Double dose

[Temptationwaits]

Have had prep sitting around for weeks but never used until now.  Am off on a last minute hol to gran Canaria this sat and started taking prep yesterday (wed).

I understand this isn't the full 7 days required for prep so have been taking double dose a day.  

 

Is there any benefit to this? the prep on demand studies use an initial double dose so i figure there must be some benefit. 

 

I'll have 4 days double dose by the time i hit the clubs on sat and plan to take continue to take for a week after i get home. what would you estimate my protection at - 90%?

[fillmyholeftl]

I wouldn't double dose any more than the first day

[Temptationwaits]

Is there a reason not to double dose? Is it the side effects?

I found this study that showed my 4 days of protection will be pretty comparable to the usual 7 days (97 to 98% reduction in risk):

 

According to levels of drug detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and comparisons of those results to drug levels estimated in previous research to correspond to varying degrees of protection against HIV, one day on PrEP led to a 75 to 91 risk reduction, three days meant a 95 to 97 percent risk reduction, and five and seven days translated to a 98 to 99 percent risk reduction. The presumed risk reduction stayed higher than 90 percent for seven days after the last dose.

[rawfuckr]

I'd assume double dosing will give you more side effects and not necessarily 'double' the protection. These things get metabolized by your body at a certain rate and maybe part of the extra pill gets just filtered away. 

That said, it's probably OK for the short term. 

[paskin]

I agree with rawfuckr above... be careful of your kidneys. you should have adequate protection by now, so continue daily dosing until at least 48 hrs after your last sexual activity - a week as you have planned is also fine. 

 

Have fun, and tell us all about it when you can