Question
Can stress cause the same symptoms as HIV?
24 October 2008. Related: All topics, HIV testing.
Can stress and anxiety be the reason for symptoms that are the same as an acute HIV
infection, and should I test for HIV?
I had unprotected sex some 10 times with a guy who showed me a negative HIV test 4-5 days before we had sex (because of my recent paranoia, I don’t know what to believe, is telling the truth or not).
Three – four weeks afterward, I had enormous stress at work and combined with the brake up with my partner, I started to feel mild cold, usually a runny nose in the morning.
After I started to read for possible diagnose, I have read about all acute HIV symptoms and anxiety and stress increased 10 times as much.
After approximately 5 weeks from initial sex, and after all the stress and anxiety, I constantly felt itchy skin all over my body without any red skin. Every time I think about possible HIV infection, immediately my skin starts to itch from several minutes to several days. Also, I felt some muscle aches.
Also, as summer ended, the weather changed and I got 7 days ago (6-7 weeks after initial contact) I got a flu, without or with a low temperature, completely tired muscles and a headache. 4-5 days afterward the flu decreased and a mild sore throat began.
Right now, almost 8 weeks passed for the initial contact, and I have aching muscles on the arm, neck and shoulders, mild sore throat and big amounts of anxiety over possible HIV infection.
Could you please tell me – can the big amounts of stress and anxiety over this matter be the possible reasons for my flu and other aches? What is the possibility of an HIV infection?
Do all symptoms for acute HIV come simultaneously?
Can stress, anxiety and fear from an HIV infection be a reason for all of the mentioned above?
Thank you for all the help.
Answer
I can’t comment on whether you have HIV. Stress and worry can cause many symptoms but the only way to know your status is a test.
We advise everybody who is sexually active to get tested regularly, say every six months.
There is more on testing and modes of transmission here.