PEP (2017) - Not what I expected

So I wanted to share this story in the hopes it is useful to help even one other person out there who might find themselves going through a similar scenario. I found that a LOT of information and personal stories I dug up on PEP is outdated because the technology and research is changing so rapidly. Posting from a throwaway for my own privacy and because I know the "other guy" posts here and on other LGBT subs.9-ish weeks ago I met a guy at a local block party type event. We clicked pretty well and hung out together on and off the next week. Not dating, really. Just hanging out. One evening we went out to the bars with some friends and got pretty messy. Ended up back at his place, messed around and he asked about topping. I was sober enough to insist on using protection. He got a condom and put it on however at some point, the sneaky turd took it off. I'm not sure how long it took me to realize but let's just say, there was definitely unprotected penetration for a while.Once I figured out what was going on I asked him to stop. He did. I told him that this wasn't going to work. He understood and I left. As I left, he said "by the way, I'm positive. But I'm managing it and I'm undetectable."SIGH. So I woke up the next morning and started mulling my options. I'm a science minded person. I know that given the circumstances, an undetectable top who didn't ejaculate has a practically zero probability of transmitting the virus. on the other hand, after his condom stunt I wasn't sure I could trust him. Also, we got a little rough that night and I was bleeding. Those two variables tipped the scale for me just enough to decide to go to urgent care (it was a Sunday).I read a lot about PEP in the urgent care waiting room. Side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue. Between the various message boards, including Reddit, I saw that some folks felt ZERO side effects - while others described it as the most miserable course of treatment they had experienced. I'd been training for a marathon and assumed I'd probably have to forego that for the next month.So I meet with the urgent care doc and she tells me they'll do a general STI panel and draw blood to do a baseline HIV RNA test. She recommended I follow up with my doctor. Then she was about to leave the room but before she left I said "Would you recommend PEP?" To my surprise, I could see she was COMPLETELY unfamiliar with it. She said "I'll make some phone calls" and I watched as she wrote "PEP?" in her notes.Fast forward. She called a colleague who recommended PEP and wrote me a script. I was taking dose #1 less than 24 hours post-contact. Insurance (THANK GOD!!!) meant my out of pocket cost was $120 instead of over $1,000.Here's how side effects played out:Day 1: No effectsDay 2: Minor fatigue. Stomach felt a little grumbly.Day 3: Extreme fatigue. Had trouble getting out of bed. Napped at work. Napped at home.Day 4: Woke up refreshed. No fatigue. Bowel movements slightly softer than norm. Returned to my marathon training regimen.Day 5 -28: Bowel movements continued as if I were on a mild stool softener. Nothing noteworthy. No fatigue. Marathon training continued uninterrupted.Day 42 - Second HIV RNA blood work came back negative as expected.TL;DR1) If in doubt, talk to a professional.2) If you can't see your doctor in less than 24 hours, go to an Urgent Care or ER.3) Ask the treating doc about PEP - they may not be familiar with it. Even in the gayborhood (which surprisingly was my experience)4) The drug combination has changed RADICALLY in the last ten years. If you see posts online about how horrible the effects were, consider how quickly the drug options have been changing. Under the newest mix, most people experience minimal side effects and those effects they do feel resolve in a few days, as mine did.5) Play safe, folks :-)