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Avatar universal

Please help with my concern

Dr
you must have already seen my posting on the community forum. Can you Please give me your professional opinion. I have been anxious about this for a long time and now  I am almost testing with Oral swab weekly. Is there a possiblity that I dont have antibodies . I have read that at some stage antibodies are hard to detect and there have been cases like that. What are the signs I should look for in this case and should i do a DNA PCR or RNA test as the DUO test is not available and  i am past window period. I have done the ICMA test which is negative at almost 15 weeks and Oral swab at 22 weeks.
Please help I am desperate to get some answers
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
No comment.  This thread is over.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
thanks for your note . Since this episode my anxiety is off the chart and also have lost lot of weight( almost 20 pounds)  with stress ,worry and almost no food diet.My triglycerides are way low so and so is my other lipids and again wonder whats going on.  I hope after all these test my results are authentic and correct. A lesson well learned and your expertise and advice  on this subject valuable.
I am starting a new life so to say.Also I am totally leaving it to the superpower up there and your expertise for me to move ahead.The flu season is here and with every cough and every sneeze you tend to see it as a symptom and wonder if its the same condition  is making noise.
Helpful - 0
239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
As I said, "there is no information you can provide that would possibly change my opinion or advice".  There are no medications or medical conditions that have any effect on HIV test reliability, with the possible exceptions of severe life-threatening illnesses like terminal cancer and potent chemotherapy or high dose immunosuppressive drugs.  Even these are theoretical, with few if any actual known cases.  For sure your diabetes or nasal cortisone had no effect.  Your negative tests are competely reliable.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Dr
happy new year,
Contrary to your advice I did use the home access to test one more time at 24 weeks. Which came back negative.
Does Having Diabetes or using a nasal Cortizone affect the results of the hiv testing as I am not on any diabetes medication yet.
Please respond to allay my fears. Thanks
Helpful - 0
239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.  Thanks for your question; I also glanced at your discussion on the community forum.  (We don't see those discussions routinely, but often look before responding to a new question here.)

It would seem you have some sexually oriented anxieties that are inflating this whole business far beyond reason.  Since you have consistently used condoms, you have never been at significant risk of HIV. But in any case, your many test results are definitive.  And apparently you have misunderstood something basic about HIV diagnosis:  it is simply not true that "at some stage antibodies are hard to detect".  That is ONLY true in the first few weeks after infection.  Once you had a negative antibody test more than 8 weeks after your last sexual exposure (or for even more security, 3 months or more after that event), the results proved you were not infected.  Any and all tests after that point were superfluous.  The specific kinds of tests (e.g., ELISA, ICMA, oral swab, etc) don't make any difference.  You do not need PCR or any other testing.

So it is time to stop testing and stop worrying.  If you find yourself continuing to obsess about it, professional counseling might be in order.  It is not normal to remain so anxious about HIV after the repeated, science-based reassurance you have had (perhaps from your own doctor, as well as MedHelp).  I suggest it from compassion, not criticism.

I hope this has helped.  And before you ask any follow-up questions for clarification, please think very carefully.  Unless the timing of your tests is inaccurate, there is no information you can provide that would possibly change my opinion or advice.

Best wishes--  HHH, MD
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