Question
Can I drink alcohol with Atripla?
29 April 2010. Related: All topics, Side effects.
Does ‘an empty stomach’ mean no drinking alcohol either? And if so what are the consequences? Could one develop resistance or stop the medication from working at their full potential by drinking alcohol? I have been on Atripla for the last three years and although I am careful not to eat for at least two hours before I take my meds I have a glass or two of wine (sometimes three). Should I worry? Thank you
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Drinking wine before taking Atripla will not cause resistance to the medication. If you forget to take the medication because you have drunk too much wine it may cause resistance.
Drinking alcohol will not stop the medication from working. The recommendation to take Atripla on an empty stomach is to reduce side effects to the medication such as nausea, dizziness, trouble sleeping and so on. Excessive alcohol consumption can sometimes make these side effects more severe.
Alcohol in moderation should be fine. Excessive use of alcohol can cause problems. As with all medications, HIV treatment is filtered from the blood by the liver. Excessive drinking can cause damage to liver which can be more severe if you are on HIV medication.
Hi Stephen,
A viral load of 49 is still considered ‘undetectable’. It’s unusual that a viral load test would be able to read lower than 50 so it is possible that your ‘zero’ result was anything between 1-50. Viral load tests are not very accurate and your doctor wouldn’t see these results as being different. Please follow this link for more information about viral loads.
I have been on Atripla 9 months. In January I had a zero viral load but now was checked in May and its 49 have not missed any meds. I had a chest infection when last checked. Worried now that I night be resistant to atripla. Any advice?
Hi
Have you shown your doctor these changes? If not, ask him or her to given you a proper examination at your next appointment.
Doctors rarely examine their patients as part of routine care, and without this it is difficult for them to know whether your body has changed.
I haven’t heard of HIV meds making you have different temperature on the back.
hie i am on atripla its roughly 5 months and i have lost size but my weight is still the same what could be the problem?. another question is when i take of my t shirt or top clothes i feel like its cold between my back bone just closer to my shoulders is that likely to be the effect from the drug?
Hi Ngcobo,
It’s very normal to have side effects the first few weeks when you start treatment. Atripla contains three drugs- efavirenz, FTC and tenofovir. Sleep disturbance is a very common side effect of efavirenz and it is likely that this will get better over time. For 25% of people taking efavirenz these side effects can be more difficult, and about 20% of people change drugs because of them. Please take a look at this link for more information about side effects with efavirenz.
For me to be able to answer your question more specifically it would help if you could let me know whether you have dry skin or a rash as well as the itching? Dry skin and rashes can both cause itching. Both are side effects with some HIV medications although they generally get better within the first few weeks. If you do have a rash though it is important that you report this to your doctor or health worker because this can be a sign of a serious reaction to your medication. For most people a rash will clear up after a few weeks but for about 1% of people this can be severe. Please follow this link for more information about rashes as a side effect of treatment.
I’ve just started taking Atripla last night and I think I had some of the side effects like having hard time sleeping and my body was itchy.
Everyone worries about side effects before they start meds. Luckily, the side effect you mention are much more likely not to happen than to happen.
For example, the yellowing skin or eyes only occurs in 10% of people – for 90% it is fine. Even if this does occur it is rarely does any harm and it is easy to modify the dose or change to another med. The yellow effect quickly disappears if you switch meds. This page has more info on atazanavir and side effects.
The chance of fat accumulating on your shoulders is also very unlikely. If this was to start, it would be a slow process and you cold modify your treatment. This collection of fat is sometimes called ‘buffalo hump’. Some studies report that this is less of a problem with HIV meds but is something that is seen in the general population. For example the FRAM studies reported buffalo hump in 10% of the general US population – associated with diet, lack of exercise and obesity.
This relatively small risks are easily outweighed in most people by the benefits of treatment. Most people, after they start, also find out that treatment turns out to be much easier than they thought it would be.
I hope everything goes well.
I am new to taking this pill and well i am terrified after reading the side effects like the hump that may form on the back of my neck or the yelow skin and eyes. I am considering not taking the pill i am that scared. Should i even worry about this?
Drinking alcohol won’t cause resistance. If you read the answer to the question above it will give you a full explanation about this.
I need to know if I can have a beer or cocktail 1 or 2 hours after taking Atripla. I’m scared that this is going to cause resistance. Please answer me soon thank you