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HIV Scare! Can't Sleep!
Dear Dr. Handsfield and Dr. Hook,
Over the last few months I was having difficulty swallowing, so I went to my Primary care doctor and they didn’t see anything off hand. So they referred me to a Gastroenterologist. So I went and saw the Gastroenterologist and they performed an Endoscopy. After that they said I had Esophageal Candidiasis and that it was USUALLY caused by HIV. So they did a HIV Antibody test that they sent out to a lab. While I waited for the results to come back I went home in tears and told my wife they thought I had HIV. So she went to her Internist and they did a HIV Antibody blood test that they also sent to a lab.
Well, both our HIV tests came back to our doctors as negative. We have been married for five years and have been completely faithful to each other. So I would think if we had HIV our test would have been positive by now. My doctor said he wasn’t sure what it was. But I could see an Immunologist. Just so you know I have high Glucose (121 and not on medicine) and I have EXTREME stress from some mental health problems.
Everything you read says that Esophageal Candidiasis is a HIV disease. So now I am freaking out still.
So my question to you two doctors. Can both mine and my wife’s negative HIV antibody tests COMPLETELY rule out HIV being the cause of the Esophageal Candidiasis. And do our negative HIV Antibody tests COMPLETELY rule out us having HIV? Do we have ANY reason to worry about having HIV or need any other testing? Or should we be assured HIV is not our problem and stop worrying.
I saw some other posts like this, but a little different to ours so I wanted to ask anyways. Since they didn't make me or my wife any feel better. I hope you don’t mind. The things people write online about Esophageal Candidiasis and HIV are out right terrifying!
Please help! I just want to lay in bed and cry all the time now.
Over the last few months I was having difficulty swallowing, so I went to my Primary care doctor and they didn’t see anything off hand. So they referred me to a Gastroenterologist. So I went and saw the Gastroenterologist and they performed an Endoscopy. After that they said I had Esophageal Candidiasis and that it was USUALLY caused by HIV. So they did a HIV Antibody test that they sent out to a lab. While I waited for the results to come back I went home in tears and told my wife they thought I had HIV. So she went to her Internist and they did a HIV Antibody blood test that they also sent to a lab.
Well, both our HIV tests came back to our doctors as negative. We have been married for five years and have been completely faithful to each other. So I would think if we had HIV our test would have been positive by now. My doctor said he wasn’t sure what it was. But I could see an Immunologist. Just so you know I have high Glucose (121 and not on medicine) and I have EXTREME stress from some mental health problems.
Everything you read says that Esophageal Candidiasis is a HIV disease. So now I am freaking out still.
So my question to you two doctors. Can both mine and my wife’s negative HIV antibody tests COMPLETELY rule out HIV being the cause of the Esophageal Candidiasis. And do our negative HIV Antibody tests COMPLETELY rule out us having HIV? Do we have ANY reason to worry about having HIV or need any other testing? Or should we be assured HIV is not our problem and stop worrying.
I saw some other posts like this, but a little different to ours so I wanted to ask anyways. Since they didn't make me or my wife any feel better. I hope you don’t mind. The things people write online about Esophageal Candidiasis and HIV are out right terrifying!
Please help! I just want to lay in bed and cry all the time now.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Sigh. I deleted your last comments because you were asking me to repeat myself. What "confusion" or "misunderstanding" do you have? What can be more clear than "...both your and your wife's negative HIV test results are 100% reliable" and "...for sure neither you nor your wife has HIV. You can put aside that concern…"??? And also "My suggestion [about the ID specialist] of course doesn't imply I believe you might have HIV after all. I do not"???
Do I really need to say the same thing yet again in still different words?
That's definitely all for this thread. Do your best to move on.
Do I really need to say the same thing yet again in still different words?
That's definitely all for this thread. Do your best to move on.
Not sure why my last question got deleted. I was just looking for confirmation on a misunderstanding on the last question. I did pay for this service after all.
So I'm going to try again and hopefully get an answer. Please for my sake and marriage not delete this and answer.
Even with your recommendation to see a ID specialist. With our negative tests are we definitely HIV negative even though I have esophageal candidiasis and have nothing to worry about regarding HIV?
Please answer. I promise never to ask a question again. Sorry just trying to clear up a confusion that I am definitely HIV negative and I don't need to worry about HIV even though I have Esophageal Candidiasis.
I'm not trying to be annoying, just trying to clear up confusion.
Thank you.
So I'm going to try again and hopefully get an answer. Please for my sake and marriage not delete this and answer.
Even with your recommendation to see a ID specialist. With our negative tests are we definitely HIV negative even though I have esophageal candidiasis and have nothing to worry about regarding HIV?
Please answer. I promise never to ask a question again. Sorry just trying to clear up a confusion that I am definitely HIV negative and I don't need to worry about HIV even though I have Esophageal Candidiasis.
I'm not trying to be annoying, just trying to clear up confusion.
Thank you.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Thanks for the thanks; I'm glad to have helped.
As the name implies, ID specialists care for and consult on any of the hundreds of infectious diseases that exist. My suggestion of course doesn't imply I believe you might have HIV after all. I do not.
As the name implies, ID specialists care for and consult on any of the hundreds of infectious diseases that exist. My suggestion of course doesn't imply I believe you might have HIV after all. I do not.
Thank you so much for your advice! I can finally sleep again! My only question left is, you suggest seeing a Infectious Disease Specialist. Don't they mainly see HIV/AIDS cases? Are you just suggesting that in case of another disease that could cause esophageal candidiasis? But your not suggesting that because of HIV, right? Again, just to be sure, my wife and I can be ABSOLUTELY sure we don't have HIV?
Thanks again and Happy New Year! Also, take a day off, you deserve it! You are on here everyday!!! :-)
Thanks again and Happy New Year! Also, take a day off, you deserve it! You are on here everyday!!! :-)
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum and thanks for your question.
I certainly understand your concern and anxiety in a situation like this. But the bottom line is that you definitely do not have HIV. The proper approach when your gastroenterologist diagnosed esophageal candidiasis would have been to take a risk history from you before announcing that most cases occur in people with HIV. That's probably a true statement in his or her practice. However, there are plenty of exceptions, and the statement certainly is not true among patients without typical risk factors.
In any case, diabetes is probably the most common factor that predisposes to esophageal candidiasis, other than HIV -- and your high blood glucose is certainly consistent with that possibility. Antbiotics also are a risk factor: have you been on antibiotic treatment for any reason in the past few weeks? But candidiasis sometimes occurs in people with no obvious predisposition of any kind.
Most important at this point is that both your and your wife's negative HIV test results are 100% reliable. The HIV blood tests are among the most accurate diagnostic tests that exist, for any medical condition. As long as more than a few weeks have passed since the last potential exposure (high risk sex, shared needles for drug use, etc), the test result rules. With the diagnosis of candidiasis, it was proper for you to be tested for HIV, but I would have recommended waiting to test your wife only if you had a positive result.
In any case, for sure neither you nor your wife has HIV. You can put aside that concern and concentrate entirely on treating the esophageal candidiasis itself and doing whatever tests your doctor(s) recommend to judge other possible underlying causes. One approach may be to consider an infectious diseases consultation; I suggest you discuss this with your doctor.
I hope this has helped calm your fears. Best wishes and happy new year--
HHH, MD
I certainly understand your concern and anxiety in a situation like this. But the bottom line is that you definitely do not have HIV. The proper approach when your gastroenterologist diagnosed esophageal candidiasis would have been to take a risk history from you before announcing that most cases occur in people with HIV. That's probably a true statement in his or her practice. However, there are plenty of exceptions, and the statement certainly is not true among patients without typical risk factors.
In any case, diabetes is probably the most common factor that predisposes to esophageal candidiasis, other than HIV -- and your high blood glucose is certainly consistent with that possibility. Antbiotics also are a risk factor: have you been on antibiotic treatment for any reason in the past few weeks? But candidiasis sometimes occurs in people with no obvious predisposition of any kind.
Most important at this point is that both your and your wife's negative HIV test results are 100% reliable. The HIV blood tests are among the most accurate diagnostic tests that exist, for any medical condition. As long as more than a few weeks have passed since the last potential exposure (high risk sex, shared needles for drug use, etc), the test result rules. With the diagnosis of candidiasis, it was proper for you to be tested for HIV, but I would have recommended waiting to test your wife only if you had a positive result.
In any case, for sure neither you nor your wife has HIV. You can put aside that concern and concentrate entirely on treating the esophageal candidiasis itself and doing whatever tests your doctor(s) recommend to judge other possible underlying causes. One approach may be to consider an infectious diseases consultation; I suggest you discuss this with your doctor.
I hope this has helped calm your fears. Best wishes and happy new year--
HHH, MD
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