[Question #11697] HIV 4th Generation Result and Impact of Lack of sleep

12 months ago

Dear Sir,

Can you please help explain on following question; if you help clarify this it will be a great help.

I had HIV 4th Generation test done after 19th, 39th, 49th, 71th, 78th and 95th day. All are negative.

I read on CDC website under "Sleep and Immune System", it says as following

3) Sleep loss reduces production of antibodies, which increases the risk for infections.

Link

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/work-hour-training-for-nurses/longhours/mod2/06.html#:~:text=2)%20Sleep%20loss%20generates%20production,increases%20the%20risk%20for%20infections.

I had lack of sleep (Average 4 hour) and few sleepless nights ever since possible HIV infection incident happened, and now I think my results are negative as enough antibodies has not been produced because of continuous lack of sleep.

Thank you

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

12 months ago

Welcome back. I was logged in when your question arrived; most users should not expect such quick replies.

Your abnormal anxieties about HIV are in evidence again, as in your previous thread a month ago. As discussed then, you were not at risk for HIV and did not need testing; and your test results prove you do not have HIV. You cannot extrapolate theoretical concerns, such as lack of sleep, on real world test performance. HIV test reliability is not known to be affected by lack of sleep. And anyway, the 4th generation HIV tests are for HIV antigen as well as antibody. If antibody were somehow not produced, the antigen part of the test always would be positive. That's the beauty of the 4th generation tests: there has never been a proved case of HIV that tested negative more than 6 weeks after exposure. Your negative test results are conclusive regardless of sleepless nights. For sure you do not have HIV.

This reply should settle your fears about it. But let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

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12 months ago

Yeah really I feel lucky to get the response so fast thank you so much.

Following content from CDC site is bothering me, even though I think medical science might have already considered this factor in HIV test as HIV patient more like to have sleepless night and lack of antibodies are not like absence of antibodies and algorithm may considered it...

Can you please explain a little bit?

Sleep loss is also related to a higher risk for infection. Restricting sleep to 4 hours per night for 6 days, followed by sleep for 12 hours per night for 7 days, resulted in a greater than 50% decrease in production of antibodies to influenza vaccination, in comparison with subjects who had regular sleep hours (Figure 2.2, arrow 3).8

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

12 months ago

As I said, if sleep interfered with antibody production, your 4th gen tests still would be positive if you had HIV. Plus the fact that there has NEVER been a case of HIV not diagnosed by the 4th generation tests -- and of course sleep deprivation is a common problem, so millions of sleep deprived people undoubtedly have been tested -- and still no known false negative results. Also you might re-read your previous thread for the other reasons you should not be worried -- especially lack of HIV risk from the exposure you had.

You're not going to change my mind, no matter what other thoughts or worries might come to mind. You do not have HIV. Move on.

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12 months ago

Thank you sir, I know it is more mind problem and not actual health problem. If antibodies are not there virus will be present and could have got detected on test after 19th and 39th day. The P24 Antigen will not go without antibodies itself right?

This is my last question, thank you so much!

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

12 months ago

"The P24 Antigen will not go without antibodies itself right?" Correct. It's the antibodies themselves that clear p24 from the blood.

Thanks for the thanks; I'm glad to have helped. But please note the forum does not permit repeated questions on the same topic or exposure. This being your second on the non-exposure events of last April and concerns about HIV test reliability, it will have to be your last. Such repeat questions may receive no reply and the posting fee will not be refunded. This policy is based on compassion, not criticism, and is intended to reduce temptations to keep paying for questions with obvious answers. In addition, experience shows that continued answers tend to prolong users' anxieties rather than reducing them. Finally, such questions have little educational value for other users, one of the forum's main purposes. Thanks for your understanding.

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