Well Doc, I have to admit your forum has helped me to overcome my fears over the last six months. To make a long story short I had an Illness that seemed to mimic some of the symptoms of HIV ARS. Here is what happened:

I had protected sex Sept 25th of 2001. October 6th I had an Occullar migraine. I developed a low grade fever that lasted 2 weeks. I was tested for all STDs at 1 month past exposure and tested negative. I later tested negative for HIV on the Elisa at 2,3 and finally 6 months. During my illness I had weird problems like sensitivity to light, red bumps on my shoulders and upper arms, muscle pain and extreme weakness. I also had black stool for a couple of weeks. I had GI pain. I am generally a healthy person who never gets sick.My doctor ran other blood tests and said that everything was fine including my liver function. Could this have been a bought with Mono, or Epstein Barr or even Hepatitis C? Should I continue to worry about possible HIV infection, or Hepatitis C. Please answer, I need your advice. I still have lingering doubts about my health, even though I am almost back to normal.

Hello,

You had "protected sex" and negative HIV tests up to 6 months. Your symptoms of ocular migraine, light sensitivity, etc. are not suggestive of HIV or hepatitis C. The G.I. pain and black stool should be checked out. Your doctor will look for blood in the stool and other potential causes. If you were losing blood n the G.I. tract, you could develop anemia, which in turn could cause fatigue. Mono, Epstein Barr, hepatitis C, HIV? These are all quite different illnesses and easily diagnosed by blood tests.

Should you continue to worry about possible HIV or hepatitis C? Of course not. And don't worry about Bubonic Plague, the Red Death, or Ebola virus, because you don't have those either. OK? You're well. Stay that way!

Dr. Bob