Question
Will PEP still work if I am not taking it strictly every 24 hours?
16 May 2022. Related: Adherence, All topics, PEP/PEPSE.
I started my 28-day PEP course 4 days ago after having oral sex with a girl and later noticed that my gum was potentially bleeding while giving the oral sex. The third day of taking PEP I was taking the pill late for 1 hour (taking it at 12:30 vs. my usual time of 11:30). The fourth day I was late for another one hour (taking it at 13:30). Today I took the pill again at 12:30 because I felt like taking it at my usual time of 11:30 would have been too soon since the last dose (13:30). Will PEP still work effectively for me? Thank you so much.
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
Yes PEP will still work effectively for you.
PEP needs to be taken regularly every 24 hours for it to work. But PEP does remain in the body longer than 24 hours. For this reason there is some leeway for being late or early with a dose by an hour.
Though it is best to avoid this to ensure you are maintaining a suitable level of PEP within the body. Is 11.30 still suitable for you or is it better moving your regular time to 12.30? To help remember it may be suitable to set an alarm each day to prompt you to take PEP.
Josh.
Hi TK, no you do not need your dose extended. While on PEP you are protected from further exposures as PEP will work like PrEP. You can complete your course as expected. The 21 remaining tablets will be effective.
For more information about PEP: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/pep-faq
My partner is on ARVs and I had an exposure for the first time then went to get PEP within 48hrs. I then had another exposure in 8 days after starting PEP.
Will the 21 tablets for PEP still work for me effectively or should I consult my Doctor to get my dosage extended?
Again I am worried that I might be infected. So what are the chances of being infected if you got exposed while you were already on PEP and your partner is adhering well to treatment?
Hi Gina, no this is not going to reduce the effectiveness of PEP. As long as PEP is taken within an hour of its regular time it will still be effective.
PEP: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/pep-faq
Good day
I have been somedays 20 mins late somethings on time and sometimes 20 mins early with pep
Is this gonna reduce its effectiveness help !!
Hi Matt, what is the name of the PEP you are taking? Some combinations are better taken in the morning and vice versa.
How many doses of PEP have you been given? If you have an extra the best way to adjust PEP would be to take your normal 10am dose and then on the same day take a following dose of PEP at your desired time e.g., 10pm. Having one day of a double dose 12 hours apart is not going to cause any problems and you will not need to worry about gradual adjustments.
5 hours are very big to be stretching over a couple of days. It is either best to move by an hour a day or do it in one big adjustment as suggested.
Hi. I just started PEP at 10 AM this morning (63 hrs after risky exposure) and am planning to do gradual adjustments to the time I take the meds so I can take it regularly before bed. Is it okay to take it at 5 PM tomorrow then 10/11 pm on friday, or is it better to adjust it backwards (take it 6 AM tomorrow, then 1 AM friday, then 10/11pm friday night)?
Hi Jimmy, how late were you? On one occasion, being late with PEP after previously being consistent with PEP is not going to reduce how effective PEP is.
PEP: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/pep-faq
Does being late for pep..after a consistence affect the effectiveness
Hi Levi, what is the name of the PEP you are taking? Commonly people are given TLD. TLD has a long half life. This means it can remain active in the body longer than 24 hours and can account for occasionally being late with dosing.
Other drugs used for PEP are also likely to also have this allowance. TLD is simply the most commonly used.
Being an hour late is not going to risk treatment effectiveness at all. As long as you are taking it within the hour of your normal time there is no risk of it not working.
3 hours is a little longer than what would normally be suitable. However only doing this once and later on in the course is still not going to have a big impact. Your course of PEP will still be effective.
Hi Josh. I wanted to ask, so i have been on PEP for about 18 days now, of the 28 days. For about 4/5 days, i wasn’t able to take the pill on time. Today being one. i usually take it around 6pm, although i have an alarm, sometimes my phone is off, or something else makes me forget. I haven’t missed a dose, and the latest I have been is 3 hours once. Thereafter the other 2/3 times should have been by an hour, and today was 2 hours. I intend on taking it on time, till i finish obviously except if i unintentionally forget. My concern is it mostly has been incostinent from like last weekend, where i take it in a window of 6-8.30 basically everyday. Will i still be okay?