Question
How long do efavirenz side effects last?
5 January 2016. Related: All topics, Changing treatment, Side effects, Starting treatment.
I just started with efavirenz and Truvada 10 days ago. I’m not sleeping properly and feel dizzy all the time.
Is this normal, and when will it get better?
Answer
Hi
The type of side effects you report are pretty common when starting efavirenz.
For most people the dizzyness starts to get easier to tolerate within the first week or two, but it sounds like you may be having a particularly difficult time.
One thing to check is that you are not taking your meds after dinner. Meals that contain a lot of fat increase efavirenz levels by about 60%. Efavirenz should not be take until at least two houf after food that contains a lot of fat. Taking efavirenz before bedtime means you are hopefully sleeping during the side effects.
It is up to you how long you want to give this before trying another drug. Although your clinic might suggest giving it more time, some people change within a week if they are badly affected.
You don’t need to prove anything to anyone by staying on a drug that doesn’t work for you. There are lots of other options and switching is easy.
There is more information on efavirenz at this link.
This answer was updated in January 2016 from a question first posted on 11 June 2011.
Hi Doctor,i have been on TDF efavirenz for 6 months but lately I developed Severe HIVES and peeling off of skin on my palms and under feet.please advise me on how to reduce on the side effects.they hurt me badly
Hi Joseph, I am sorry to hear about these symptoms. Although your meds are not commonly linked to fat loss, this has been reported in a few studies. The symptoms might also be related to other things, such as how longer you were HIV positive before you started treatment, and how low your CD4 count ever went. Unfortunately, it is difficult to know how to reverse this. In the UK, some people use a filler called New-Fill, but this isn’t a permanent treatment.
Hi doctor. I have been taking ART”s for ten years. I’m on Odimune and I’m losing fats on my limbs and face. How can I treat these side effects
Hi Micah, it sounds like the sleep problems are side effects from efavirenz. It is okay to use a short course of sleeping pills to reset your sleep pattern, but you are right that this is not a good solution for the long-term. In the UK, it would be easier to change to a combination that does not include efavirenz. This page link has more information another other ways to reduce these side effects of efavirenz. How long the sleep problem lasts can vary from a few weeks, months or never getting better.
http://i-base.info/guides/side/cns-side-effects
Hi. I have been on lamivudine/tenofivir/efivarenz for 4 months (i started Aug. 24) now. Aside from the usual dizziness, i didn’t experience any more side effects. However, beginning last week, on my fourth month, I had difficulty sleeping (initiating and maintaining sleep). I have reported this to my doctor who then prescribed Depinhydramine. It helped. But I wonder, how long should this sleep disturbance last? Im afraid I might become dependent on this drug just to make me sleep. Please advice. Thank you.
Hi Rams,
Odimune is a generic version of Atripla. Therefore, even if you’ve changed the pill that your taking contains the same compounds as Odiume. Therefore, the reasons why your having these issues could be due to the meds. Its important that you discuss this with a doctor.
Hi i have been on ART treatment fore 3 months and am having burning and tingling feed and my feet veins are dilating and green in color .was taking odimule and switched to Atripla still having this side effects am no longer sure its their side effects
Hi Michael,
Try taking your meds just before you go to bed, so say 10 or 11 this may help. If not then you may need to change. Please see Q3 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
I am on Odimune Efavirenz for about 4 months now and I take it each night at 8 o’clock. However I feel extremely dizzy afterwards and can barely stand up. I work on a B&B site where our guests eat first, and then we can dish up at 8 o’clock, so I normally eat 8:15 or so. Any advice would be highly appreciated.
Hi Devender,
Please see the above post and Q3 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions