PrEP, short for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, is emtricitabine/tenofovir, a pill taken once daily to prevent HIV infection. By taking PrEP, you proactively protect your HIV negative status, regardless of your partner’s HIV status.
Important Safety Information
* A prescription will only be issued if deemed appropriate by a licensed medical professional.
* This page has been medically reviewed by Naeem Kasmani, R. Ph.
TDF, short for emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, is a pill taken once daily to prevent HIV infection. TDF is extremely effective when taken as prescribed. In fact, clinical studies demonstrate that TDF is up to 99% effective.
By taking TDF, you proactively protecting your negative HIV negative status, regardless of your partner’s HIV status.
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What the medication is used for:
GENERIC TRUVADA is a type of medicine called an HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI). GENERIC TRUVADA contains 2 medicines, EMTRIVA (emtricitabine) and VIREAD (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, or tenofovir DF) combined in one pill.
GENERIC TRUVADA is used:
OR
This is sometimes called Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis or PrEP. GENERIC TRUVADA is for adults age 18 and older. GENERIC TRUVADA is not indicated in children under age 18 or adults over age 65.
What it does:
HIV infection destroys CD4+ (T) cells, which are important to the immune system. The immune system helps fight infection. After a large number of T cells are destroyed, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) develops. GENERIC TRUVADA may also help to increase the number of T cells (CD4+ cells).
GENERIC TRUVADA does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. If you have HIV-1 infection, you must stay on continuous HIV therapy to control HIV infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses. People taking GENERIC TRUVADA may still get opportunistic infections or other conditions that happen with HIV infection. Opportunistic infections are infections that develop because the immune system is weak. Some of these conditions are pneumonia, herpes virus infections, and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections.
It is very important that you see your healthcare professional regularly while taking GENERIC TRUVADA.
Considerations when GENERIC TRUVADA is used for PrEP:
When it should not be used:
Do not use GENERIC TRUVADA if:
What the medicinal ingredients are:
Emtricitabine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (tenofovir DF)
Warnings and Precautions:
Serious Warnings and Precautions
Do NOT take GENERIC TRUVADA if:
Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome) can happen when an HIV-1 infected person starts taking HIV medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time, or you could develop an autoimmune disease in which your immune system reacts against your own body [e.g. Graves’ disease (which affects the thyroid gland), Guillain-Barré syndrome (which affects the nervous system) or polymyositis (which affects the muscles)] and it may develop at any time, sometimes months later after the start of HIV therapy. Sometimes symptoms can be severe, so if you develop high temperature (fever), joint or muscle pain, redness, rash, swelling or fatigue, or any new symptoms, contact your healthcare professional right away.
Before taking GENERIC TRUVADA to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection (PrEP indication):
These may be signs of HIV infection and you may need to have a different kind of test to diagnose HIV. If you are already taking GENERIC TRUVADA to prevent HIV-1 infection (PrEP), your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking GENERIC TRUVADA until an HIV test confirms that you do not have HIV-1 infection. For more information on GENERIC TRUVADA for PrEP, log onto www.generic Truvada.ca.
Just taking GENERIC TRUVADA may not keep you from getting HIV. GENERIC TRUVADA does NOT always prevent HIV.
You must still practice safer sex at all times. Do not have any kind of sex without protection. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood.
You must also use other prevention methods to keep from getting HIV.
BEFORE you use GENERIC TRUVADA (emtricitabine/tenofovir DF) talk to your healthcare professional:
If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant:
Pregnant mothers should not take GENERIC TRUVADA unless specifically directed by the healthcare professional.
If you are a female who is taking GENERIC TRUVADA to prevent HIV infection (PrEP) and you become pregnant while taking GENERIC TRUVADA, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you should continue taking GENERIC TRUVADA.
Pregnancy Registry:
There is a pregnancy registry for women who take antiviral medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry.
If you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed:
Do not breastfeed if you are taking GENERIC TRUVADA or have HIV. Emtricitabine and tenofovir DF, the two components of GENERIC TRUVADA, pass to your baby in your breast milk. You should not breast-feed because of the risk of passing HIV to your baby. Talk to your healthcare professional about the best way to feed your baby.
If you have other medical conditions:
Let your healthcare professional know if you have other medical conditions, especially liver, bone and kidney problems.
If you are taking other medicines:
Some medicines can interact when taken together, including prescription and non-prescription medicines and dietary supplements.
If you are taking didanosine:
Taking didanosine and GENERIC TRUVADA may cause serious reactions including lactic acidosis (too much acid in the blood), pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas) and nerve damage (neuropathy)
GENERIC TRUVADA should not be used with or soon after cidofovir, acyclovir, valacyclovir, ganciclovir, valganciclovir, aminoglycosides, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), due to potential harm to the kidneys.
It is a good idea to keep a complete list of all the medicines that you take. Make a new list when medicines are added or stopped. Give copies of this list to all of your healthcare providers every time you visit your healthcare professional or fill a prescription.
Other Special Warnings:
Your blood sugar levels (glucose) or levels of fats (lipids) in your blood may increase with HIV treatment. Your doctor may order blood tests for you.
Interactions with This Medication:
Let your healthcare professional know if you are taking these or any other medications:
Proper Use of This Medication:
Stay under a healthcare professional’s care when taking GENERIC TRUVADA. Do not change your treatment or stop treatment without first talking with your healthcare professional.
Take GENERIC TRUVADA exactly as your healthcare professional prescribed it. Follow the directions from your healthcare professional, exactly as written on the label. Set up a dosing schedule and follow it carefully.
When used to treat HIV-1 infection, GENERIC TRUVADA is always used with other HIV-1 medicines.
If you take GENERIC TRUVADA to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1:
Avoid doing things that can increase your risk of getting HIV infection or spreading HIV infection to other people:
Ask your healthcare provider if you have any questions on how to prevent getting HIV infection or spreading HIV infection to other people.
When your GENERIC TRUVADA supply starts to run low, get more from your healthcare professional. This is very important because the amount of virus in your blood may increase if the medicine is stopped for even a short time. The virus may develop resistance to GENERIC TRUVADA and become harder to treat.
Only take medicine that has been prescribed specifically for you. Do not give GENERIC TRUVADA to others or take medicine prescribed for someone else.
Do not use if seal over bottle opening is broken or missing.
Usual adult dose:
For the treatment of HIV-1 infection:
For prevention of HIV-1 infection (PrEP):
Overdose:
In case of drug overdose, contact your healthcare professional, hospital emergency department or Regional Poison Control Centre, even if there are no symptoms.
Missed dose:
It is important that you do not miss any doses. If you miss a dose of GENERIC TRUVADA and it is less than 12 hours from the time you usually take GENERIC TRUVADA, then take the dose. If more than 12 hours has passed from the time you usually take GENERIC TRUVADA, then wait until the next scheduled daily dose. Do not take more than 1 dose of GENERIC TRUVADA in a day.Do not take 2 doses at the same time. Call your healthcare professional if you are not sure what to do.
Side Effects and What to Do About Them:
The most common side effects of GENERIC TRUVADA are:
Other side effects include:
Lactic acidosis is a medical emergency and must be treated in the hospital. You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are very overweight (obese) or have been taking nucleoside analog medicines, like GENERIC TRUVADA, for a long time.
Muscle pain, muscle weakness, bone pain and softening of the bone (infrequently contributing to fractures) have also been reported.
There have been other side effects in patients taking EMTRIVA or VIREAD. This is not a complete list of side effects. If you have questions about side effects, ask your healthcare professional. You should report any new or continuing symptoms to your healthcare professional right away. Your healthcare professional may be able to help you manage these side effects.
How to Store It: