Question
Is Novatrim the same as nevirapine and zidovudine?
13 August 2020. Related: All topics, Pregnancy, South Africa.
My baby is exposed to HIV so I was given nevirapine and zidovudine. But when I went for refill for zidovudine because it has finished the nurse gave me Novatrim without asking any questions. Is it Novatrim and is it good for my son of three weeks.
Answer
Hi there
No, these are different medicines.
Nevirapine and zidovudine are both HIV medicines. They are only given to you baby for a short time – usually four weeks.
Novatrim is an antibiotic that is also called cotrimoxazole This tablet contains two antibiotics. This is usually given to the baby afterwards and for a much longer time.
If the times were different or if you are still worried, please call you clinic so they can double-check.
Hi S, thanks for writing.
Please contact your clinic, nurse, or a local pharmacist to ask.
Your baby will be okay but it is good to do this today.
I am not a dopctor and different countries treat babies in slightly different ways.
https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/infant-meds-when-the-mother-is-living-with-hiv
Hi I’m hiv positive taking arvs. The nurse gave me Novatrim for baby at 6 weeks and she doesn’t explain to me how to give the baby nevirapine in terms of the dose. What must I do now?
Hi Zinhle, thanks. Do you have the numbers for how high the viral load is now? Sometimes people say ‘high’ but it might only just be detectable. Anything less than 1000 copies/mL is still quite low, but your doctor needs to give you more infomration.
Please be extra careful to take all your meds on time until this is sorted out. Having a detectable viral load is not related to having had sex or not.
Did they say to now use formula milk for your baby?
Hi I’m on ARVs n I’m drinking them accordingly, I hv a 3 months old baby so at six weeks my viral load was still doing fine until now 14 weeks they said my viral load is high n I’m breastfeeding so I don’t know why cz I haven’t hv sex since I gave birth..
Hi Asanda, are you taking ARVs? ARVs will suppress viral load and stop HIV reducing your CD4 count. This is the best and only way for your CD4 cells to recover. The body will regenerate the cells but HIV needs to be suppressed for it to do so. There are no foods or other medications that can help improve/speed this process. Novatrim is used to prevent other infections while your CD4 count is low. It does not have an effect on your CD4 count.
Good day what must I eat to boost my CD4 count besides novatrim
Hi Jaine, there should be instructions on the bottle/box of Novatrim that has been prescribed to you. In most cases Novatrim can be given orally to infants. If you are unsure you can speak with your doctor/pharmacist about how to give this to infants.
How to administer novatrim to infants?
Hi Nqobile, congratulations on having a baby. Has your doctor offered to do this test again? As this is such a big jump a second test would be needed to confirm that it is not an error. Did you have any other problems throughout your pregnancy other than BP? and were you taking any other medications?
Sometimes viral load can go up because of a recent infection or a vaccine. It can also be random (though this is a big jump for a random event). Random viral load blips are common and should self resolve before the next test. Do any of these factors apply to you?
Hi I recently gave birth and I am hiv positive I have been taking my medication accordingly and my viral load was 20 copies just weeks before I gave birth. I was 34 weeks pregnant having problems with my bp so the had to enduse me so gave birth at 34 weeks naturally. The did pcr for my baby and the results came back reactive and now I am worried since the Dr did not explain anything to me. And he told me that my viral load is 1000 copies my question is how. How can it go up so from 20copies to 1000 within weeks. Even though I was taking my medication well… so the gave me zidovudine for the baby