Question
Can I use HIV and herpes meds at the same time?
1 April 2024. Related: All topics, Complications and coinfections, Drug interactions.
I am a 23 year old male. I am HIV positive and on therapy. I am taking dolutegravir and emtricitabine/Tenofovir DF. I am also experiencing genital herpes ulcers around my anal area, and I am using mupirucin ointment.
I just wanna know:
– is it safe to take acyclovir therapy for 5 days?
– And if it is safe, will it affect my hiv therapy?
– and is if safe to stop the therapy after five days when finishing the antiviral (acyclovir)? Is there a special technique to follow or do I need gradually to stop the medication, to not cause any interruptions to my arv therapy?
Answer
Hi there
Please don’t worry about this.
There are no problems from taking HIV and herpes treatments at the same time.
Please just take your HIV meds as normal, and the herpes treatments the way the doctor recommended. There are no drug interactions.
Sometimes sitting in warm salted water for 5 mins in the morning and evening can also keep the area clean and help the lesions to heal faster.
I hope you are feeling better soon.
Hi Aziz, please do not worry. Stopping the herpes treatment doesn’t have any impact on HIV :)
How about when I finish my herpes treatment, will this cause any resistance or flipping in my viral load? I am worried that acyclovir will help with suppressing HIV and stoping it will cause resistance or make the virus stronger, such as in the case of stopping or not taking ARV as prescribed