autoimmune disease and window period

[needhonesthelp]

If someone did have an autoimmune disease, would this impact the 3 mo window period for HIV?  I know some immunocompromised...I'm not sure if autoimmune false into this category.

I have some symptoms that my doc thinks could be autoimmune related...not sure.  I'm a little worried about how this would impact my neg 3 mo HIV test

[needhonesthelp]

i know man, maybe there is nothing wrong with me at all.  it just seems a little strange that i keep getting sick and have other annoying and odd problems.  stress can create havoc on the body too and make a person more susceptible to getting colds, etc.  maybe that is all i have...to much stress and anxiety creating illness.

i just can't seem to find any info on other diseases that would cause someone to get sick a lot.  does itchy ears even sound like a concern...i think this is more allergy related but i don't seem to have allergies at this time of the year.  i know it can go along with sore throat but why have i been suffering all winter with it since my first sickness?

do you know of anything else that could be the cause of my concern...excluding hiv

[needhonesthelp]

i know i'm probably bugging you and others...i just can't figure out why i keep getting sick.  it really makes me think there is something wrong with my immune system.

ever since i got sick after my possible exposure, i have been on a roller coaster on sickness.  i'm not saying all my sickness is related to HIV or anything else.  i'm just concerned my immune system is not well and if i was exposed to HIV or Hep C that my body may not have produced antibodies yet because it isn't working well.

Heck, i feel like i have experienced a sore throat, itchy ears, etc almost all winter.  how do explain that?

[needhonesthelp]

I spoke to the Mass Dept today regarding HIV and Hep C because of my worries.  I'm not even sure if I have an autoimmune disease, my Antinuclear Antibody test was neg and Sed Rate is 2...pretty low.  They did a test for Sjorgens syndrome and it was neg but over 30% of people don't test pos anyway.  It does make me feel a little better, but the Aids Hotline in Mass said autoimmune diseases do cause immune deficiencies and may delay antibodies.  This topic continue to confuse me.

I have been sick with sore throats, coughs, green stuff, etc 3 or 4 times this winter.  Normally I am pretty health I thought.  Maybe a bug or two/year.  It is starting to make me think my immune system is not functioning well.

Anyone have any thoughts on this topic?

[needhonesthelp]

Do you have anythoughts on this topic?  If you decide to read this post...

Is dry mouth related to HIV?  Can anxiety really cause prolonged dry mouth?

And would an autoimmune disease cause a 3 mo test to be less conclusive?

[needhonesthelp]

I do wonder if anxiety can cause dry mouth, but for 3 mos????  That seems a little extreme.  It bothers me most when I'm talking.  I notice that I get a white or light yellow filament on my tongue too...not sure if this is due to the dry mouth.  It comes off fairly easily but just seems odd.  I don't know if it could be yeast?

My mother was recently diagnosed with Sjorgen's syndrome.  She gets dry mouth and eyes along w/ other symptoms.  We concluded that i have a lot of the same symptoms...including GERD, neurological symptoms, etc.  Maybe mine are due to stress, maybe it is something serious.  I just can't figure it out.

[Frank303]

Anxiety is a common cause of dry mouth, dehydration is a more common cause.
Urine should be clear to pale yellow, if not you are not drinking enough.

BTW it's better for you apparently if you drink water that is not cold, your body has to expend a lot of energy (4200Joules per degree C per kg IIRC) to heat cold water to body temperature.  

[needhonesthelp]

thanks for that info Chris.  I'm not even sure if I have an autoimmune disease.  I believe I'll be getting some blood work soon to see if anything comes up.  I have been dealing with a lot of dry mouth for 3 mos and can't seem to figure out why.  Apparantely Sjorgens syndrome can cause this.  It does seem odd that the dry mouth started after my fears of contracting HIV or Hep C.  Could anxiety or stress can this prolonged dry mouth?  I'm just not sure.  I did want to make sure that my 3 mo neg test was accurate.  Of course, I have read that HIV and Hep C can cause dry mouth too.  Does anyone know if this is associated with an acute phase or later in the process?