HELP - half moon like rash on chest (HIV fears)

[williamsmom]

Let me preface this by saying I've been tested for HIV as recently as a year and a half ago (been tested three more times before that in the past six or seven years....all were negative. I'm worrying now, though, that maybe the most recent test I had was wrong - or that I've contracted HIV-2 somehow (yes crazy I know)

I woke up this morning with a weird half moon rash on my chest. I also have a sore throat. I should say that I've been struggling for the past three months with undiagnosed dizziness and brain fog. The neuro was going to throw HIV into the battery of blood tests until I told her I'd recently been tested. She managed to jump start my HIV fears again...also exacerbated by the fact that I've had a run of yeast infections lately (lots of antibiotics for sinuses plus starting birth control pills up again).

Someone, anyone, please help....I feel like I'm gonna go off the brink here again.

Any non-HIV, non-life-threatening reasons for this odd rash? I'm tempted to Google but we all know how that goes....

[williamsmom]

OK now less than an hour after I woke up, I can't even hardly tell the rash was there. But I'm still freaked out especially with all the other symptoms I've been having...

[pickledkittie]

I don't know anything about rashes being caused by HIV. As far as I know, HIV has no known symptoms in itself.

Anyhow, what I really want to ask you is, what risks are you putting yourself in to further fuel your HIV suspicion? I mean, it's highly unusual for someone to question an HIV test because, as long as you wait six months after contact to take the test, they're almost never (like, below 1% chance kind of never) wrong. It's pretty uncommon to get a false negative as, false positives are usually what occur. Also, if a test did come out positive, the doctors usually retest the patient because there is still a chance of the results being wrong.

I took an HIV test under two months ago because I was worried about some sexual contact that I'd had a year before then. The test came out negative and, I totally don't doubt the validity of that result because the HIV virus becomes present all throughout your body by then, even in your saliva. There is no real way that it couldn't be detected through blood or saliva testing.

So, there are obviously some other things you need to reevaluate in your life rather than worrying over test results that are obviously correct. (1) The risks you are putting yourself in that are causing you to question your HIV results so much. (2) Your issue of obsessive compulsive tendencies.

Take care.

[williamsmom]

Hi pickled kittie -

I don't have any risk factors, and haven't for a number of years.

For some reason (and I know I am being crazy) - I keep wondering if maybe I have something other than HIV-1.

Yes, ridiculous, I know....

Edited to also say - I'm currently on an antidepressant for headaches, and had to ramp down for an ENG test. I'm not yet back up to my regular dose and that may be the reason for my obsession. Also - I need to make a psych appt because I'm fairly sure I need additional meds and/or therapy.

Thank you very much for the reply.

[jazzedbutterfly]

Rashes are very common. Sometimes i will be asleep and I will hop in the shower and i will still have a giant red spot that is itchy on the side of my body from where i was laying or fabric was rubbing.

By the way on antibiotics i get TONS of yeast infections (in my mouth)

Actually I am on antibiotics right away and i am probably gonna get one.

If you are on antibiotics + birth control that is pretty much like a guarantee for a yeast infection! LOL!

But if you have hiv and get yeast infections they are SEVERE. because once you get to the point you have yeast infections you have very low immunity.