Bloody semen - TheBody.com's Bulletin Boards

Just before Christmas 2004, I began to have fevers and headaches that recurred every three or four days. These bouts became more severe as time went on and by mid-January I was beginning to lose weight and becoming fatigued. Unfortunately, I was never sick when I went to my doctor, so she disbelieved me.

By mid-February the fevers and headaches were of longer duration and I began to miss a lot of work. About this time, I noticed that my semen had clots of blood in it. I checked the internet, which indicated that bloody semen was normal and should be ignored unless it persisted for more than two weeks. I waited for two weeks, the bloody semen persisted, and I called my doctor. Inexplicably, my appointment was cancelled with a promise that it would be rescheduled, but it never was.

I toughed out the fevers, the headaches and the bloody semen for another two weeks, by which time I began to feel very tired to the point of near exhaustion. Finally my companion of 25 years, who inexplicably is HIV negative, insisted I visit my doctor.

At the visit, I explained my symptoms, she drew blood for a viral load, CD4, blood cultures, PSA and gave me a referral to a urologist and ordered an MRI of my head. At this time my urine tested positive for hematuria. Upon returning from a vacation in Las Vegas two weeks later, I received a telephone call from my doctor to say that my viral load had increased to 180K and my CD4 count had dropped from 380 to 330. She asked that I come in for another blood test. The results of that test were lost, so two weeks later, I was tested again. Two weeks later, my doctor told me that my viral load had increased to 390K and my CD4 count was 280, the PSA test was normal. By then the bloody semen had become nothing but blood, which if I abstaned from sex for a few days became dark red and bubbly.

The doctor pulled me in for another set of blood tests which this time included a drug resistance panel. The headaches and fevers continued, often lasting now for 24 hours, and my semen became not only bloody but watery as if an open artery was draining through my penis.

In mid-April, my doctor called to say that apparently my HIV had become resistant to Sustiva. At that time I was on a program of Videx, Viread, Sustiva, and Dapsone. I had had a nasty bout of PCP, the year before which became complicated by a hitherto unknown allergy to sulfa drugs. She started me on Viread, Videx, Retrovir and Atazanavir and Dapsone.

The urologist confirmed the hematuria and upon exam pronounced my prostate smooth and soft, a healthy sign. He referred me for a CT of my pelvis and my HIV Specialist referred me for an MRI of my head, for the headaches. Both tests returned with no findings. A month later, the urologist performed a cysto, without benefit of painkillers, finding no abnormalities other than my prostate was enlarged. He prescribed a 14 day course of Cripro XR 1000MG, and ordered a PSA, urinalysis, and urine culture.

So here I am in Mid-May with bloody semen, the new HIV regimen seems to have stopped my fevers and headaches, I have tested negative for MAC and CMV. What could be causing my semen to be blood? And should it have taken so long for my doctor to order the drug resistance panel, given my symptoms? I feel that I have been badly served by my doctor and my HMO which is Pacificare. What can I do?

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