Guides

What about drug interactions, including alcohol and recreational drugs?

Some HIV drugs interact with chems, recreational and street drugs, methadone, vitamins, herbal remedies and supplements and over-the-counter medicines.

Interactions can be complex. They can increase or decrease levels of HIV meds or the other drugs.

Your HIV doctor and pharmacist need to know about other drugs or supplements that you take. Even if you use them rarely and even if they are not legal.

They will treat this information in confidence.

Although alcohol does not interact with HIV drugs, the side effects of alcohol might lead to missing doses. This is because alcohol can change your mood, priorities and sense of time. It is easy to forget your HIV meds including if you oversleep the next day.

For these reasons, people who drink more alcohol have a higher risk of ART failure. This is another thing that it is good to talk about with your doctor.

Liverpool University includes a drug interaction database.

Other drug interactions resources

Last updated: 1 September 2024.