Dr. Bob,

I need reassurance from a leading expert such as yourself so that I can more on. I will donate $50 to your foundation.

After potetial exposure 9 months ago, I've developed symptoms that appear suggestive to that of hiv: elevated temperature mainly in the afternoon to about 99.8;night sweats; swollen lymph nodes behind my left knee; floaters, including deterioration of vision up close to eyes; ringing in the ears; unable to sense warm temperatures, but sensative to cold air; muscle loss. Testing: Multiple EIA's 1/2; one P24; one WB; two PCR's RNA (Cobas Amplicor 1.5) out to the 9 months - negative My concern is that of a strain that is not being detected. Continued EIA's I think will be negative. Do I have a valid concern given all of these symptoms? Thank you - and I will donate.

Hello,

Your multiple negative EIAs, p24 antigen and quantitative PCR RNAs out to nine months are definitive and conclusive. HIV is not your problem. No way. No how. No additional HIV testing is warranted. (You've had way too many already!) Your fears about a viral strain not being detected are unwarranted. You are HIV negative.

"Symptoms" are notoriously unreliable in predicting who is and is not HIV infected. A negative HIV-antibody test taken outside the window period trumps "symptoms" each and every time. I cannot diagnose the cause of your symptoms over the Internet, but I can with absolute certainty advise you what's not causing them: It's not HIV! If you continue to perseverate on HIV despite the overwhelming and irrefutable evidence that you dodged the HIV bullet, you should consider psychological counseling to help you accept the truly wonderful reality of your definitive HIV-negative status.

You should be WOO-HOO-ing, not worrying.

Thank you for your donation to The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation (www.concertedeffort.org).

Be well.

Dr. Bob