Question
Does PEP have side effects?
5 February 2018. Related: All topics, PEP/PEPSE, Side effects.
Hello,
I am confused with PEP treatment, specifically about the side effects.
From sexual health charities I hear that PEP treatment can cause occasional side effects which may or may not go over the 28 days treatment. Another one (THT) says that the side effects are extreme and about 1 in 5 people on PEP stop taking it as a result.
The sexual health nurse said that side effects on PEP are very common and are severe.
I’ve heard from 3 people who have had PEP and they said that they didn’t get any side effects.
What’s the official line on PEP and side effects? I thought that PEP usually uses recommended triple therapy, using drugs that are well tolerated. Is the conflicting information I am receiving due to outdated data or current data?
Thank you for any clarity you provide.
Answer
All meds have some risk of side effects, but for PEP this risk is usually low. If side effects do occur, they are usually mild.
This depends on the meds used in the PEP combination.
In the UK in 2018, the PEP combination is usually raltegravir plus a combined pill with tenofovir DF/emtricitabine, which generally causes very few side effects, if any.
Even general side effects like nausea, diarrhoea and tiredness are not experienced by most people.
If mild side effects occur, they usually get easier after the first week or two as your body adjusts.
PEP that contains a drug called efavirenz is not recommended in the UK, though is used in some countries where there is less choice for HIV drugs. Efavirenz has a higher risk of side effects including mood changes and vivid dreams.
Discontinuation rates for PEP are often not very good. Studies of health workers who are exposed with a needle-stick injury report many people stop before the full month of treatment.
Note: This answer was updated in February 2018 from a question first posted online in June 2009.
It is now almost two weeks after taking PEP my eyes are now yellow and everytime I feel dizzy, can I stop or what am I suppose to do?
In most cases the chance of not becoming positive is much higher than the risk of HIV being transmitted. If you have had a recent high risk, PEP is recommended as soon as possible.This should preferably be within an hour or two but can be prescribed up to 48 hours afterwards. UK guidelines allow this windoe to be 72 hours, but the longer the delay, the less likely PEP is to work.
is it a must that when exposed to hiv you will be infected? after being exposed to hiv when does a person start pep for effective results?
You have no right or expectation for another person to take an HIV test. This is a decision for them to make and not for you to force it on them. The test would tell you nothing about your own HIV status and this is all you should focus on.
I am not surprised that your partner became defensive.
athe condom broke when I was having sex for the first time with a partner who doesnt know her status,i asked her to test and she strongly refused and became defensive,I visited a doctor and within24 hrs and was put on pep.today is my sixth day but now m experiencing nausea and loss of appetite.how can i manage nausea?should i expect to feel the same way for the remaining 24days?
In the UK, PEP guidelines recommend a 4th generation HIV test 4 week after PEP is stopped. A second test is recommended after three months.
before starting PEP you need to be tested for HIV with a rapid test. After finding you are negative u can start PEP. when should you get tested again after PEP or when on PEP?
Hi Sandra, these could be side effects from the PEP treatment. If these aren’t improving he should contact his doctor.
im + my boyfriend is – . the condom broke he went for PEP treatment.now he feel nauseous, diahree, dizzy. did he perhaps contract the infection or is he totally stressed?
Hey, thanks for your thoughtful comments.
I think your article will help people to organize the knowledge we’ve got from the rest of the colleagues.