After my mistake (HIV scare) I have all these symptoms: heart wall pain, chest wall pain, radiating pain to the whole body, and headache, and cough and sputum. I X-rayed 6 times in 6 months and doctors can not see what is wrong with me. Do I have a virus going inside my body? A viral infection? If I did sputum culture test and it keep failing, is there another test I can do to find out if I have infections?
If the doctors can find nothing physical wrong with you, a lot of those symptoms could be anxiety, perhaps related to the situation involving the HIV scare.
Could the cough & sputum be from smoking or exposure to some other airborne pollution or maybe you just have a cold? I'm assuming you're in the northern hempisphere where it would be cold and flu season right now.
I have asked many authorities about HIV. But after a few months and finding out a lot of information about HIV. I am very very very unlikely to have HIV. So maybe I was scared before. I am more concerend about other virus and infections along with unprotected sex. I live with my dad who smokes outside and comes inside. The doctor want me to do sputum test but my sample keeps getting contimated. I am wondering is there any other test that would do the same thing.
Hi swckv
The only thing I can suggest is to see if they will give you a MRI scan. This will show once and for all if there is anything wrong.
Kev (UK)
Hi Kevin, I already have 6 to 8 xrays already with in 6 months. That is a lot of x-rays. I will try to ask my doctor what else he can suggest.
"Asking many authorities" about HIV is rather pointless: why not just have the test for that and any other possible STI's and be done with it?
Well tests were done at 3 months and 6 months. HIV, Syphillis, Hep C, Hep B, Claymdia, Gonneraha, all negative. that is the reason why I am asking what is happening.
Then it seems you can stop stressing about STI's, doesn't it? Unless you don't trust the tests?
Yeah the tests were done so no idea why the chest pain and headache and whole body radiating pain is going on for 5-6 months already...
Yeah, I am not so stressed about STI anymore. I trust the tests, but some infections might be airborne or through fluids. That are the ones I am more worried about now. Or I do not see other reasons for my chest pain and headaches for months. I do not have any of those symptoms before I made the mistake.
Wow...That many xrays in that period of time is rather extreme. It is expensive to the system and also unhealthy.
If you don't have a fever, then it would be safe to say you don't have an infection. Maybe your pain is related to muscle.
Lill
Yeah it is extremly unhealthy. I do not have a fever but I keep coughing and coughing and headache and headache. Spitting out green sputum and sneezing out blood. I trust my STI tests, but I am more worried about undected viral or bacterial infection due to either airborn or body fluids. I see no reason coughing green stuff for months and having headache and whole body pain for months.
I guess it would depend if you have an existing diagnosis of a lung condition or not.
If you think you have copd, or wanted to eliminate that possibility, you could ask your doctor for;
- a spirometry test
- repeat sputum test (if you can provide a sample)
- ask the doc to listen to you lungs (infections in the lung can be heard through a stethescope)
People with copd can of course get viral infections, cough, get chest pain, lung infections and anxiety but so can people who don't have copd.
Your symptoms don't shout out copd I wonder what makes you think it is copd?
Are you smoking? have others in the family with a genetic lung disorder, if so worth checking for COPD otherwise, I would be advised by what you doctor says, he has your medical history and the results of any tests or xrays.
You could also ask for a cardiac check.
I guess your symptoms could be the result of a viral infection for which your doc would prescribe the appropriate medication.
Hello
Catarrh can cause those symptoms.
It sounds to me the problem could be in your sinuses.
Why not take a sputum sample to the doctor to have it tested and then they can see what is growing in it?
Lill
My sputum samples keeps saying the are contaminated. So, the doctor said do not do it anymore. There must be other ways of doing test to get the same stuff. I just do not know what it is.
Well then...if the sputum is 'contaminated' are they saying it is growing bacteria? Is that what you mean?
It must be, because it sounds as though you have had more than one sample tested, and to believe that more than one of them would have been 'contaminated' by outside sources is difficult to believe unless the lab they use is a real joke.
So have you been given antibiotics then?
Lill
Yeah it is such a joke that the lab messed up many times. No, I have not been given antibiotics because nothing was found. So I have no diea what is happening.
Then you need to have another sputem sample tested.
If your doctor refuses, then go to someone else.
Green sputum is not normal. It indicates infection. And that could be from your sinuses. Or your lungs.
Regardless, it needs to be addressed.
Lill
Hi, I keep doing the sputum sample and the sample keeps saying it is contaminiated. Is there another test that I can do that is fail safe that can dectect infections as well?
The xrays keeps telling me that my lungs are clear. Echo comes out ok too. Any other test that can dectect lung infection? MRI?