Paranoid but I want to say it...

[irishdreamer2287]

Hey guys...

Ok I have had this thought for like 15 days now and I have to just say it, and get some feedback. On February 1st I went to bed with a bad backache, on the 2nd I had a fever and sore throat...like the whole "flu symptoms". I went to the Dr., he gave me antiboitics, but after a week I didn't get better. I went back again, he drew blood and called the next day saying it was mono. Now it has been like 16 days and though I feel much better than I had felt I still have a low grade fever sometimes, my glands are still swollen and I now have more "cold like" symptoms like congestion and dry cough. I have seen that mono can last up until 4 weeks and I am only in my second week but I have to ask...

I was wondering if HIV has signs like this?

I have been with a few guys...I have given and received oral sex without condoms but thats it. I have never done any anal sex what so ever...not even rimming. I am just getting myself a little scared because I am not used to being sick for this amount of time. Now, the Dr. did take blood and said I have mono and that the normal blood test (like the counts of different things in my blood) came back fine. But I have never been tested for HIV specifically. Anyway I just wanted to get that out of my system because I am getting myself all nervous and its dumb cause all these symtoms are normal for mono and I was confirmed that I have it. Anyway thanks for listening and any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks again

 

[Brijan]

It sounds like your doctor thinks its mono.
If it is still bothering you, which it clearly is, go get blood work specifically for your HIV status.
When it comes back negative you can rest easy again.

 

[irishdreamer2287]

well I just looked up online the possibility of getting misdiagnosed and it said there is no chance of that. They are completely different viruses and the tests are different.

 

[AEBoy8]

Sounds like mono to me too.

 

[irishdreamer2287]

Ok guys...

I have decided to go to bed now cause I definitely need to chill out...

 

[moschj]

I do know that mono can last a long time. If you are at all sexually active, you should get checked every 6 months or so. This is a good time to start, even though I'm sure this isn't hiv conversion.

 

[oz_doc]

whilst they are different viruses and the tests are different, testing positive for mono does NOT mean you cant be positive for HIV, the two can coexist together. If you are concerned or just want to be proactive about your health i suggest you go get tested for a range of STD's and get retested in 3 months time

 

[KaraBulut]

Irishdreamer:

You've got a lot of time on your hands, so it's normal to use that time to worry.

Based upon the history that you've given, you're in a low risk category.

But I'm going to tell you what I would tell every sexually active gay man- get an HIV test on a regular basis- for your own peace of mind.

 

[irishdreamer2287]

thanks for the feedback guys...

I didn't sleep great but my mind just wonders at night I guess. In reality I feel much better than I did when I first got mono but I think when a low grade fever came back last night it kinda scared me again.

 

[StlKj]

My buddy in high school had mono for about 27 days. He was out of school a great deal because of how tired it left him. I've known a few students who had it almost as long, and I even know someone who had lingering effects for over a month. It's not just a fun little "kissing disease" as it's often portrayed in films and television (as you're now aware). Hang in there.

 

[irishdreamer2287]

thanks guys again...

like i said i am just getting myself worked up because of the length of this sickness...but mono is normally this long for some people.

 

[KaraBulut]

It can take up to 6-8 weeks for the symptoms to resolve. So, you're still in the normal period for low grade fevers and other symptoms.

 

[Kurn]

Mono was legendary for lingering for weeks when I was in HS.

Oh, it also meant you'd been kissing a lot.

 

[ZeroPoint84]

I've had mono (we call it Glandular Fever) and yeah, it does hang around for a long time, believe me. 3 years later and my immune system is still shot to shit, I get colds regularly and have to really make sure I don't overwork myself, otherwise I get sick. If your doctor says mono I'd say that's what it is, especially if you haven't done anything sexually risky.

 

[irishdreamer2287]

Now I have a bad sore throat again and the back of my throat is all white...my mother thinks it looks like strep throat. So this for sure hasn't helped my nerves at all.

 

[tommyj]

Well it would be way too early for you to have contracted thrush from Feb. 1st if thats what you are concerned about.

 

[irishdreamer2287]

I am gonna go back to the Dr. tomorrow and get my throat swabbed just to make sure its not strep (and that I should be back on antibiotics) and then we shall see...

 

[jockboy01]

strep and mono look quite similar in the throat. But they can coexist. Coming from somebody who had mono just last year, sounds like mono. The fever and sore throat and everything you describe is classic mono. So I wouldn't worry. It takes forever to feel better too. I was sick for about two months (granted, the first month I didn't know that's what it was so I didn't take it easy). Rest, fluids and sleep. How can you not sleep? When i finally took it easy I was sleeping about 16 hours a day. It was quite pathetic but it's all I wanted to do.

 

[Luka]

mono can last for months, so dot worry bout it.

 

[Atomw7]

I was diagnosed with mono once. I think the doctor misdiagnosed me. My throat was swollen and such, almost to the point where I couldn't swallow. I was so weak that I could only stand in the shower for 5 minutes or I got extremely dizzy and couldn't stand. He gave me medicine for mono but a week later I didn't improve with the meds at all. My (now ex) boyfriend's mom was a nurse, and I was visiting him at the time (out of state), she suggested I go back to the doctor and she went with me. I got new meds, and within a day I was completely fine. I have no idea how I improved and recovered within a day with the new meds, but I think he figured out it wasn't mono. I would suggest getting a second opinion.