Biotin before an HIV test. Can this give me a false negative result?

[dave4284]

I had a potential exposer 1 year ago via unprotected vaginal sex with a female of unknown status. From what i can understand from research that this is very low risk? I took a 4th gen HIV1/2 blood test almost a year later. The result was normal (non-reactive) but as I read the patient instruction form more closely after the fact it mentioned avoiding the supplement Biotin 24-48 hrs before test. I took 330mcg within 24 hrs of being tested. Is this a big deal? can I trust the result of this test? Getting tested was a very stressful experience and I really don't want to go through that again.

[AnxiousNoMore]

No, you do not have to test again and should stop worrying.

[dave4284]

If you could just humor me for a moment, forgive me if I'm coming off as a hypochondriac and I'm sure there are alot more important questions for you to answer on this platform but is there ANY solid science AT All about Biotin effecting HIV tests? I've only seen websites that mention it but the medical lingo goes right over my head and is hard to understand. If there is no solid science  behind it,why would they even mention it on my patient instructions? Thank you and I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions.

[AnxiousNoMore]

It is time to move on from imaginary hiv disease.
See a therapist if you can't stop wasting your life worrying. 7 people get plague in the US every year. Last one died and the previous one got it from his cat but you don't spend time worrying about plague which you can actually get.

[CurfewX]

No one here can stop you from testing again if you want to do that, but we're not here to humor you nor to provide support for anxiety. Most science references high-dose biotin. Again, test if you want to. Sorry it's a high-stress experience for you, but that's not something we can help you with.

[GuitarRox]

True, while unprotected sex is a risk, it is very low of less than 1 percent. And you tested negative. You didn't take enough biotin to affect a test. You are negative.

[AnxiousNoMore]

Foods high in biotin include:

Beef liver. Just 3 ounces of cooked liver has 30.8 micrograms, which is 100% of your daily value.

Eggs, especially egg yolks. One cooked egg has 10 micrograms of biotin.

Milk. One cup of 2% milk has 0.3 micrograms of biotin. Milk also contributes to bone and teeth health, and it is a good source of protein, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and vitamin D.

Bananas. One serving (half a cup) of banana has 0.2 micrograms of biotin. Bananas also have vitamin B6, vitamin C, and the minerals manganese, potassium, and magnesium.

Nuts and seeds have biotin, but how much you get depends. For instance, a one-fourth cup of roasted almonds has 1.5 micrograms, but just six walnut halves have 9.5 micrograms. A one-fourth cup of roasted sunflower seeds has 2.6 micrograms of biotin, more than the amount present in any other seed.

Pork chops. A 3-ounce serving of pork chops has 3.8 micrograms of biotin.
Salmon. A 3-ounce serving of cooked salmon has 5 micrograms of biotin, about 17% of your daily value.

Sweet potatoes have 2.4 micrograms of biotin in half a cup, about 8% of your daily value of biotin.

Mushrooms have biotin, too. A 100-gram serving of portabella mushrooms (a little more than 1 cup) contains 11.1 micrograms.

It is very rare to have a biotin deficiency, therefore just about everyone who ever took an hiv test had a fair bit of biotin built up in their system just from eating.