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 Hari,
The reason why Atripla is recommended to be taken on an empty stomach is to reduce side effects from one of the drugs (efavirenz). This drug can make people feel dizzy or affect their mood making them stressed or upset. Because of this most people take Atripla before they go to bed at night- so they don’t get the side effects during the day. Have you been experiencing any side effects or noticed a change in your mood since you started taking Atripla?
Drinking alcohol with Atripla shouldn’t cause any problems. The most important thing is to make sure you remember to take the medicine every day at the same time. If you are drunk it is more likely you will forget.
Are you receiving any support for your alcohol addiction?
My Dr. did not told me to take Atripla empty stomach, I was taking this medicine in between my dinner. Recently I came to know that this medicine be taken empty stomach, I started empty stomach. I am alcohalic & for the last 42 years taking alcohal regularly. Presently I am consuming Whisky (2-3 pegs) everyday after taking Atripla empty stomach, how it will effect me?
Hi Monzala,
Odimune is a generic version of Atripla. This means it contains all the same ingredients, and should work in the same way. The likely reason why your pharmacy has you Odimune instead of Atripla is because it is a cheaper version. Switching between the two brands shouldn’t have any effect on your treatment, so it’s fine to take the one which you are happier with.
Hi,I have started Atripla on 10 April 2012 and the pharmacy send me Odimune of which I took from 09 May 2012 but I was experiencing so many side effects as a result I changed back to Atripla from 10 June.Will the switching have any descrepancy on my treatment.
Hello,
Atripla contains three HIV drugs- efavirenz, FTC and tenofovir. The reason why it is recommended to take it before you go to sleep is because of the side-effects related to efavirenz. These can include dizziness, mood changes and difficulty concentrating. Generally not great for a night out! It is important until you get your viral load to undetectable that you take Atripla at the same time every night. After you have achieved an undetectable viral load (usually after a month or two on treatment) it should be fine to occasionally take your treatment a few hours later when you go for a night out.
For more information about efavirenz side effects please take a look at our Guide to side effects and other complications.
Hi I’m new to taking atripla and ill probably start in the next few days and I’ve read that there is a lot of different t side affects and I’m curious if I would want to go out with some friends and drink or go to a party how will that effect me since I’m also taking the medications and the fact that I won’t be going straight to sleep after I. Take it
Hi James,
It’s great to hear that you’ve got off to such a good start with Atripla! UK and US guidelines recommend that your viral load should be undetectable within 3 months. However, many people achieve this within the first month. A few people take longer, especially if their viral load is very high when they start treatment.
I wish you the best of luck at your next appointment!
I have been on Atripla for a week now with no side effects. I was terrified to even start it because of the side effects i read. Looking forward to my next doctors appointment to see where my viral load is at. It was only 4000 to begin with but hope to be undetectable.
Hi Pulebo,
1. Atripla is recommended to be taken at night, before you go to bed. This is so that you will reduce the side effects during the day. Please follow this link to read about Atripla and possible side effects.
2. It is recommended that you take Atripla on an empty stomach, or not with a high fat meal. This is because a high fat meal can increase one of the drugs in Atripla- efavirenz- by 60%. This would make you more likely to have side effects. Taking a pill on an empty stomach does not mean that you have to feel physically empty or hungry. That is why the recommendation is to take your medication after about 2 hours without eating. A cup of tea and a biscuit an hour before you take your medication should be fine.
I’m going to start taking Atripla in the next few days and i have a couple of questions.
1. What is the best time to take the pills?
2. Are there any foods that i must avoid while taking this pills?
Thank you