Question
Can I take painkillers with ART?
30 March 2024. Related: All topics, Drug interactions.
I’ve been on ARVs for almost three months now. Is it okay if I use painkillers to manage the painful migraine I’ve been dealing with for the past 6 days. I’ve already used panado and tensodol tablets.
Answer
Hi there
Thanks, for your Q and for letting us post this online.
As with any other medicines, including over-the-counter meds and supplements, it is always important to check there are no drug interactions.
The best person to ask first is your HIV doctor or the pharmacist where you get your HIV meds. Other doctors and pharmacist should also know about this too, but some people only talk to their HIV doctor about HIV.
In this case, the answer also depends on how long you will be need pain killers for.
Tenofovir disoproxil (TD) is a very widely used HIV drug for treatment (in ART) and prevention (in PrEP). This can interact with some painkillers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This includes ibuprofen.
https://i-base.info/guides/prep/does-prep-interact-with-any-other-medications
This is okay if you just use them for a few days, but they couldn’t be used if you need pain medication for a longer time.
This is also a great drug interaction website:
www.hiv-druginteractions.org
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