unknown symptoms

[dav96]

my girlfreind for the last year or so has had a variety of different symptoms i,e, fatigue,weight loss,heavy and irreguler periods,sleep problems,dizziness and pale skin,ive had numerous hiv tests myself all negative but she is scared of needles so is reluctant to get a blood test,there is something wrong for sure but dont know what,any ideas

[Rowena Santos, MD]

Hi,

How is your girlfriend? Heavy and irregular periods may lead to anemia, fatigue, dizziness and pale skin. it is important that she is evaluated by a gynecologist for proper management. Tell her that her medical history and complete physical and pelvic examination are initially done and may not need needles if this is a problem for her. Other tests like ultrasound will also help determine the underlying cause. Irregular periods may be caused by changes in hormone levels, use of birth control pills, trauma, undiagnosed infection, thyroid and pituitary disorders, stress, change in diet or exercise routine, recent weight changes, or even underlying illness. Treatment will depend on the underlying cause.

Take care and do keep us posted.

[dav96]

can we rule out hiv if my hiv test results have come back negative

[Rowena Santos, MD]

Hello,
You can not rule out HIV if your HIV test is negative. Your HIV test result reveals only your HIV status and does not indicate whether or not your partner has HIV. HIV is not necessarily transmitted every time you have sex. This is why this should not be seen as a method to find out if your partner is infected. The enzyme immunoassay or EIA is  the most common screening test used to look for antibodies to HIV. A positive EIA is used with a follow-up test such as the Western blot to make a positive diagnosis.

[dav96]

but i am the only possible route of infection 2 her,she is 100 percent faithfull,i know that for sure,so if she hasnt exposed herself to hiv and my numerous test results say iam negative then she cant have hiv can she?

[Rowena Santos, MD]

Hi,
Aside from sexual contact, HIV can also be transmitted by sharing needles and/or syringes with someone who is infected, or, less commonly through transfusions of infected blood or blood clotting factors. Also, babies born to HIV-infected women may become infected before or during birth or through breast-feeding after birth. If there is no chance of these routes of transmission, then there is nothing to be worried about.

[dav96]

thank you rowena,ill keep you of informed of her situation,iam just praying shes ok

[Rowena Santos, MD]

Hi,
Please do update us. But I really recommend that further evaluation should be done to ease any worries. Without direct clinical examination, diagnosis and treatment are difficult to obtain. Take care and best regards.