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frieked out: i am traveling abroad in the Caribbean and have

 
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  • Answered by:DR.Das.MD
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frieked out: i am traveling abroad in the Caribbean and have met a few women and had unprotected sex/oral sex within the last few week. I became sick a few days ago with thrush, flu-like body aches, and cold sweats. I have a cronic problem with the porous tonsils thing that creates numerous infections in the back of my throat yeilding those white hard balls. The flu-like symtoms lasted only a little more than 24 hours but the thrush was really bad. started having a light yellow puss draining in the back of my throat mostly on the right side as well as an ear ache that has gotten worse. i holed up in my hotel overthe weekend trying to keep it at bay with baking soda rinses and listerine. today i went to the dr and he gave me medication for the thrush. he however asked me if i had had unprotected sex recently and i said no because the guy who brought me there waas in the room and he is a very religious man and a friend of my family. so i didnt give him a fair chance to diagnose me. later thioios evening after the thrush medicine was working pretty well i started having alot of pressure on that right side of my throat and pain in my ear. i put peroxide in my ear and it fizzed for about 20 minutes and then stopped. the pain got worse. i went in the bathroom and saw pus starting to weep slowly from my tonsils or actually from back behind my tonsils. i placed a spoon back and pussed the skin aside and a massive flow of white puss came out. most disgusting thing i have ever seen. pressure on my ear and the pain immediately went way down but is not gone. THen ii got online and started seeing all kinds of blogs about puss on the tonsils but not really with all my situation in consideration. i found one sight that said that HIV 36 is a cause of puss on the tonsils and now im sick all over again... can you tell me if that is the most likely cause here? did i just kill myself?

 

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Person's Age: 41

Already Tried:
nothing i didnt mention already

Submitted: 342 days and 2 hours ago.
Category: Health
Value: $69
Status: CLOSED
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Expert:  DR.Das.MD replied 342 days and 2 hours ago.

Hello,

The first symptoms of HIV occurs about 2-4 weeks after exposure, The symptoms are similar to flu with fever. sore throat etc.All of which you had.

Pus in throat is not necessarily due to HIV infection and generally the early symptoms of HIV are not so acute as to cause pus formation. Pus formation is more likely to be due to strep throat.

But you need to be tested for HIV. If you are within 3 weeks of the exposure, then you can get a test called HIV PCR test which can usually give accurate results within three weeks of infection. Or you can wait and get a antibody test after 6 weeks.

But given your history of tonsilitis and infection as well as the ea pain, i am more inclined to think of this as a strep throat. you will need to be prescribed antibiotics for that.



Customer replied 342 days and 2 hours ago.

The answer you sent is great. Thank.you!... But it made me realized that even as longwinded as i was i left something out. I have actually been traveling for the past 9 months... kinda island-hopping around and over that time i have had sexual encounters as well with the local women. I do always use a condom but i give oral sex alot so that really makes the condum effort almost wasted right? and based on that new information does that change the probabilities as well? sorry i didn't provide all the info you needed upfront. anyway...i will get whatever test you recommend now and if i dodged my own stupidity im a changed man! this really shook me up! i am a complete idiot!!!

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Expert:  DR.Das.MD replied 342 days and 2 hours ago.

Yes, if you do engage in oral sex, than you do have a chance of picking up HIV. Using a condom for vaginal sex will not prevent the infection.

The symptoms you have now (fever, flu like symptoms etc) are seen more in early stage of HIV. Assuming that you have picked up HIV within the last 2-3 weeks, then a HIV PCR test will be best.

If however, you picked up the infection more than 3 months ago, then an Antibody test will be more accurate.

But your symptoms are quite acute (since you have pus which is a sign of an acute infection). If this had been due to HIV, then you would have had a host of other symptoms related to acute HIV - fatigue, diarrhea, skin rashes etc.

It is more probably that you have strep throat rather than HIV.

Customer replied 342 days and 1 hours ago.

so then what about the thrush? i am very sure i have a case of thrush. The clortrimazole made the symtems go away rather well. Do you think it is possible i already had strep which lowered my immune system down and made me an easy target? if i had oral sex with a woman who had either a yeast infection or a naturally high yeast level in her vagina would i or could i have contracted thrush from the oral sex act? or is it a different type of yeast in each situation? ( i realize i owe you a tip!!)

Accepted Answer

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Expert:  DR.Das.MD replied 342 days and 1 hours ago.

Thrush occurs when the immune system is down. And yes, a strep throat is very often associated with a thrush infection because of that reason. If clotrimazole cleared up the symptoms, then you did have a thrush infection.

And yes, you can pick up a thrush infection from oral sex if your partner had vaginal yeast infection at that time - the organism is the same - candida. It is not a different type of yeast in each situation.

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Category: Health
Pos. Feedback: 96.8 %
Accepts: 845
Answered: 5/8/2012

Experience: Wide experience in all aspects of medical treatment, including cancer therapy.

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