Question
How often can I miss a dose?
9 June 2008. Related: Adherence, All topics, Resistance.
Hi, I have been on Sustiva/Truvada for 7 months and only missed 1 dose.
In your opinion how often could you safeley miss a dose? Not intending to purposely miss doses just a question really. Thanks!
Answer
I have a very traditional opinion and will have to say that you cannot miss doses safely.
The thing is that HIV does not mutate selectively, it does it randomly. Hense missing a dose is like a Russian roulette. During the period when the virus can replicate (as there is not enough medication to supress it in your body), it can mutate in such a way, that it becomes resistant to the medication, but it also can mutate in a way that it does not become resistant.
Hence every missed dose is a potential resistance provoker and it is more true with the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (Sustiva and Viramune) than with the protease inhibitors.
At the same time, as I mentioned before, not every missed dose will by default lead to resistance, but, again, less is better.
Hi Please help,
If someone is on medication and their viral load is undetectable, then they can’t transmit HIV. If someones viral load is detectable, then there is a risk of transmission. Do you know if your boyfriends viral load is undetectable?
If your test comes back as being positive, please get back in touch with us.
I just found out my partner has HIV I been with him for 5yrs, we have a baby girl, I get checked once a year and while I was pregnant my test came back negative, I got retested on Friday I am waiting for the results I am really scared, He missed his medication alot I trusted him when he told me that medication he takes is for his liver, so I never looked it up, I wish I did
Hi Kent,
Missing one does on meds won’t have any impact on your health. Just try and make sure to take them daily.
Hi I am 28 years old I’m hiv positive yesterday night I didn’t take my treatment because I was highjecked until today so can I continue to use it because it my first time? Please help
Hi Ntokozo,
For ARVs to be effective you need to take the right combination.Though you’re still taking the Aluvia this won’t be enough to control your HIV. Is there any chance you can get your meds before the end of Feb?
Also, why have you ran out? If its a supply issue then you should talk to your doctor about this.
Hi im hiv positive nd im on treatment but my problem is that december i got short med nd now i drink one pill insted of 2 i take aluvia and lamivudine nd now lamivudine is finish but still taking aluvia nd this is not putting me in danger because my time to fetch a repeat is on the 27 feb please help
Hi Zama,
It’s good to hear you’ve started meds. Many people aim for a certain moment like this. And being on time can be better for you when you start your meds. But 10 minutes will not make any difference, you can take them around the same hour.
Hi my name is zama and I have started to take my med for 2 weeks and I I have missed the time by 10 minutes 2 times I take them at 9 am I in danger
Hi Jonathan, missing a couple of days will probably be fine. It usually takes a few more days for viral load to become detectable. The risk of drug resistance is very low with Triumeq but you are still better not to miss doses.
Hi I’m on Triumeq and I missed two doses of it back to back will my viral load spike and will I become resistant?