Question
I take Atripla in the morning – why am I tired?
13 August 2012. Related: All topics, Side effects.
I have been using Atripla and Odimune from April. I was taking Odimune at 09:00 in the morning and changed to 07:00 in the morning since July. Now my immune system is like going down every day and I am always tired. Also my muscles are weak. Is it due to the routine of taking Odimune or should i leave them totally and proceed with Atripla.
Answer
Hello,
Thanks for your question. It’s not clear if you are taking both Odimune and Atripla together, or just using these different versions at different times?
Odimune and Atripla contain the same drugs – efavirenz, FTC and tenofovir. Odimune is a generic version of Atripla. They both work in the same way and you should only be taking one of these at any one time. It is safe to switch between versions though, just not to use both.
If you were taking Atripla and have changed to Odimune this shouldn’t have affected your health because these are the same medicines.
You say that your immune system is going down. Do you mean your CD4 count? If you do, what are your last few CD4 count results?
If you are experiencing side effects like feeling tired and weak you might find it better to take Odimune/Atripla at night instead of in the morning. Many people do this because of these side effects. Taking the treatment at night means you are asleep when the drug levels are their highest, meaning you experience fewer side effects.
More information about Atripla/Odimune side effects can be found in our side effects guide.
Hi Jane,
I’m sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis- do you have any support to help you deal with this?
In South Africa treatment is recommended to anybody with a CD4 count of 350 or below. If your CD4 count is 400 you might not be able to get treatment paid for by the government sooner than this. The exception would be if you were pregnant, or maybe if you are worried about transmitting HIV to a sexual partner. You can read about the pros and cons of starting treatment with high CD4 count in this previous question.
Hi i have been tasted hiv negative in 2011. 2013 i was tested positive after suffering from running stomach. My cd4 was higher . It was 400 . When should i take medication like odemune
There are unlikely to be HIV-related health benefits that you will notice from drinking green tea. There are no interactions with HIV meds though, so if this is a drink you enjoy, you can still drink it whenever you like.
I’m on Atripla and I just read about the health benefits of Green Tea, is it advisable to drink green tea whilst on Atripla.
Hi Lerato,
Being late once with Odimune is unlikely to cause any problems, but it’s important not to make this a regular occurrence. You don’t need to change the time you are taking your meds, just go back to 20.00 if that is the time that works best for you.
I recently just started my treatment and I have been taking Odimune for 10 days now at night after supper at 20:00. However, I realsied at 5am this morning that my reminder had not gone off and I immediately took the pill at 5am this morning. Does this mean I now need to change my time to 5am or can I still go back to 20:00 tonight?
Thank you