2 weeks of pep

[Poz1956]

There really is no universal recommendations on PEP. I've got the PEP guidelines from the UK, Australia, and three Canadian provinces on my hard drive, and all are different, with a variety of recommended drug regimes. Some of them discuss the choice between two and three drug treatments based on the level of risk and exposure. From your post, a three drug PEP does appear to be the best course of action.

Doctors would rarely choose Atripla for PEP, because people will often stop taking it due to side effects. It seems clear you must have received it without doctor supervision, perhaps from a Poz guy who is aware of your situation. Self-medication is not a good thing. Not exactly the best way to handle it, but it is the way you chose.

Emtricitabine & Tenofovir (same combo as in Truvada) are commonly used in two drug and three drug PEP. Efavirenz is extremely effective at fighting HIV (I took it for several years), but specifically Not recommended for PEP because of its side effect profile. Atripla would certainly work for use a PEP, and it is the drug combo you've got, so let's deal with it.

All of these meds have side effects, especially for the first two or three weeks. Which ones are you experiencing? Tired all the time, dizzy, passing a lot of gass (farting), diarrhea, vivid dreams, you can't sleep, depression, hallucinations? What time of day are you taking it? Full, or empty stomach? We might be able to make recommendations to help you through those problems. Tell us all of the other "various reasons" you don't think you can take it for four weeks. You've asked for help. We can't do that almost zero information.

While I'm willing to try and help you through the side effects, I'm also going to give you some tough love. Millions of us Poz guys take these antiretrovirals every day of our lives. Millions of us deal with the side effects. Millions of us have had to suck it up, and tough our way through them. You made the choice to take the drugs at the party. You made the choice to take enough that you passed out. Admittedly the Meth may not have been your choice. Considering how high you were, calling what happened Rape may be debatable, because you might have given consent. I can't help but notice that aggressive sex, force and 'rape' are interests listed in your profile. Perhaps you expressed them while high. It would be damn hard to prove you took some drugs voluntarily, and others not. It was a sex party, so it would be impossible to prove rape.

Unless the side effects you are experiencing are life threatening, you CAN make it through four weeks of them. Think about this, if you don't feel you have enough balls to tough it out for one month, how the hell are you going to take ARVs every day, for the rest of your life (if you become Poz from stopping the PEP early)? It's ONE TINY LITTLE MONTH, that you are already 1/4 of the way through! Most of the side effects can be dealt with. If you need some motivation to help you the next three weeks, ponder on the challenges you'll face if you become Poz from NOT taking the meds. And I mean the REAL problems us Poz guys face, not the fantasy "HIV is a Gift, and Sets you Free" Bullshit you read around here. It's time to Man Up and deal with the consequences of your choices, and your actions!

Edited July 1, 2014 by Poz1956