Question
I’m taking Atenef and having side effects, is it ok to take vitamins?
29 August 2021. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Starting treatment.
Hi i am HIV positive and have been since 2007. My CD4 count is 533 and they started me on ARV(Atenef).
It has been two weeks that i have been drinking this medication and its making me dizzy. It gives me headaches, my joints are very painful and i get very tired throughout the day.
What vitamins can I take?
Answer
Thanks for getting in touch.
The side effects that you are describing are common when starting Atenef.
They usually get easier within 2-4 weeks. If they are still difficult, then please talk to your doctor. There should be other combinations you can use.
In 2021, this includes a new combination called TLD.
For more info on Atenef, (a generic version of Atripla) please see this link:
https://i-base.info/guides/1561
Vitamins are not likely to reduce side effects. Vitamins will not directly help your viral load or CD4. For a more in-depth answer on vitamins please see this link:
https://i-base.info/qa/1873
This answer was updated in 2021 to include information about TLD. The question was first posted in 2016.
Hi Peter, why are you taking Atenef as Pre-exposure? Do you mean PEP (a 4 week course of treatment)?
Are you HIV positive or are you using treatment prophylactically?
Missing one dose by 6 hours is not going to have an impact on how well your treatment works. You can continue as normal with your treatment and you do not need to be worried. Also, missing a dose later on in the treatment e.g., 3 weeks if you are on a 4 week course, is less significant than missing a dose much earlier in the course of treatment.
More information about PEP can be found here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/pep-faq
Hi,
I fell asleep and took my Antenef tablet 6hours late. I am in week 3 of treatment for pre-exposure. Will the medication still be effective?
Hi Phuti,
It’s very possible that this is a reaction to the Atenef and not an allergy. Did your doctor say what allergy they thought it was? If they haven’t then it might be worth telling your doctor that you want to change treatment as you shouldn’t be getting a rash.
Due to you being pregnant, you may find the following helpful: https://i-base.info/u-equals-u/