my counts would be way off. And as crazy as this has gotten me I even let a friends wife who is a doctor look over my blood tests and she says the same thing. That number one I would be sick and two my counts would be off.

I am sorry but this is really helping me

No, the disease cannot be seen in routine blood tests such as low white counts.

Here is how HIV works....shortly (2 to 6 weeks after transmission) the newly infected person will undergo a period of what is described as "flu like" symptoms. This Acute Retroviral Syndrome ("ARS") will last...like the "regular" flu...about two weeks.

After that...nothing..nada...no symptoms for many years. Which is why a fairly large percentage of folks who are HIV positive but haven't undergone testing are walking around totally unaware they are infected and feeling fit as a fiddle. Unless they undergo testing they have no idea they carry the virus.

It is not until the virus has severely damaged the immune system that significant symptoms I described before begin to appear. On the average this takes roughly a decade after the initial transmission for this to occur.

It's useless to try to connent things like sinus infections, chest infections, changes in white blood cell counts, etc. to HIV. Lots of folks without HIV get sinus and chest infections and what's considered "low" or "high" in blood cell counts often has more to do with the "normal" range of the specific labs than anything else.

There can be a range in normal lab results depending on the time of day the labs were drawn, how hydrated the person was when they were drawn, when they last ate, what medications they were on, the technique of the person drawing the labs, etc.. Small changes or variations from the "normal" levels of a particular lab typically mean.....nothing.

The only way to know ones status is to be specifically tested for HIV.

Gail

P.S. BTW, sounds like your wife has been tested more than once and she's certainly HIV negative.

Yes she has. in 2010 she was pregant and tested and negative, in 2012 tested and again negative, then again after the birth and again negative. Also I never mentioned that what has me in this uproar is a rash that I had in 2004 that was solid and on my upper body and otherwise was fine. I had a low fever but it was 100.1 and felt fine. The rash lasted over 2 months and I keep thinking that somehow that condom broke. The rash only went away after I sat in the sun on the beach. Does this sound like ars rash. I have been reading it does not last that long.

Please stop worrying about all of this. You are focusing far too much on symptoms that have nothing to do with HIV and have convinced yourself that you must be HIV positive.

The condom did not break, the rash was not connected to HIV, your wife has tested negative time and again, your own physician has told you your lab results mean nothing in terms of HIV status....and yet you refuse to believe all of this.

Here is my suggestion.

Take a test (if you do not wish to get this done with your physician, simply get a rapid test done at any health department; the results will be available in 20 minutes); if you still cannot accept the very good news that you are HIV negative then you may need to consider the idea of therapy to help you get over your focus on a disease you do not have.

Gail

P.S. I apologize for not answering sooner. I had a little surgery this past week and was in the hospital and away from my computer.

You have been so good to talk to and I hope you recover quickly. The rash I had was solid and on my upperbody and it lasted about three months. Does the ars rash behave that way? I mean I am starting to believe there is no possible way I could go this long without needing medication or being sick. I have read that about 5 percent of people can go longer than 5 years without treatment. So you think that my wife would now be infected and I would be very sick. Thank you so much. This will be my last question.

I sorta doubt this will be your last question but again, we don't attempt to diagnose HIV by symptoms. This includes diagnosing rashes as having anything to do with HIV.

Your wife has been tested every which way up and down, north and south. She is not infected with the virus.

If you remain concerned, a simple 20 minute Rapid Test will confirm that neither are you.

Gail

So you were right it is not my last question. I wanted to know something. In untreated advanced hiv I read that rashes are common and then they go on to say what types of rashes. So if someone was experiencing a rash in late stage untreated hiv would there be other symptoms. I cant imagine that someone would have a rash and no other symptoms? I know you say you dont diagnose but this has nothing to do with me just what I have been reading.

Again, if someone were in late stage HIV (i.e., had moved on to AIDS) there would be other, far more significant symptoms than just a rash. A rash would be the least of their medical concerns.

Look, rashes are pretty darn common for all sorts of reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with HIV. Once again, stop trying to diagnose HIV by symptoms and go get tested because frankly, you're driving yourself and us rather crazy over here.

Gail

Lol I am sure and so thankful that you have been so patient with me. I was diagnoses with pitorisis rosea on Jan 2nd. I had it appear on the 31st great new years eve! Went to the dermatologist and he dianosed. It is now 45 days later most of it has cleared up but now I seem to have some new spots. Again a tailspin. Feeling great otherwise. It responded to steriod cream but the cream was so strong it damaged parts of my skin. Of course in the back of my mind I think hiv rash of course.

Also I keep telling myself it is not possible because if I were this far along with no treatment besides the fact that I would be super sick I would not get over common things fast. I had a chest cold right before the PR which they say is something that happens and I keep telling myself that if I had hiv I would not have been feeling better 2 days later.

Do people with long term untreated hiv have a more difficult time getting rid of common illness and do they get colds, and chest and sinus infections more often then the general population.

I have an appointment with a psychiatrist tuesday and talking to you and your answers are helping me a great deal.

HELLO EVERYONE

IAM A FEMALE FROM THE UK , I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE MY HELL.THE LAST TWO YEARS I HAVE HAD UNPROTECTED INTERACTIONS SOME HAVE EJACULATED IN ME OTHER TIMES NOT. THE HELL AND CONSTANT INTERNET SEARCHING TO SEE IF MY SYMPTOMS WERE HIV RELATED AND I KEPT SEEING YES THEY WERE .MY FEAR INCREASED SO MUCH THAT I NEVER GOT TESTED IN THE END DECIDED TO GET A RAPID TEST APPROVED BY USAID FROM FREEDOM TESTING WEBSITE, I GOT IT AFTER SO MUCH HELL AND PRAYING I DID IT TODAY , IT WAS NEGATIVE. THE POINT HERE SHOULD BE THAT TESTING IS THE BEST WAY TO FIND OUT WHATS GOING ON THEN MOVE ON FROM IT DO NOT MESS ABOUT NOT USEING A CONDOM ETC , DONT TRUST ANYONE BUT YOUR SELF PLEASE PLEASE MOVE ON FROM IT LIKE IAM GOING TO FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS NOT SEX AS ESCAPE FROM PROBLEMS AND LIFE PEACE TO EVERYONE GOODLUCK