Question
I finished PEP. Now I have symptoms?
3 February 2022. Related: All topics, PEP/PEPSE, Side effects.
3 days after finishing PEP I am having stomach pain and diarrhoea.
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
Side effects from PEP would present while taking PEP. Now that you have finished taking PEP these symptoms would not be caused by your medication.
It is also too early for this to be a sign of seroconversion. A number of things can cause stomach pain and diarrhoea. PEP and HIV are not likely in this case. If your symptoms continue/worsen it is important you seek medical help.
Josh.
Hi Simon, it is possible that these are side effects. These symptoms could also be caused by other infections other than HIV, or by the stress you are experiencing around HIV. As you have finished your course of PEP you have a very low risk of being positive. Do you know if the woman you slept with was on treatment?
Hi,im finished pep yesterday,but throughout the 28 days i have been unwell having feever,headaches,fatigue and lack of sleep….as im writing this i have diarrhea and i finished taking pep yesterday…could the diarrhea still be side effects of pep? im so scared im contemplating suicide incase im positive,i pray for God to help me…the woman i had sex with was positive.
Hi Charles, a mild headache and neck pain is not suggestive of HIV/PEP failure. As you have now finished your course of PEP it is also not linked to PEP. A headache is a normal thing and as it went so soon does not suggest HIV. This is also true for neck pain. Have you mentioned the neck pain to your doctor.
Hello I’m Charles.
Although I made mention of starting TLD as pep late, after 5days of expose. Now I’m done with my month pep course. It been a week now, and I have experienced some effects or symptoms such as mild Headache for two days, and neck pain that has lingered for more than 5 to six days now. The neck pain always gets resolved each time I sleep and wake up, but slowly returns as I go about my business. I have not developed any lymph nodes, rashes or fever since I started taking pep till now. I’m really worried about the neck pain. Is it a side effect of TLD or symptoms of HIV. Am I seroconverting? Please help me with answers.
Hi Emma, as the neuropathy’s you have mentioned presented late/after TLD, TLD is not likely the cause. TLD in the short-term is not linked to ongoing long-term side effects. After stopping, symptoms associated with TLD will resolve.
Have you been in contact with a doctor about the pains you are experiencing?
Thanks Josh
Cifixime was for Typhoid of styphi O 1/160, which I took for 5 days. It’s that fingers and toes pains that are concerns now. Just hopping that TLD hasn’t caused problems for me. I feel pains in forehead usually at wake up, which fades away when I go out
Hi Emma, what do you mean by neuropathy in your toe? As you are no longer taking TLD, there will be no effect on sleep from this medication. What were you taking cifixime for?
What you have described does not suggest HIV seroconversion. Testing negative at 3 weeks does suggest that you will remain HIV negative. Stress can be a cause of the symptoms you have noticed. Please follow this link for more information: https://i-base.info/guides/testing/hiv-testing-feelings-of-fear-anxiety-and-guilt
Appreciate
Some neuropathies on toe started on the 30th/last day on pep , though it’s now dull on fingers and toes and then sleep deprivation. Though I ve not been the sleeping type. Just worse after the 5 day cifixime course. Tested last week 3 weeks post pep. What do you think please and noticed pains around neck, ear and eye to the right. No swollen glands. 3 dots on scrotum disappeared in 3 days. A bruise in mouth lingered up to 7 days to heal only after the use use of vitamin c through the night and now teeth sensitivity on that same side. Talk to me please on all of these. I don’t the kind of tests used by government hospital in Nigeria and the officers have no idea
Hi Emma, oral sex carries little to no risk of transmission. This is because saliva contains antiviral properties which makes it difficult for HIV to be transmitted in this way. While you are on PEP you are protected from any further exposure.
3 acne dots are not suggestive of HIV. As you are experiencing no other symptoms and your potential exposure was very low risk and you took PEP, it would be very unlikely for you to be HIV positive. In your case there are a number of protective factors that reduce your risk from this exposure. Please follow this link about testing and anxiety: https://i-base.info/guides/testing/hiv-testing-feelings-of-fear-anxiety-and-guilt
Oral sex with woman who excessively rubbed saliva on my penis tip. Started TLD like 10 hrs later in night. It affected my sleep so I couldn’t take it the next day night but took it the next morning being the second pill about 45 hrs post exposure. After 2 weeks cus of journeys I was late for like 7 hours but never skipped a day. Then I accidentally knocked head with a person who had about 3 visible swollen glands on the spot where I broke an acne, just around 2 weeks into pep. 2 weeks after pep, I had typhoid of O 1/160. Typhoid/malaria gone after 5 days yesterday.Tomorrow makes it 7 weeks post exposure and Wednesday 3 week post pep. Noticed 3 acne dots on my scrotum. Please what’s my risk. No cold, no cough but there was fever. Since you said we should wait at least 4 weeks post pep.