Used event-baseed PrEP but had night sweats 2 weeks later!

[arosati971]

I used PrEP for the first time over 4 consecutive days when having anon m/m sex, but 2wks later had some early symptoms,particularly heavy night sweats for 5/6 days. I had 4th Gen test at 16 days and it came back negative, but how confident can I be?
I have another test due in 2 weeks, which will be at 65 days, but I am consumed with worry and can't sleep. I didn't really have any other symptoms, but the night sweats were unusual and heavy, sometimes accompanied by shivers as I went to bed. Apart from that I have been fine. I was on the back of being away and travelling for a few weeks, so it could be linked to another infection, but I need some advice or reassurance!

[GuitarRox]

What do you mean you used prep for the first time over 4 days. That you used it for 4 days straight for the first time or that you had sex with males for the first time. What kind of sex did you have?

[arosati971]

I used PrEP for four days - double-dose on first day, then single does on days 2 , 3, and 4 - with anal sex on days 1 and 2 only, giving and receiving.

[GuitarRox]

First, oral sex is never a risk, giving or receiving. The ONLY risks are unprotected vaginal or anal sex or sharing IV needles to inject drugs. Saliva and air inactivate the virus. Was your anal sex protected?

With Prep, you are typically recommended to take that for 7 days prior to having unprotected sex. The recommendation for the first seven days if you can't wait is to take double the dose two hours before sex (not just the first day). So, not sure you took that properly.

Unprotected anal sex has a less than 1 percent chance of transmission.

A 4th generation Duo test is not accurate until 28 days and you waste time money and energy testing before then.

[GuitarRox]

There is also no reason to monitor symptoms. All of those have a ton of other reasons why they happen and doctors do not diagnose hiv or suspect it because of symptoms you describe. That's a non point and you are highly anxious so you are seeing/feeling every twinge in your body. Anxiety does that

[arosati971]

Thanks for your response. I am male not female, so the advised event-based dosage for prep is "two tablets two to 24 hours before sex, one tablet 24 hours later and a further tablet 48 hours after that". That's the prescription I followed which is advised everywhere. So I'm confident I took it right. Does that make sense?

[GuitarRox]

yep, I got that with the M/M. I know. Glad you took it right, I was looking at different information. Was your intercourse unprotected? Regardless, if you took Prep right then you should be able to work through your anxiety without reassurance, not be looking at every little thing you feel or experience as related to the four days of sex and testing too early. If you had unprotected anal sex, you can take a test at 28 days if you fear the Prep didn't work. But the over worrying doesn't quite make sense given you used medication and as stated, unprotected anal sex is less than 1 percent chance of transmission. In the real world, it's not that easy to get HIV.

[CurfewX]

If you had protected sex, there's nothing to worry about. As long as the condom did not visibly break, you weren't at risk for HIV. If the intercourse was unprotected, consider getting condoms right now - it really isn't worth the anxiety and stress you're going through.  Even so, PrEP is very effective, so you should expect a negative on your upcoming test.