Can HIV cause diarrhea?!

[Andy699]

Hi guys, haven't posted in a while and sorry if it's long but I'm really scared.

So basically, I recently split up with my boyfriend (i'm gay), and I was with him for 2 months and everytime we had sex we always used a condom. But recently I've had really bad diarrhea and a kinda bloated feeling in my stomach. Those are my only symptoms but i'm freaking out because I heard that diarrhea can be an early sign of HIV. My sister's friend has HIV and she said when she first got it it caused really bad diarrhea. But she also said that her lymph nodes were the size of golf balls! My lymph nodes feel fine.

I've booked a HIV test for Tuesday but I'm gonna be freaking out until then. Do you think I maybe could've contracted it even from protected sex? And is diarrhea a red flag for HIV? Thanks so much guys

[miss sparkle]

I would think if you has protected sex with this guy your chances of getting hiv are slim to none. Thats presuming he even has it, which is unlikely. The diarrhea is more than likely because your nervous and anxious about the test. You are doing the right thing by getting tested though as it will put your mind at rest :)
The

[Andy699]

Thank you, the only time we had unprotected sex was oral sex but my doctor told me it's nearly impossible to contract it from oral sex

[miss sparkle]

There you go then :)
You may of even picked up abit of a tummy bug or something.

[Andy699]

Yeah my whole family has been ill over the past few weeks and my dad has just got over the flu so maybe I've caught something from them? I think i'm just over-exaggerating. My sister's friend said she was so ill when she got it she couldn't even get out of bed!

[miss sparkle]

I dont know much about hiv, but i have read somewhere that some people suffer flu/cold like symptoms around 4 weeks after exposure, but i hear some people dont have any at all. Try and stay calm. And im sure your test will be fine ;)

[lily1]

Diarrhea could be caused by hundred's of things, and IBS is a common cause especially if you are worried.

The fact you have bloating as well ( also an IBS symptom) is more suggestive of that. Stress can trigger it.

Do you have any other symptoms as well like an urge/rush to go to the toliet?

Morning rush?