Question
Is it ok if I take my meds 15 or 30 mins late?
10 October 2016. Related: Adherence, All topics.
Do you have to take your arvs at exactly the same time each day? Will for example 30 mins (or even an hour) each way have any impact whatsoever on the suppression of the virus or cause resistance? I am worried as even though I take them every day some days it is 15 or 30 mins later or earlier than the previous day.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
It is sometimes difficult to take your meds at the exact same time everyday.
Even when starting, there is a window of about an hour either side of your target time when it is still fine to take them.
For example, if you want to take your meds every night at 10 pm, then any time between 9pm and 11pm will be fine.
Everyone has a few times when we forget our meds though.
The less this happens the better. But if it does happen once in a while then there is nothing to worry about. If you forget in the future, take them as soon as you remember. However, if this is already close to the next dose DO NOT take a double dose.
Once you get an undetectable viral load, especially if it has been undetectable for several years, you have more flexibility. This partly depends on which drugs you are using.
Some once daily drugs (including tenofovir DF, emtricitabine and efavirinz) have long half-lives. This means drug levels stay in your body for long enough to cover being several hours late or even missing a dose completely.
Several studies are looking at whether reduced dosing might be safe – for example by only taking ART for four days a week. We need bigger studies before we know if this is safe though.
Note: this question was updated in October 2016 from and original answer in April 2011.
Hello Jay and many thanks for getting in touch.
I understand a new diagnosis can be difficult to manage but however you are feeling today, I promise this will pass.
It will get easier and things will get better.
How are you coping? Do you have someone to talk?
I am sending a link with information for people who just found out they are living with HIV as I think it might help you:
https://i-base.info/just-found-out/
As for your question:
Everyone responds different to HIV.
Some people can be living with the virus for 10 years before they have any symptoms and some people get sick very quickly if they are not on medication.
That is a genetic thing, based on which I can’t answer with certainty who got the virus first.
The important thing is that you are both well, your CD4 counts are good, you are not at risk of opportunistic infections and you are both on treatment which means you have both taken the necessary steps to ensure you will live full, active, healthy lives despite living with HIV.
I was diagnosed 6 months ago. I was devasted because I only had sex with my boyfriend (gay couple). He also tested positive but none of us was sick. I do hiv test every 6 months or once a year since I became sexually active.
We both tested positive but my CD4 is lower and my viral load higher.
Does that mean I was the one that gave it to him ?
Please help me this is killing me inside
Hello Stielle and thanks for getting in touch.
Vitamin and mineral supplements only help if you have a deficiency of that vitamin/mineral.
Some supplements interact with current ARVs – which means they don’t let ARVs to work properly
(you can check here if there are interactions: https://www.hiv-druginteractions.org)
There is little benefit from taking vitamins in larger amounts (usually by supplements).
There is also a small risk of developing vitamin toxicity.
This can happen after eating too much of a certain food or taking high dose vitamin or mineral supplements.
However, if you are struggling to eat a balanced diet and provide your body with enough nutrients from food, you should consider speaking with your GP, health worker or dietician about this.
This link has more information:
https://i-base.info/guides/side/diet-a-balanced-diet-and-your-health
Hi is it okay to take liversuplements and other supplements for hair, nails and skin when taking arvs as I notice my hair breaking after starting arvs and my skin is rough
Hi Pretty, I am sorry I don’t know what to say, but if it is just about his aniety over HIV it might help if he knew that even if you didn’t take your meds for a week, your viral load would still be undetectable. It normally takes at least a week or two for most people to rebound to detectable. The is this big safety buffer that would protect him and even if viral load became detectable, no heterosexial transmissions are likely if your viral load is less than 1000.
This is more than HIV though because it is also about your own value of yourself and being able to make your own decisions about your own health. This is a bit controlling becasue it means that he is watching you on something as simple as talking your own meds.
It is also about trust because he chose to doubt you rather than believe you. All relationships have stress points where trust becomes an issue so you can both overcome it but if it isn’t worked out you will always be walking on eggshells and that isn’t good for you and your health.
I hope you find the right time and space to be able to talk and overcome this.
Hello simon,I hv been living positively for 4yrs now,my viral load z suppressed ,I met this guy ,opened up to him ,he was ok with everything,. We hv been practicing safe sex so far. So abt a week ago he jst withdrew because this one nite he didn’t see me take my meds,bt I took it 15mins b4 the time . So wen my alarm went off n he didn’t see me take the drugs ,he pulled out since then. I truly like him but seems he hapulled out ,no matter wat I say ,he aint buying it. Please advice. I truly love him.