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.
Hi Lumka, no it is not. If you are not on treatment and you have poor general health it will be difficult to become pregnant.
If you are doing well on treatment with a healthy CD4 count, HIV will have no impact on your ability to become pregnant.
I thought it’s hard to get pregnant when you are positive??
Hi Sindi, I am sorry but there are no treatments to add weight to your legs. Please try to get confidence is all the other things about you that are special. Although it is not your first choice, most people find ways to live with and accept that none of our bodies are ideal but that life can be much more than this.
Hi what can help me to gain fat in my legs and thies they become small and I lost may confidence now even though I have changed the ARV I was using before plz assist me
Hi Mikky, no you do not need to be on any meds. U=U means that your partners meds is suppressing HIV so much that it cannot be passed on via sex.
There are no additional treatments/medications you need to be taking yourself to prevent HIV. You can rely on U=U to prevent transmission.
Hi my partner is U=U,Am I suppose to take Some meds if yes how am gonna get the medicine
Hi Thah, the pain in your body would not have been caused by taking an Ensure shake followed by your ARVs.
Is this something that has happened before? and was the pain bad enough that you had to speak with your doctor? How did you handle the pain?
Hi ..yesterday i took Ensure shake thn 15 minutes later i took my ARVS than after that my who body was in pain ever part of my body..
Should i be warrid
Hi Beauty, HIV medication needs to be taken every day. You should be getting medication often enough that you are able to take it every day.
How many times a year should I go get the medication?