What were the symptoms that you personally had to suspect you had HIV?

[alanchiras]

I'm afraid that I'm in the exact same boat as BBB. And I should have known better having worked in the field for several years before that. I WAS IN DEEP DENIAL. Not one of the proudest moments in my life. Alan Chiras.

 

[Douggie]

I had a massive loss of appitite, dizzyness and muscle stiffness, also sweats.
When I first tested positive they said it was an initial reaction and i must of contracted it recently, after they did my CD4 they said it looks like I have had HIV for over 5 years. This would seem likly as back then I was taking risks with needles.
I still dont know for sure if the illness that prompted my test was HIV related but I imagain so, it's just taking 5 years to have any noticible affect on me.

 

[Muskelpumpe]

Is there anything in a standard CBC/Chemistry Profile blood test that could help indicate a diagnosis one way or the other? For example, would WBC be way off or is it possible to be relatively normal either way?

 

[Tatyana]

Is there anything in a standard CBC/Chemistry Profile blood test that could help indicate a diagnosis one way or the other? For example, would WBC be way off or is it possible to be relatively normal either way?

This is by no means diagnostic, but I have seen the blood work of quite a few patients with HIV from the GUMed clinic:

- elevated total protein and/or globulin
- elevated CRP
- elevated or low white cell count, in particular leucocytes
- people with HIV may also have a paraprotein/M-protein present on serum protein electrophoresis

It really depends on the stage of infection, if it is early days, your immune system will be responding and it is more likely things will be elevated, later on in infection, decreased.

If you are concerned, get a test at an anonymous clinic.

It is adviseable to wait till three months post exposure otherwise you may have a false negative test.

 

[alvin47]

The symptoms due to AIDS. You will note that the symptoms of HIV/AIDS itself tend to be chronic, long-term and can occur over and over. This differs from the symptoms of recent HIV/AIDS infection, which are acute, only last for a week or two, and do not occur over and over.