Question
Can i change the time i take my ARVs?
29 January 2016. Related: Adherence, All topics.
I take my ARVs at 8am and 8pm. Can i change it to 10am and 10pm?
Answer
Hi,
This is not a problem as long as you consistently take them at the new time. Jumping back and forth mean you have a risk of developing resistance. This would mean your meds would stop working well.
People do change the time they take their meds for all sorts of reasons though. Again this is ok as long as you keep taking regularly at the new time.
The only concern about switching from evening to morning is if your combination include the drug efavirenz. Efavirenz needs to be taken 1-2 hours before you sleep, so you reduce side effects.
Hi Nthabi,
Changing the time that you take your meds from 8pm until 10pm won’t be the reason why you’re losing weight. If this is an issue, you’ll need to discuss this with a doctor.
Hi I used to take my arv at 8:00 and now I have changed to 10:00 cause I used to cook till late some time it wont affect me maybe cause now I’m losing wait
Hi Lawrence,
Yes, you could change. Just switch once and carry on at the new time. What ARVs are you taking? As it says on this Q&A, if they contain efavirenz it’s best to take it just before bedtime.
Do you have access to your CD4 count and viral load results?
I do take my arv by 8am morning and I want to change it to 5am morning it it OK? Please help me
Hi Cynthia,
It’s great that you’ve started your ARVs. ARVs can look after your health, and they can look after your baby’s health too. So you are doing what you can to protect your baby from HIV.
Please talk to the doctor about your HIV treatment (ART) during your pregnancy. The aim of ART is to reduce your viral load as quickly as possible. This can reduce the risk of HIV to your baby to tiny amounts. Do you have access to your CD4 count and viral load results? Please let us know.
Here is the guide to HIV, pregnancy and women’s health. There’s a lot of info in it.
Hey I’m 23 yrs old and six months pregnant,just started my ARV’S.
will my baby be hiv free when he is born??
Hi Olga,
This is ok, and it’s fine.
As Simon says on this similar Q&A, It is sometimes difficult to take your meds at the exact same time everyday.
Even when starting, there is a window of about an hour either side of your target time when it is still fine to take them.
Is it ok to take my Medication ARV after 30 min bcz i take it at 20:00 but sometimes I finish late cooking then take it at 20:30?
Hi AchieHolics,
Its perfectly safe to take your meds a few hours either side of your normal time. So you’re OK.
Hi
I always take my medication at 9:50 pm. But as of April 12, 2019, I accidentally took my medication at 9 59 pm (instead of 9:50 PM) – so it is 9 mins late.
Would that be ok? Will I develop a drug resistance?