Q and A

Question

What if I miss a dose or take a double dose by mistake?

Hi, if i forget to take my pill on time, or maybe take it twice a day, without remembering i took it, then maybe overdose by mistake. Can it cause any harm to my health?

Answer

Missing an occasional pill is okay

Taking a double dose of HIV medication is usually okay  – but it is not a good idea. The main risk is that you might get side effects for a few hours due to the short time when you have higher drug levels.

Additional doses of other types of medication might require speaking to a doctor or pharmacist about the short term side effects.

It is better to get a pill box. Then you can see each day whether or not you have taken your meds. These are cheap and work really well.

Josh.

Answer revised 16/02/22

120 comments

  1. Simon Collins

    Hi Tyneisha, you can either take another dose now or just wait until the right time tomorrow. The best way to stop this happeneing is to use a pill pox so you can see if the meds are there or gone. Simon

  2. Tyneisha

    Hello I can’t remember if I took my juluca this morning but I missed last month dose

  3. Josh Peasegood

    Hi Stevie, as you are not sure if you have taken your treatment it is not advised to take another. If you have missed this dose it is okay to miss this one dose and it will not have any impact on your treatment.

    You can continue as normal with your HIV medication at the time of your next dose.

  4. Stevie

    I’m not sure if I took

  5. Josh Peasegood

    Hi K, at i-base we are not doctors and do not provide information outside of HIV treatment.

    Please see here for additional information about fluoxetine and additional doses: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/fluoxetine-prozac/how-and-when-to-take-fluoxetine/

  6. K

    Mixed my night and morning meds up. I took 30mg of fluoxetine yesterday morning at 8am and then accidentally took another 30mg at 8pm. Woke up and took another 30mg this morning at 8am. Will I be ok?

  7. Josh Peasegood

    Hi Jay, no you do not need to skip your next dose of treatment. Continue taking your pills as normal. It is great that you did not experience any additional side effects.

    Carry on your normal routine as normal.

  8. Jay

    I just realized that I accidentally double dosed on my daily meds yesterday. I feel fine, and didn’t realize it til today. Should I skip taking my usual pills today or carry on with my correct routine?

  9. Josh Peasegood

    Hi Nancy, please speak with your pharmacist/doctor about taking this additional dose.

    A double dose of Lamictal can cause additional side effects that will need to be examined by a doctor. These inc. feeling clumsy/loosing your balance, passing out or having a seizure.

    Please see here for more information: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/lamotrigine/how-and-when-to-take-lamotrigine/

  10. Nancy

    I took 1 extra lamictal pill today, will I be okay?

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