Question
Can I drink tea and coffee with my meds?
26 December 2022. Related: Adherence, All topics, Drug interactions.
Can I take black tea and coffee (1 or 2 cups a day) with my medication combo? I am taking TLD?
Answer
Hi there
It is fine to drink tea or coffee – and to eat and drink as normal.
Being HIV positive means you can still eat and drink as normal, including when you are on ART.
A few meds either need to be taken with food or taken on an empty stomach.
TLD though can be taken with or without food – it makes no difference.
Hi Fikman, what is the name of the drugs you are taking? and do you know your current CD4 count/viral load?
How much weight have you lost and over how long have you noticed that this has been happening?
Has anything changed apart from the treatment that could be causing you to lose weight e.g., eating less, doing more activity? and have you noticed any other symptoms e.g., recurrent fevers or night sweats?
Take my drugs but lossing in my weight what brings that because I do exercise so what I should do to again back my weight to clear level were I want it to be
Hi The Hour, what is the name of the HIV treatment you are taking?
Some people report changes in their skin tone when taking dolutegravir. Though there are a number of causes that can change skin tone e.g., vitamin D deficiency.
As with all skin changes you should speak with your doctor so this can be appropriately investigated.
Iam HIV positive, my skin tone has started becoming grey and itchy. Also my stomach aches sometimes, what can I do?
Hi Chipogweni, it is great to hear that you have a TND viral load.
Drinking coffee and lemon together has no evidence to support it’s contribution to weight loss. Coffee alone has SOME evidence, however these studies are done alongside physical and nutritional intervention making the specific effect of coffee difficult to determine.
Do you mind me asking your BMI? and what have you tried for weight loss e.g., changing your diet/increasing your physical activity. Have you been to speak to your healthcare provider to ask if there is anything they can recommend?
I am HIV positive and my viral load is TND but I am now overweight .would like to try the remedy of drinking coffee with lemon to help reduce my weight
Hi Halima, have you been offered a second test to confirm this result? The most likely explanation is a lab error as nothing has changed with your medication and you were doing well.
Coffee would not cause your viral load to go high. In most cases the reverse is seen whereby increased caffeine intake leads to higher CD4 counts and lower viral load. Have you been told what your CD4 count is?
I am HIV positive can I was doing very well with my viral load less than 20 last year I did my routine viral load check, February this Year 2023 I collected the result the viral load went up to 2423. I was council and asked to stop drinking coffee completely. Does it mean is coffee that made to go high???
Hi Amaka, yes you can drink black tea.
I am hiv patients can I take black tea.