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 Mandla, what treatment were you on before? and are you able to access a viral load test? This is needed so you can check that your medication is still going to work.
Have you mentioned these symptoms to your doctor?
Hi.i started my ARVs in 2012 and skipped them for 3 months during locked down in 2020.i then changed to TLD when I restarted without letting my health practitioner know that I have been on ARVs before.how bad is that gonna affect my treatment? I m asking because lately I m having painfully back pain and dry eyes with involuntary blinking and pain below my rib cage which feels like it’s my kidneys having problems.
Hi Bukiwe, what ARVs are you taking? It is okay to switch the time you take your medication, but depending on what you take you may notice some side effects.
Hi I have taking my HRV’s at night can I change the time and take it in morning instead?
Hi Mathilda, this is fine. Taking your medication 5 minutes before or after your normal time is not going to effect how well it works.
Hi. I’m on TLD and I normally take my meds at 9pm, i sometimes take it 5 minutes before 9pm and sometimes 5 minutes after 9.
I’d like to know if it’s not wrong of me by doing that.
Hi Colleen, Telatri and Reydin are the same drug combination. They have different names and look different because they are made by different manufactures. They are both generic version of TLD – they work the same. You do not need to change the time you take your medication.
Hi l have just been given Reydin this month, its my first time to take it all along l have been given other brands like Telatri. Is it different from other brands l have been taking? I have been taking my tablets in the evening around 10 if l change it to morning will it affect me at work? I normally eat well during the evening when l am at home.
Hi Farida, this is fine. Taking your regular medication within an hour of when you usually take it is not going to be a problem. Being half an hour/45 minutes later than normal is not going to affect your health.
Your medication is still going to work.
I normally take my medication at 7pm but sometimes i take it 7:30pm 7:45pm can it cause a problem or make my medication to stop working?