Question
My brother is having side effects with Atroiza
23 July 2013. Related: All topics.
My brother is 35 and HIV positive.
He has been using Atroiza for a week. CD4 is 216 and he’s always dizzy, has lost weight, is not eating well and i think he’ losing his mind. Please help!
Answer
Hi,
Thanks for your email. Atroiza contains a drug called efavirenz that can affect your emotions and they way you act. For some people it can seem like you are going crazy.
Usually these side effects will improve after the first few weeks of treatment but for some people these can be severe or may not improve over time. If you are worried it is important that your brother talks to his doctor so that they can assess the severity of his side effects.
Some people need to change to different treatment very early on though if these side effects are severe.
Please see this page in our side effects guide for more information.
Atroiza is a generic version of Atripla.
Hi Onela, have you told your doctor about this? If the doctor says to keep on for a little longer, then say if this is too difficult. Please ask to change as this sounds too difficult and it hasn’t got better.
Are you taking your meds at night and not after eating a large meal? If not, please try this first. If yes, than you might just be very sensitive to these meds. Ask to use a different combination – for example, one that includes dolutegravir.
Hi, I have been using atroiza almost 3 weeks now. I feel fatigue, hallucination and I feel like I am crazy. I do not feel normal at all.
Hi Emma, please talk to your doctor about this. If the side effects are not getting easier it is better to change to a different treatment. This similar Q was just posted online.
Should I just put up with feeling dizzy on efavirenz?
Hii im three weeks using Atroiza,now they make me feel like vomiting, headache, i feel like anxiety im shaking.
Hi Paulina,
Atrozia and Tribuss are the both generic versions of an ARV called Atripla, please see here: https://i-base.info/guides/1561 It’s common to take different versions of Atripla. It’s safe to change between them.
Hi
I ve been taking tribuss for 2 year I v changed to atroiza without no one telling me what the problem
Hi Duduzile,
If you’ve missed a week of meds it’s very possible that you might be having some side effects. If this doesn’t get any better in a week or two, you should consult your doctor. If you can you should also let them know that you missed a week, they may want to check your viral load.
Hi I’m I’ve been using atroiza for almost a year the I stop taking them for a week then I started taking them again now I’m feeling very hot and dehydrated
Hi Siya,
Its isn’t a given that you’ll feel dizzy when you start Atrozia, some people do, some don’t. The fact that you haven’t felt dizzy doesn’t mean that the meds aren’t working. It means that you’ve been lucky by not feeling like this.
Hi, i hear people complaining about dizzieness when taking atroiza, this is my third week on treatment but never experienced such things, im normal but im taking atroiza what does tht mean,now im wondering if the treatment is working well for me cos i havent experienced all of this side effects beside almost vomiting of which is controlable