[Question #10696] Kissing and Biotin
20 months ago
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Doctors,
I recently made out with a women age 52 for about 20 minutes. She said she had two boyfriends in the last 5 years. She said she was tested for hiv twice since her last boyfriend. Not sure what tests were used but they were lab based. She does have low iron and is being treated via IV for this.
She advised she takes 10,000 mcg of biotin via a multivitamin daily.
She also takes a supplement of 500 mcg of biotin daily.
Questions:
Did I have an hiv risk regardless of her hiv status?
Does her ingestion of the biotin amounts listed above affect her test results? (I have seen both doctors state different amounts may affect results)
Does biotin only affect early infection( 1 to 6 weeks ) and then it does not?
Does biotin affect antibodies, antigens or both?
Should I just move on or is testing needed?(I do sometimes have chapped lips and some occasional mouth sores)
Thanks.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
20 months ago
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Welcome back to the Forum. Thanks for your questions. I'll be glad to comment. The partner you describe was very low risk. Her age puts her in a group who are unlikely to have HIV and with her two negative tests, you cn be confident that she is not infected. Even if she did have HIV, kissing is NOT a risk factor for HIV, even is she has poor dental health or sores in her mouth- still NO RISK.
In response to your specific questions:
Did I have an hiv risk regardless of her hiv status?
No
Does her ingestion of the biotin amounts listed above affect her test results? (I have seen both doctors state different amounts may affect results)
The dose of biotin she has been taking is too low to effect HIV tests.
Does biotin only affect early infection( 1 to 6 weeks ) and then it does not?
VERY early in infections, as antibodies are just beginning to appear in the blood, unusually high biotin levels can, theoretically, reduce the accuracy of HIV tests
Does biotin affect antibodies, antigens or both?
In theory, both. In fact however, this simply has NOT been a meaningful problem.
Should I just move on or is testing needed?(I do sometimes have chapped lips and some occasional mouth sores)
My advice is to not worry and move on.
I hope this helps. Please, no "but what if...?" questions. Please don't worry. EWH
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19 months ago
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Dr,
Merry Christmas. Thanks for your response. The kissing took place on November 21.
On December 17th I either got food poisoned or had a stomach virus. It included diarrhea, vomitting and a low grade fever. By the end of the 18th the symptoms went away.
I hadn’t plan on testing but on December 19 the had a health fair at work. I had a rapid 4th gen test made by alere. The result was negative. This test was 28 days post risk.
Yesterday (December 24) my stomach hurt a little. Today I have diarrhea.
I read on one of your previous responses that diarrhea in isolation is not ars related.
Questions
Please confirm that my negative test last week confirmed my first stomach virus and fever was not ars?
Please confirm that I don’t need further testing?
Please confirm that today’s diarrhea in isolation would not be the ars?
Can I sleep with my regular partner?
I just want to move on.
Thanks
19 months ago
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I also had a white sore / coating in my mouth the same morning I was tested.
Question:
Would my test latter in the day rule out that this was ARS?
19 months ago
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Dr.
To be clear today I have diarrhea and stomach knots.
Thanks for your time.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
19 months ago
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I'm sorry you continue to have so much trouble moving forward. I'll go straight to your questions:
Please confirm that my negative test last week confirmed my first stomach virus and fever was not ars?
Yes, your negative test proves that your stomach symptoms were not due to HIV.
Please confirm that I don’t need further testing?
Correct
Please confirm that today’s diarrhea in isolation would not be the ars?
Correct. As I've said before, isolated diarrhea is not a symptom of recently acquired HIV
Can I sleep with my regular partner?
Yes
Would my test latter in the day rule out that this was ARS?
Yes, your negative test proves that the white spot was not HIV.
EWH
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19 months ago
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Dr. Hook,
Thanks for responding.
I tested for hiv at 43 days (Alere rapid duo)? The results were negative.
1. Do I need more testing?
2. Did I need hiv testing at all?
3. Am I conclusively negative for both hiv 1 and hiv 2?
4. When is to late for hiv ARS? Today I woke up with morning mouth / coating in my mouth (48 days post risk)
5. My most important question:
What do you do when you routinely and for years get coatings in the mouth and have had thrush but test negative for hiv? My research shows it might be from dehydration and or it might be oral biofilm. In the morning if I take my finger nail and lightly scratch my inner cheek minor translucent / clearish / whitish stuff comes off. As the day progresses it seems to go away. I do sometimes sleep with my mouth open. Nobody seems to know what to say about it. One oral specialist said it’s not a big deal. What are your thoughts?
6. Is it true that some people test positive for minor amounts of oral candida and that’s ok or is any amount of candida (thrush) not good?
7. This summer I was diagnosed with hypopigmentation of the skin on my chest by one doctor and another said hyperpigmentation. This came after a sun burn. Would either of these affect hiv testing?
8. Can I have unprotected sex with my regular partner?
Thanks for your time. Happy new year.
19 months ago
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Dr. Hook,
With regard to question 5 . Just to clarify .
what I meant is from my research the mouth film described might be from dry mouth or maybe it’s from biofilm. I wanted your opinion.
Thanks
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
19 months ago
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Final responses- straight to your questions:
1. You were not at risk to start with and did not need testing then. Now you have proven you were not infected. No further testing is needed.
2. See above- there was no reason for concern and no reason for testing to start with.
3. Yes
4. The symptoms of the ARS occur within 30 days of an exposure. Your symptoms this morning were not the ARS.
5. I would ask these questions to a dentist. My suggestion however would be to avoid things that increase your risk of thrush like unneeded antibiotics. I might consider brushing your tongue as well as your teeth on a regulars basis.
6. Absolutely- its quite normal to be able to find Candida in the mouth.
7. Absolutely not.
8. Certainly.
This completes this thread. There should be no need to return to the forum regarding the exposure you described. Take care. Please don't worry. EWH
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19 months ago
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Thank you doctor.
So even if I have a minor coating or thrush I can put hiv out of my mind?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
19 months ago
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Absolutely. Closing thread now. EWH ---