Question

Can I take herbal remedies with Atripla?

5 November 2010. Related: Adherence, All topics, Resistance, Supplements and herbs.

Good afternoon

I was diagnosed positive in 2006 and have begun taking my first line of meds in May this year (Atripla). I have been looking at ways I could improve my health with herbal remedies, but am apprehensive about taking certain alternative medicine and supplements e.g. I am already aware that St John’s Wort is not recommended and my hospital pharmacy have advised me that Milk Thistle (which I was hoping to use as my liver function has gone up) would interact with Atripla
Could you please tell me if any of these alternatives are safe to take with Atripla:

Echinacea
Astragalus
Wild Indigo
Picrorrhiza
Q10

I also have also been given a lot of mixed information on resistance. Is resistance inevitable even if my adherence is good and is there much leeway for blips? (a missed/late dose on the odd occasion).

Many thanks for all the help and advice you give us all. I am most grateful :-)

Answer

Answer: Charlotte Walker

Thank you for your question.

Of the list of herbal remedies you mention, the only one that appears to have possible interactions with Atripla is Echinacea. Although the interaction has not been fully studied, the way in which echinacea works in the body means it has the potential to interact with efavirenz – one of the drugs in Atripla.

Astralagus does not appear to interact with HIV medication.

For more information on HIV and herbal remedies including echinacea and astralagus, please follow this link

There is no data to suggest that wild indigo or picrorhiza (kutki) have interactions with HIV medication.

Q10 supplements do not interact with Atripla, however they do interact with warfarin, a blood thinning drug. Taking Q10 supplements will also help to maintain your bodies Vitamin E levels.

For more information on HIV and the use of Q10 please follow this link

You should always tell your doctor about any additional medication you are taking.

Resistance is not inevitable if you adhere to your medication. Obviously the better you adhere the less likely you are to get resistance. However, we are all humans and missing the occasional dose should be fine as long as it is not happening regularly. For more information about resistance please follow this link.

If you are interested in learning more in-depth about resistance then we have just started an on-line resistance course for advocates to follow each week. For more information please follow this link