Hi doc, i am a little worried after a night of drinking on a business trip. I have never not remembered parts of the night but I feel I may have had a blackout. I woke up in my hotel room and remember most of the evening with the exception of how I got there. When I woke up, I saw two glasses sitting out. I am not sure if I had used two before I went down to the bar. It has made me worried that maybe I blacked out and slept with someone which would totally be out of my character. Now I am worried and went in for STD testing. On Day 12 I have developed a slight cough that worsens at night. I was totally fine and then this cough came along. If you develop ARS, does it have to be more than just a cough????? Thanks so much for your help and donation is on its way.

Hi,

Symptoms are notoriously unreliable in predicting who is and is not HIV infected. If you think you put yourself at risk for HIV, you should get an HIV-antibody test at the three-month mark. It really is just that straightforward.

If you're drinking to the point of blackouts, you should also get help for alcohol abuse.

Thanks for your support of The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation (www.concertedeffort.org). It's warmly appreciated.

Be well.

Dr. Bob