Hypothetical PREP q

[texaninnyc87]

This is purely hypothetical, just something that popped in to mind.

Is the prep dose simply a typical dosage of truvada? Like if i were taking truvada I could just give someone at risk some of my meds and it would work out the same, or is it a concentrated dose or something?

Would this work with other ARVs? My buddy just had a scare and I was wondering if I he took my stribild for a few days if it would work the same way. Obviously this isn't the preferred method, but would it work? What do you guys think?

[Jeff G]

Its the regular dose and if you are using it because you had an exposure and its called PEP and its a month long course of meds , not a week . Sharing medication is not a good idea , your friend may have other health conditions diagnosed or otherwise that could cause complications . He needs to see a doctor if he needs medication .

[texaninnyc87]

Right, so I had not intended on giving him my meds, hence the word "hypothetical." I was mostly wondering about the reality of the effectiveness, which I'm still curious about. Would any ARV work in the same way as truvada?

Again I will reiterate that I am not giving my pills to anyone, my friends scare just made me curious.

[Jeff G]

PEP consists of a 28 day course of Highly Active Antiretroviral therapy or HAART. HAART is “highly active” because it consists of two or more different antiretroviral drugs. Antiretroviral drugs are medicines that slow down or stop HIV from replicating inside the body (HIV is a type of virus known as a “retrovirus“). HAART is the therapy that many HIV positive people use to keep their infection under control. Different combinations of antiretroviral drugs, known as “cocktails”, are used in PEP. Although no single HAART cocktail has been proven to be more effective then others when used for PEP .

[mecch]

Just to restate - Truvada is two anti-retrovirals. Not one.

[mecch]

If i were in a situation in which it was really impossible to get to medical help and a PEP supply, within the window for treatment, for someone who had a REAL risk, AFTER THE RISK, I would share my truvada to get started if the next step was a guarantee to get to the medical help and get the pep supply and to take it for 4 weeks.

If your question really is about PREP - pre-exposure prophylaxis, I don't think its been answered.

I am curious about that too... How many days in advance of a risk does one need to start taking the PREP for it to be protective?

And how long after the risk (protected, actually, because the drug is systemic) does one need to take it?

Why am I guessing that PREP is a different ballgame. If the PREP is protective for a risk on, let's say, a Friday, there would be no more risk on Sunday, surely, if there was no more sex after Friday.   On Friday, infection would have been prevented, correct??  Seems to me if the virus never gets a foothold, one wouldn't need it for 4 weeks after a risk. If the drug was taken as PREP.

I assumed the 4 weeks for PEP (post-exposure) is because one assumes the virus may have been assimilated and may be replicating.

I am curious about the science.   

[Ann]

PrEP is supposed to be taken for a week before it is used as a (pre-exposure) prophylactic, and you are supposed to continue taking it indefinitely. (For how ever long you anticipate the possibility of risky encounters happening, keeping in mind that you can't always plan for these things a week in advance.)

It's not meant to be used, say, over the weekend to cover your weekend party activities. It has to be at optimal levels in your system before it is to be relied on.

This is about the only thing that worries me about it being used as a prophylactic - it's fine as long as a person is taking it as directed (once a day, every day), but there are always going to be people out there who think they can use it in short bursts. It's somewhat similar to how people stop taking antibiotics when they start feeling better. Both can conceivably lead to resistance issues.

Truvada alone is often used as PEP these days, particularly if the risk is somewhat on the lower end of the scale and if it is initiated very soon after the risk has taken place.

PEP initiation within 24 hours is ideal, within 36 hours is good, but after 72 hours you might as well forget it.

If i were in a situation in which it was really impossible to get to medical help and a PEP supply, within the window for treatment, for someone who had a REAL risk, AFTER THE RISK, I would share my truvada to get started if the next step was a guarantee to get to the medical help and get the pep supply and to take it for 4 weeks.   

I would too, also only if I were in the position to make certain the person followed up with a doctor ASAP - within two or three days.