Cold & Flu Season Cautions: Can Being Sick Affect PrEP or DoxyPEP?

Fall hits, the weather cools down, and suddenly everyone around you is coughing. Between cold and flu season, allergy flare-ups, and the occasional COVID scare, it’s easy to start second-guessing your routine medications including PrEP or using DoxyPEP. The big question: does being sick mess with your HIV or STI prevention plan?

The short answer: in most cases, you’re fine. But let’s break it down.

PrEP + Being Sick: Do They Mix?

PrEP is most often taken daily as a pill, though there’s also an injectable version. The key to PrEP working is consistency; it needs to stay in your system at a steady level.

If you catch a cold or the flu, you can usually keep taking PrEP as normal. Common over-the-counter meds like ibuprofen, Tylenol, or decongestants don’t interact with PrEP. Even antibiotics for sinus infections or strep throat don’t interfere with PrEP’s effectiveness.

The only real challenge? If you’re throwing up or have stomach issues, you might not absorb the medication properly. If you vomit within an hour of taking your PrEP pill, it’s a good idea to take another dose; if it’s been longer, you’re usually covered.

DoxyPEP in the Mix with Other Meds

DoxyPEP is a single dose of medication you take within 72 hours after sex to lower your risk of bacterial STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. It’s safe, effective, and easy to use, but it does interact with a few things.

The big one is other antibiotics. If you’re already on a different antibiotic (say for bronchitis, pneumonia, or even a skin infection), doubling up with DoxyPEP can get tricky. Sometimes the drugs overlap, sometimes they compete, and sometimes you just don’t need both. In those cases, checking in with your healthcare provider before adding a DoxyPEP dose is best.

Over-the-counter medications for colds and flu? No big deal. DayQuil, NyQuil, and allergy meds like antihistamines don’t affect DoxyPep. 

Should You Ever Pause Treatment?

Unless your provider specifically tells you otherwise, don’t stop PrEP when you’re sick. Missing doses lowers protection, and the whole point of PrEP is consistency. If you’re laid out with the flu and miss a day or two, don’t panic; just get back on track as soon as possible.

With DoxyPEP, it’s a little different. If you’re already on a prescribed antibiotic, talk to your healthcare provider before adding DoxyPEP. Otherwise, if you’re just dealing with a cold, you can take it as normal.

Being sick usually doesn’t interfere with PrEP or DoxyPEP, and most over-the-counter cold and flu meds are totally fine. The main things to watch for are vomiting soon after your dose or being prescribed other antibiotics when using DoxyPEP. Otherwise, you can keep protecting yourself, even when sniffling under the blankets with soup and Netflix.

About Mistr

Mistr is a gay-owned and operated online platform that brings together doctors, pharmacists, and industry minds to provide resources and PrEP to folks in need. Instead of relying on insurance providers to approve the purchase of PrEP, Mistr cuts out the middleman to help people get their prescriptions covered.

What is your favorite way to pass time on a sick day?

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