|
Sam34yo
|
|
Newbie
|
|
|
|
|
Reged: 11/15/05
|
|
Posts: 4
|
|
Loc: Australia
|
|
Swollen Glands
#165105 - 11/23/05 05:20 PM
|
Reply
|
Quote
|
|
|
I contracted HIV mid-June (had I thought there was a chance I'd contracted HIV I would have taken PEP - damn!). Anyway, my viral load hasn't come down as much as I had hoped. Five months on an my viral load is 290,000 copies/ml. My CD4 is fine - in the 500s. I have had persistently swollen lymph glands (neck and armpits) for a couple of months now. It is very uncomfortable and causing me quite a bit of anxiety. My doctor (experienced with HIV) doesn't want to do anything until my VL reaches a set point... which could be several months away. He suggests there is nothing he can do about the very swollen glands. There isn't much talk of swollen glands in this forum. Is anyone else experiencing this? Has their doctor suggested any treatment? I'm trying hard to relax but I experience a cycle of great anxiety, feeling very low and every now and then I panic (with very dark thoughts). Just hearing from others are having the same trouble might help me manage this.
Post Extras:
|
|
|
|
Sam, I'm under the impression you are NOT on any meds. As far as swollen glands go. I hade them for several years (before I was tested) they never caused me any undue physical pain, unless they were prodded, and even then. If your generaly talking about emotional distress, I recomend seeking out s support group in your area. Your 'dark thougts' concern me. I was always a 'happy-go-lucky' type guy who could always roll with the punches. But this was one 'funk' I couldnt get out of on my own. And before I realized it I had thoughts of doing some 'rash' things myself. If these swollen glands are promanent to you, they are likely a constant reminder of your new HIV+ life, and THAT takes some getting used to. Three monnths into it for me, and there are times it still hits me in the gut like a fist. But if you are being constently tormented by these 'reminders' of your physical condition, then you have no peace. So again, the best advice I can give you is find another person in the same boat to talk to. If the DR is a specailest then trust his judgmnt, be glad you still found it early....and breath.
S
Post Extras:
|
|
|
|
Sam,
I think everyone has swollen lymph nodes during times of stress and when the virus is more active. You should try to relax more and really try not to make it the focal point of your life, but accept it as a small part of your life as someone suffering from allergies would. I have had swollen lymph nodes from time to time, and right now have some lymph nodes in my arm pits that are swollen, but I don't let it bother me. I have been positive for 5 years and have never been on meds. I contribute this to redefining what is most important in my life and letting go of all the unnecessary clutter and stress makers.
Hope that helps,
Yaoughta.....smile and relax
Post Extras:
|
|
|
|
Hi, how long did it take you to show anitbodies? I have had swollen glands since July. My exposure was June 20th, my test are negative as of now. Did you experience a severe sore throat as well for 5 months without it being strep?email me kr72775@aol.com
Post Extras:
|
|
Sam34yo
|
|
Newbie
|
|
|
|
|
Reged: 11/15/05
|
|
Posts: 4
|
|
Loc: Australia
|
|
|
Thanks for the posts. From your anecdotal feedback here in the forum (and feedback from others off-forum) I believe I might have these swollen glands for a long time. I'm surprised at how firm they are. They fell like to marbles - hard. I'm a bit worried that this is a sign my body is having a difficult bringing down my viral load. There are times I panic and experience anxiety. I hear you - I must try to be calm and just get on. It is difficult, but I will try.
Responding to a couple of questions:
1. No, I'm not on meds yet.
2. I experienced sero-conversion illness exactly two weeks after exposure to HIV. My sero-conversion was really rough... I was very ill for three weeks: very, very saw throat; night sweats and flu-like symptoms. (By the way, the influenza is really bad and nothing like a common cold. I've had influenza only once before.) It took several more weeks for my very sore throat to settle down. My doctor too swabs of my throat but there was no signs of a bacterial infection. The back of my throat was very inflamed and painful. About three weeks into sero-conversion (as it was easing up a bit) I had a bit of trouble with Candida in the mount. This was brought under control with prescription anti-fungal lozenges. I was very frustrated that my doctor (experienced with HIV) could give me nothing to make the sero-conversion illness less severe or more comfortable. Sero-conversion was hell and he told me just to ride it out... take basic pain killers.
3. Interestingly, my glands didn't swell up until a month after sero-conversion.
I will seek out some local peer support groups. I'm keen to hear if others are experiencing swollen glands. Sharing observations might help me control my anxieties.
Candida: a yeastlike, parasitic fungus that can sometimes cause thrush. Genus Candida, phylum Ascomycota, esp. C. albicans. In the mouth it appears like a soft white film (layer of skin) on the gums.
Sam
Post Extras:
|
|
|
|
I am sorry if this is specifically for people with HIV/AIDS but I am having severe anxiety and am looking for answers. I have had a problem with my tonsils/glands for a long time. I was wondering if you knew when you had servoconverted/tested positive for HIV. I had an HIV test a year ago after having a sexual encounter which was followed by basically all classic ARS "flu-like" symptoms very soon after the incident(I had the flu 2 months prior to this incidence which i know was not related to sexual encounters). The test was done at almost exactly three months to the day of the encounter. It was an unprotected oral encounter which i performed on a male (i am female) with fluid intake. The next morning my glands were very swollen. ARS symptoms followed in the next week. A week after the incident I went to my doctor who cultured me for strep throat which was positive. I took amoxicillian and it helped somewhat. To this day I still have problems with my tonsils. Also the guy I was "involved" (hooking up basically) with recently has started to start asking friends how I am doing and what I have been up and mentioned that he has tried calling me(my phone number changed). This has got me absolutely terrified. Also the fact that my throat is not right and I keep reading that problems with tonsils are associated with HIV infection. I also have a white coated tongue and little white bumps on my upper lip which I have had since the encounter (thrush?) showed them to my doctor who claims he doesn't see a problem there. However, my lip was never like this before and is still like it a year later. Also the guy has put on a large amount of weight (he used to have an athletic build) which makes me scared that he is experience the excess fat that some people get with HIV medicine. Can I trust my three month test? I am so terrified it was a false negetive. Please help! I am a 20 year old college student with such a bright future ahead of me. I am in a prominent organization on campus. This was the first sexual encounter I had outside of a relationship. I'm the kind of person who carries anti-bacterial lotion in my purse. I am sorry if you are sick of people who may be in the "worried well" catergory but I am an advocate for this cause. In high school I was secretary for our AIDS Awareness group and plan to have a career in public health related to HIV/AIDS. I guess it's ironic that I would be having a scare like this. Sometimes I think that maybe I was meant to have it. It also doesn't help that I am in love with this guy but refuse to let him in because I am terrified of what might be the truth. My parents know od the situation and are sick of me "being so ridiculous" but my body just doesn't feel the same. I would really like them to be there with me when I get tested again? Did you have others with you when you got tested? Once again I really don't want to make anyone feel bad about their status. I know that having HIV know is not like it was back in the 80's.
Post Extras:
|
|
Sam34yo
|
|
Newbie
|
|
|
|
|
Reged: 11/15/05
|
|
Posts: 4
|
|
Loc: Australia
|
|
|
Is anyone else experiencing persistent swollen lymph nodes in the neck and/or armpits?
Post Extras:
|
|
|
|
Hi Sam. I understand the frustration of persistant symptoms and the lack of treatment available to us during acute retroviral syndrome. One thing that helped me get on top of the swollen nodes and intense burning they caused were over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs. They took a good week or two to begin to work. Once the inflammation was under control the swelling went down and much of the burning stopped (Although I still have persistant mild burning). I stopped the anti-inflammatories for a while and the burning and swelling returned, so now they are part of my daily regimen. I'm not on ARV's yet. An added bonus is that there is growing research that suggests that slowing down the inflammation process also reduces the rate at which HIV is replicated. OTC meds like aspirin and ibuprofen are ideal because they are cheap and easy to get. Do a bit of research on the net about aspirin and the other NSAID's and their effect on HIV and there role in reducing inflammation. Best to get this under control quickly because, for me, this was a major source of depression because I was constanly reminded of my infection due to the pain and swollen nodes. Hope this helps.
Post Extras:
|
|
Sam34yo
|
|
Newbie
|
|
|
|
|
Reged: 11/15/05
|
|
Posts: 4
|
|
Loc: Australia
|
|
|
Thank you. Thank you so much for this response. It gives me hope and a course of action to try.
Post Extras:
|
Previous
Index
Next
Flat
Threaded
