Question
I missed my meds for 4 days, will I be OK?
7 May 2019. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
I’m traveling for work and forgot my meds…Meaning I will miss 4 doses of Biktarvy
My viral load has been undetectable for nearly 10 years now and I am otherwise in very good health… so how dangerous is missing 4 doses?
Answer
Thanks for getting in touch.
Meds needs to be taken every day to make sure that there are always good drug levels in your body, Getting the timing right means you still have good levels when you come to taje the next dose. This is for week day and weekends, every day in the year.
Luckily though, as drugs have become better, they also provide cover if you are sometimes late.
Though missing four days is not good, you should be okay. This is because after ten years, levels of HIV will be very very low. If you do this often though, you might develop drug resistance.
Your partners will also be okay from this time. It usually takes a couple of weeks for a viral load to rebound. As soon as you get home, make sure that you take your meds. If possible you may want to have your viral load checked.
Hi Brian, thanks, please restart your meds as soon as you can. It is not clear whether you ran out of meds or just missed the doses. The sooner you restart the better though. This will all be okay, but please don’t wait to see the doctor if you still have meds you can take.
I have missed 5 days of biktarvy. I called the pharmacy they told me I needed to call my doctor. I’m waiting to hear back from my doctor
Hello anonymous and thanks for getting in touch.
Heavy drinking can cause many problems for a person.
These include problems with the liver, stomach, etc.
Forgetting to take HIV medication can lead to developing resistance (which means the specific medication might stop working) or becoming really unwell.
I would recommend getting help to manage the drinking as it can significantly affect a person’s quality of life.
Here is some information on adherence (taking your medication daily and as prescribed):
https://i-base.info/guides/starting/adherence
Good day. What happened if someone is drinking alcohol heavily or too much and forgot to take medication?
Hello anonymous and thanks for getting in touch.
If you miss 3 days after 6 years, nothing will happen.
However, if this is a more regular event you might want to check your adherence and possibly if this is the appropriate regimen for you:
https://i-base.info/guides/starting/adherence
https://i-base.info/guides/art-in-pictures/drug-adherence-in-detail
hello ive been on tivicay and descovy for 6-7 years and will miss 3 days of medication, should i be worried?
Hi Elsa, thanks. Even though it is not good to have missed for a week, your viral load pribably stayed undetectable all week. I hope you have been able to restart again now.
Hi, I missed my meds for a week when I went to work,my viral load has been suppressed for 6 months now how dangerous is it, how long does it take for the viral to rebound?