Q and A

Question

Can I routinely take pain meds with oral PrEP?

Hey there, i’m from South Africa and recently started my PrEP medication. My question is can I take PrEP with my over the counter painkillers? I suffer from mild headaches and usually take two pills a day, will this not interfere with the PrEP pills?

Answer

Hi there

Thanks – you are right to check this.

Even though there are few important drug interactions with PrEP, this might be a concern.
https://i-base.info/guides/prep/does-prep-interact-with-any-other-medications

PrEP can interact with some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), especially diclofenac, ibuprofen and naproxen. Short-term use for a few days will be okay, but routinely taking both drugs together can cause kidney problems.

NHS information about NSAIDs:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/nsaids

Please talk to your doctor about this and about alternative ways to treat the headaches. Sometimes closer kidney monitoring might be okay.

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