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Are Cough, Shortness Of Breath, Extreme Fatigue, Headache And Dizziness Symptoms Of HIV?

Posted on Wed, 6 Jan 2016

Question: Hi Doctor,

I have been really worried the last few weeks that I may have contracted HIV at some point, possibly 2 years ago on my oversees trip.
I have been with my current girlfriend for about 12 months now and I can remember during the first few weeks of seeing her, she got a bad cold. Shortly after that, she had a swollen lymph node on the side of her body, just under her arm, which she had an ultra sound for. She has just this week got a few ulcers in her mouth and has felt a little tired lately, with a few muscle aches.
I have read so much on the internet about HIV and its symptoms ect. And it has got me so worried about it.

About 2 weekends ago, I had a really bad cold. I went to the doctor, but they haven’t prescribed me with anything. I had shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, headaches and dizziness, just felt really ill.
Since then I have felt a lot better, but still have a slight cough.
Are my girlfriend and my symptoms and past few weeks something I should be worried about or not?

Thanks

Answered by Dr. Chobufo Ditah (10 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
No, these are really not very suggestive of acute HIV seroconversion!

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you so much for this query.

I am so sorry to hear about this disturbing thought going through your mind. It's true that you might have had a risky sexual encounter 2years back. For true, all risky encounters can lead to HIV but yours and those of your girl friend are not in any way suggestive of HIV. These are common symptoms and in most cases suggestive of viral infections of the upper respiratory tract.

Forget the nondiscriminatory and non specific information provided by several websites. They never hear your story and that's what makes it a lot more disturbing than helpful.

I hope this helps. I wish you well. Feel free to ask for more information and clarifications if need be. Above all, thanks for using our services.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Chobufo Ditah (5 minutes later)

Hello,

Thanks a lot for the fast reply.
I have been that worried about it, that I have actually asked a few doctors on several different websites and they all say the same thing as you. That I'm worrying too much and the symptoms don't suggest HIV.

So that kind of makes me feel a bit more at ease, but can I ask, why do you say this? Most responses so far seem to almost totally dismiss hiv as a possibility, however, when reading up on it, the symptoms are so common to a lot of things, that I dont understand why it doesnt remain a definite possibility,,

Thanks for your time!

Answered by Dr. Chobufo Ditah (3 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
See below!

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for the followup.

Symptoms of HIV are marked by a time frame. This is not what happened in your case or what happened with your wife. It will be difficult for you to have a settled mind because so much thinking and corroboration with experience comes into making this decision. However, if you really still have a lingering doubt on your mind, do a rapid test and within seconds, you would be more convinced about what is going on.

I hope this helps. I wish you well and happy to address any further concerns you may have.

Note: Get personalized answers to your HIV related queries You can choose to talk face to face with your doctor. Book a Video Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar