Question
I have taken calcium supplements with TLD…
20 January 2023. Related: All topics, Drug interactions, Supplements and herbs.
I am new to dolutegravir. I took my TLD at 8am, then drank my whey protein supplement at 10:15 am. Did this for 2 straight days without realising that my whey protein contains 130mg of calcium. Will this affect my treatment?
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
Calcium can reduce how much dolutegravir is absorbed by the body. As this was for only 2 days, it is won’t have allowed your viral load to rebound. The other 2 drugs in TLD will not be affected and some dolutegravir will still be effective.
With calcium containing supplements it is recommended to take it 2 hours before or 6 hours after your treatment e.g., 6am or 2pm. Usually it is easier to take the supplement at the opposite end of the day to when you take your treatment. This is the best way to avoid interaction.
Josh.
Hi L, I am sorry to hear you are feeling so anxious. Have you ben able to talk with anyone about how you are feeling?
The symptoms you have mentioned very common. While on PEP you can still get common infections like a cold or covid. It is also possible that they have been caused by stress. As you have been on PEP it makes HIV very unlikely, more so that symptoms would be expected AFTER PEP rather than during.
As this man had said he is negative, it is likely that he actually is negative. I am sorry to hear he removed the condom without your consent. Have you told anyone about this? While having herpes can increase the risk of transmission, there are still so many other factors that can influence this e.g., type of sex, how long you were having sex for and even how rough it was.
For more information about transmission please see here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
Hi! Please help I am worried out my mind and really not great mentally dealing with this. I have used TLD for the 28 days and after 20 days I’ve started to feel cold, have a temperature of 36 degrees, and sore to touch between my breast and underarm. I also had ulcers on my tongue. I have had medication for kidney stones that made me severely dehydrated so I am unsure if the symptoms above are related to dehydration. I have also realised I have taken medication for heart burn including calcium on and off couple of days here and there whilst on TLD. I had sex once with what I thought was condom but the man told me this had been removed, he said he was negative but I don’t trust him. I also have herpes so I know that also increases my risk of transmission. I really feel hopeless. On top of this I also was sick and missed a dose.
Hi James, the supplement should be taken 2 hours before or 6 hours after the time you take your ART.
Hi! I’m confused, is it 2 hours before and 6 hours after the treatment, or 2 hours after and 6 hours before the treatment?.