Question
Can i switch to taking my Tribuss at night?
9 March 2016. Related: Adherence, All topics, Resistance, Side effects, Southern Africa.
I’ve been diagnosed with HIV five days ago. I’m on Tribuss I’ve been taking it in the morning but it makes me sleepy and dizzy, I want to know if it would be okay to switch to taking it at night? Or will it make me resistant?
Answer
Hi,
I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis. HIV treatment works very well today. Many people with HIV can expect to live as long as people who do not have HIV.
Tribuss is a generic version (a copy) of a pill called Atripla. They include exactly the same ingredients and work in the same way. They only have different names because they are made by different companies.
Tribuss is a 3 in 1 pill that contains a medication called efavirenz. This is probably the one making you sleepy and dizzy. It is recommended that you take Tribuss at night just before going to bed. This is because you’ll be sleeping and will hopefully avoid side effects that way.
Taking it at night will not make you resistant. Once you have changed it is important to keep taking it at the new time rather than switching back and forth. This way you will avoid becoming resistant.
You can find information about being newly diagnosed in our online guide.
And information about Tribuss in our medication guide.
Hi Carol, Tribuss and Mylonza are the same medication. They both contain the same active ingredients and will work the same way.
They have different names and look different because they have been made by different manufacturers. This will not lead there to be different side effects when switching between the two. Both of these are generic versions of Atripla.
Unless you had gained weight on Atripla, there is no reason to think these other medications will cause weight gain.
My question is: I want an information on Mylonza my Doctor just changed me from Tribuss to Mylonza and there is no information about it. I’ve been using Tribuss for many years now before that I was using Atripla but it was expensive. Since 2021 I’ve gained weight after I’ve using it for so long. What could be the problem?
Hi Lerato,
Using Tribuss as PEP is not recommended because it contains a drug, efavirenz, that can increase risk of strong reactions in people who are HIV negative. But it’s a good idea to go to the clinic and ask for PEP. Here’s more info about PEP.
However, if the guy is taking Tribuss himself and has an undetectable viral load and has been stable on treatment for several months, the risk to you can be zero. You can read more about undetectable = untransmittable here.
Hi.I started taking Tribuss yesterday at 1pm but felt dizzy the rest of the day.I’m hiv negative but taking them as a PEP because I found out the guy I slept with a few days ago is hiv positive.If I switch to night time won’t that put me at risk of contracting hiv?
Hi Mabatho,
Unless your viral load is undetectable it isn’t recommended that you breastfeed, especially if the option of formmula is available.
The following links provides info about feeding options for babies when their mothers are positive:
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/246260/1/9789241549707-eng.pdf?ua=1
Your feelings of desperateness and panic may be due to the meds. What are you taking? Have you had any side effects?
Hi, i just started with my treatment six days ago, I am 8 months pregnant, and on Tribuss. I take it around 21h00 because I have a 6yr old and a 3yr old who need my attention until late. My challenge is that I formula fed the two other kids but I truly want to breastfeed my next one. I am worried that my new born will need my attention late at night and I will be sleeping because of the pill after effects. I live with my old father who is not aware of my status. I am only going to get help with the newborn in the morning when my helper start with her shift.Since I started with the meds I feel miserable, afraid and worrired. My husband lives in another town because of work and he has been very supportive but he is worried about me because each time after taking the meds I call him and start to cry. I worry what will happen to my kids should there be an emergency at home while am in the middle of my dizzines at night. It is just a whole lot of unanswered questions and sometimes I feel am just scaring myself out of nothing. My gyn insist that I formulafeed, but I want to breastfeed, that is also adding to my challenges. She says just to be safe and for her records to be clean. Can someone help, I feel helpless.