Q for HIV+ people about swollen lymph nodes - TheBody.com's Bulletin Boards

Q for HIV+ people about swollen lymph nodes

I would like to know if when you have swollen glands in the neck are they sore or painless?

I just took the plunge and took my 2nd HIV test…I am awaiting my results, which should be ready, this fri-sat.

I am tremendously nervous about some symptoms that I have had in the last year and a half, this and having unprotected sex is what made me get tested this week. My first test (negative) was nerve wrecking enough but this time I have this gut feeling I am going to be positive. Why I think it will be positive is because in my 30 years I have never had any of the following problems until this last year and a half.

My symptoms: After being a fool and sleeping with a woman numerous times with no protection after my first test was negative.

1: Just days after sleeping with this girl I came down with a horrible fever that left me unable to get out of bed for a week with heavy sweating, nausea and tonsillitis (or strep throat) *I have never suffered from tonsillitis or strep throat in my entire life* I never went to the doctor for an evaluation but took Penicillin and starting feeling much better the next day. The day before I got sick I had been working very hard with little sleep that week, got way to drunk, puked and passed out in my friends lawn that lives on a lake. I wrote this incident off as being sick from running myself down with no sleep/hard work and alcohol, I also thought sleeping in a yard with duck and geese droppings might have not been a great idea.

2: Six months later I got tonsillitis/strep throat again for the second time in my life…no doctor visit, took Penicillin and again started feeling much better.

3: Shortly after my tonsillitis I had an outbreak of follicutilis on my left wrist that took more than 6 months to clear with the use of antibiotic cream, in all I had the rash for about a year. Once again another symptom I have never had in my 30 years.

4: Last summer I had seborrheic dermatitis around the folds of my nose. Mind you I live in Michigan where it is very hot/humid during the summer. I am under the impression this is common only during cold dry seasons. *Yet another skin problem I have never faced in my 30 years*

5: Developed soreness in my armpits that lasted 3-4 months. The soreness is kind of hard to explain but my armpits only seemed to be sore when my arms were close to my body and the pain would go away at night, I would wake up from sleeping and have no soreness until about an hour later, some days I wouldn’t feel any pain or sometimes it was more severe???????? I wrote this off as pulling my muscles from carrying very heavy (50-70 lbs) cartons in a very awkward position down my basement stairs but after the pain kept coming back for 3-4 months I thought differently. * Once again I never had any on going pains in my armpits in my life*

6: About 3 months ago I noticed small scratch like red blemishes under my skin on my upper thigh. The blemishes are not raised but appear to be under the skin and change in color from dark red to light red. I haven’t put any creams or anything on them because I wanted to see if they would go away themselves, I also thought maybe my 90 pound puppy my have made the spots from jumping on me but after seeing that they haven’t gone away for 3 months leads me to think the mark(s) are something related to being HIV positive.

7: I have gained like 50 lbs in the past year and can’t tell if I have swollen nodes in the lower portion of my neck or just a fat neck. If I turn my neck a certain way the lumps (about 1 inch wide 2-3 long) are easily seen in the fold of my lower neck, they also feel hard on both sides of my neck in the exact same spot. If I turn my neck in another way the lumps disappear.

8: For about a month I have felt like I have water in my right ear, my ear is not soar or itchy just feels like I have water stuck in my ear that won’t readily come out with q-tips. I noticed the water type feeling when coughing or yawning also if I pull on my lobe I can hear the water mushing around. I have read in a few places that this was common among HIV individuals. * Once again I have in 30 years never had any ear troubles that I can recall*

All these symptoms I have all have been within a year and a half window…I would love to think this is all coincidence but have this gut feeling there is an underlying problem. Please say your prayers for my test results and me this Saturday. My live is going to change drastically one way or another this Saturday I hope and pray it will be for the better.

TIA

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