Pep side effects
Hello everyone,
Today I am 7 days post-PEP, and I am now aware that the partner I was with is actually not HIV-positive. I wanted to share my experience and symptoms to hopefully provide some reassurance to others.
When I first started taking the medication, I began feeling itchy, but I never actually developed a rash. Instead, I noticed that patches of body hair would suddenly stand up on their own, causing an uncomfortable sensation that I initially mistook for itching.
During the first week, I experienced diarrhea, but it disappeared almost completely by day 3.
In the second week, I developed severe joint pain. It felt similar to having a bad cold and was accompanied by a fever. After that, I started getting what I thought was a rash, but it consisted of only one or two isolated bumps at a time, appearing in completely different areas of my body.
Of course, I was also very anxious during this period, which may have contributed to how I felt overall.
During my last week on PEP, I developed oral thrush, experienced severe dehydration, and frequently had very cold and numb feet. I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay hydrated while taking this medication. I should also mention that my oral hygiene was not the best at the time, and these medications can sometimes affect the body's natural flora, which may contribute to issues like thrush.
I never experienced swollen lymph nodes as a side effect of the medication. However, I did get sick during the last week because my brother had the worst cold imaginable and passed it on to me.
It's important to remember that everyone reacts differently to these medications, and some people may even experience side effects after completing the course. In my case, as I mentioned, I became severely dehydrated and at one point passed urine that was brownish, almost tea-colored.
My oral thrush has already cleared up, but I still feel tired, and waking up in the morning is more difficult than usual.
Even though i know my partner is hiv negative ill still take the test to use in the future with other possible partners, be safe everyone!