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Avatar universal

Sniffing

Hello doctors, I have read through the prevention community looking at some posts and came across one on the use of snorting gear and HIV. This had never even came across my mind until I read it as all of the prevention I learned when I was young was protected sex and never share IV drug work (IV drugs are as far away from this group as they could be as we are all middle class people) and It is causing me a little worry. I could not see any similar questions when I was scrolling through the expert forum so I thought I would ask it to you and maybe we can put it to rest for good. I recently did some cocaine this past weekend with some friends. We shared the same bill to snort throughout the night around 5-6 times. I did not notice any blood on the bill but we were all drinking pretty heavily. I believe there had to be at least 2 minutes between each of us sharing the bill. It had been a few years since the last time I had tried the drug and I think most of the other guys this was there first time. The one guy who brought it is a regular user but does not use any other types of drug with the exception of pot. I called him to ask if he has been tested for Hep and HIV and he said he gives blood every six months, this is his way of getting tested (I gave him supreme crap about this), I also told him that I am not even sure if they would call you if there was an issue because of privacy concerns.

I also wasn't to worried but called my local Health Line and asked when I should go in for a Hep C test, they told me three months and I also should get and HIV test as I exposed myself to that as well.

I do not want to put my wife or family at any risks and wanted your opinion, since there has never been a documented risk, would we not know of this as a transmission route already with how long this has been around?

Would this not be similar to environmental transmission which does not happen?

What is my HIV risk?
How large is the Hep C Risk?

Thanks so much,
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Avatar universal
I do have one question unrelated and didn't think it was worth the extra dollars. I chew tobacco and I left the room for a minute and my 19 month old kid took my spit bottle and was holding it (this is gross and made me quit thank god). Not sure if any went in the mouth and if it did I am sure it was spit out immediately. I was reading on the mothers prechewing food and there was a risk to children. The only reason I worried is my kid came down with a runny nose and cough 7 days later. I was feeling fine and not even to go in for testing until this happened. I had no symptoms and currently it is 26 days for me. This may be my anxiety kicking in again which sucks as I felt 100% fine until this and did not feel testing was neccesary.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks you Dr for your help and dealing with the few extra questions. It is appreciated and given me to think a little more rationally about the exposure and the no need to pursue testing. A little bit of situational anxiety was i play and your responses helped to quell this as I didn't want to go through waiting for a test 3 months from now. Take care,
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300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Last answer--the use of a dollar bill makes no difference. EWH
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Avatar universal
Okay, i have taken some time to sit back and assess the risk. I will get tested for HCV at 3 months as it is not a bad thing to do anyways, I should go and get it done anyways as it has been a while.

From other comments, you have said that the risk is the same as kissing and drinking from the same glass when using a sniffing device, I used a rolled up bill, does this make a difference?

I am not sure if I will get an HIV test but from you stating there has never been anyone get infected this way, I don't see the medical reason and just have to remove it from my train of thought.

As my posts have probably shown, I have developed a little anxiety over this and It looks like you deal with this everyday from people.

This is the last post as I have taken some time to think about it rather than just shooting off questions.
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Avatar universal
Thanks Dr, I just got  a little anxiety when you said test at 3 months (thought you usually only said this for higher risj situations. Have a good week.
Helpful - 0
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
No.  EWH
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Avatar universal
One last question that i didn't see, has there ever been a case of anyone getting hiv from sharing bills? Last one and on my way.
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Avatar universal
Thanks you sir, have a great evening and thanks for addressing my concerns.

I also just noted that you can search archives and I have read some of your other replies that I could have read where you also stated no risk.. Sorry about that.

Take care,
Helpful - 0
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Correct.  I see no need for testing for either infection.

If you choose to pursue testing, I would suggest you wait until at least 3 months following your exposure of concern.  EWH
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Avatar universal
Thanks so much for the reply doc, I apologize for the repeated question. When you say you would not recommend testing because the risk is so low, did you mean for both hep and hiv?

If I was to get a Hep test, how long should a person wait?

It was all really grouped together in the last paragraph and is most likely my fault as I threw it all together.

Helpful - 0
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the Forum  there are a number of variations on this question that have been answered in the past.  To summarize, there is no meaningful risk for HIV form sharing devices used to snort drugs.  While I suppose it might be theoretically positive if you were sharing straws with someone who was infected and had a (very) bloody nose, and you punctured your own nose.   The fact is however that this does not happen.

The HIV virus is quite fragile and survives very poorly outside of the body.  even if virus somehow got on a straw, it would have to puncture the mucosal surface of a nose to have any chance of leading to infection.  

The person you spoke to was being overly conservative.  This is because they will get fewer complaints about being overly conservative than if they were not.

As far as hepatitis C is concerned, it is more infectious than HIV but in the situation you describe, there is still no reason for concern.  I would not recommend testing in this situation because the risk is so low.  If you chose to get tested, I am confident the results will be negative and that you did not get HIV or hepatitis C form this exposure.  Hope this helps.  EWH
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