Emtricitabine / tenofovir alafenamide and Depression: What Users Say

• Cla...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 23, 2024

For Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis of HIV "Too bad you can't take this drug on demand like Truvada. This one makes me sick, I feel nausea, stomach pain, liver inflamed, abdominal pain, and discomfort, and after a few weeks, I start to feel depressed and mood changes."

• s_k...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 30, 2024

For Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis of HIV "The first night I had some vivid nightmares. Mildly loose stools for a couple of days. My mood started to shift, and within 7 days, I was having negative thoughts and feeling depressed. I skipped a dose on Day 8 and felt better. I restarted it on Day 9 and felt depression again. I've since stopped after 10 days and am feeling much better. I believe it was Descovy causing this... perhaps because my liver, endocrine system, or brain chemistry is sensitive? It's unfortunate, but that's my experience."

• Pet...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 16, 2019

For HIV Infection "I started taking Descovy in early 2017, and it's been about 2 years. The drug kept my viral load undetectable. I did not experience any side effects at first, but after about 1 to 1.5 years of taking it, I slowly began to experience aches in my joints and bones, and I feel tired waking up in the morning. I also notice that I feel depressed and down pretty much every day, even when I am on vacation and I'm supposed to feel happy. And now my arms have lost muscle mass, they look very bony, and I can barely lift 20 lbs without pains in my joints."