Fuck flu questions

[wondermut]

I have read in some places that fuck flu can hit 10 days or so after "the event"...then in other places I see 6 weeks referenced. Which is more accurate? What is the average do you think? Also - I've read that there can be no symptoms at all or you can get pretty sick. I'm in a situation where I need to know (at least I WANT to know)- but I am aware that everyone is different I guess and that there may not be anything about it that's typical. Should I be on the lookout for a scratchy throat, etc. - or nausea - etc.? Just like the various time frames I see out there - I also see a wide range of symptoms, so it's not really clear what I should expect in reality. Also, if I find out I have converted - I see some sites say to get on meds immediately and others say don't. Any feedback?

[Ingulphus]

See my earlier posts about my breedings and ultimate conversion for details, but when I got the FF, it was one month after my last exposure to poz cum (and about a year's time taking poz loads prior to that). It hit me hard - high fever, severe dehydration, etc., and I was alone for the first three days, so it was a bit scary. After a week, I was more or less fine, and got my positive test results a couple of weeks later. Prior to fully converting, I had had episodes of swollen cervical (neck) glands after a week of taking my first breeder's loads, so conversion may have proceeded in a leisurely fashion - certainly my immune system was reacting to his VL, and maybe the other two breeder's loads were simply pounding the nail in deeper.

Be aware that any symptoms may be due to an entirely unrelated cause, so don't panic (or celebrate) and assume you're converting. Some men say they've been infected by a single load, while others have taken poz loads knowingly for years before they test positive (such as myself). Do think seriously about the reality of becoming infected if you continue to chase, because it will eventually happen. If you aren't sure you can handle it (the cost of meds, insurance, the stigma of HIV, etc.), then don't continue to get fucked raw. If you can think it out beyond the immediate (and, admittedly, major) excitement of knowingly allowing men to introduce the virus into your body by way of their cocks, rationally think about the consequences of becoming HIV positive, and feel confident you can handle its unique challenges (a reduced life expectancy, for one), then embrace it and go for it. So far, three years down the line, I myself do not regret the decision to allow myself to become infected, and if I could somehow do it all over again, I would, only faster. For others, it can be a devastating event, and for good or for ill, will alter their lives forever.

[Ingulphus]

And yes - the current medical treatment protocol is to start anti-virals as soon as possible after converting - my doctor, who works in one of the leading HIV specialty practices in San Francisco, had me start within 6 months. I take Atripla, and other than the vivid dreams caused by the Sustiva component (if taken at night), I've had no side-effects whatsoever. My husband was on Reyataz (Atazanavir), and had chronic intestinal problems, but after switching to Atripla, they've gone away. It's ridiculously expensive if you don't have insurance - over $2,000 retail for 30 pills - and once you start anti-viral therapy, you're pretty much on it for life, unless you want to become a breeder - viral loads are at their highest and most potent during the first year of infection.

[HardhatBB]

have heard usually a few weeks after you get seeded up. But everyones body is different. Night sweats are a sign also..but could be anything..just get checked