Dear Dr Bob, This is terrified mama again. Thank you so much for your reply. Hearing that my risk of infecting my son (If i am +) is nonexistent is the best news. I have decided I will be OK if it's just me but I don't know how I could life w/myself if I had infected him.

I went ahead and donated to your site, the lawyer can live w/o the last $50 for this month- the people you help cannot. (don't worry, he'll get all but that 50)

So. Keeping in mind I fully understand you cannot diagnose me over the internet, and keeping in mind I understand ARS symptoms usually last 2-4 weeks (and I'm going on 3 months) is there a chance my ARS is over and these are just lingering effects? Or possibly is me seroconverting? I realize you don't possess super powers (damn) but wondering if you know of cases where the initial sickness ends but then bothersome symptoms still persist (rather than the person goes back to feeling OK for 8-10 years). Presently suffering from headache, ear ache and pressure, pressure in throat and mild sore throat, tired jaw, fatigue (but admittedly not sleeping well) and tired/achey muscles (again, not sleeping well and total stress case).

OR does is sound more uncommon w/ARS and seroconversion b/c it has lasted so long??

Thanks for your advice to wait on the test til a few weeks after my last dose of methylprednisolone, which will be this Thursday. It's a 6-day treatment, 4mg. idk if each pill is 4mg or which... so do you think til November 9 I will be ok to get an accurate result? I am scared to death to test, but I have to know, I am so nervous.

Thank you thank you.

Hi,

Welcome back to the forum.

Is there any chance you are having lingering ARS symptoms for three months? Nope! The symptoms associated with acute retroviral syndrome occur as the infected person is seroconverting from HIV negative to HIV positive. These symptoms generally manifest two to three weeks after primary HIV infection and persist for several weeks before spontaneously resolving.

Your symptoms are much more consistent with sinus congestion/infection plus anxiety leading to insomnia, which in turn leads to fatigue and not feeling well.

I'm not sure what "it's a 6-day treatment, 4 mg. idk if each pill is 4 mg or which . . ." even means, but my advice remains unchanged. Testing on November 9th should provide an accurate result.

Thank you for your tax-deductible donation to The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation (www.concertedeffort.org). It's warmly appreciated. In return I'm sending you my good-luck/good-health karma that your definitive HIV test will be negative. My good-luck karma has yet to fail!!!

Good luck.

Dr. Bob