Question
I missed four doses of atripla. will this cause me health problems?
21 December 2011. Related: Adherence, All topics.
I last took my Atripla 4 days ago due to circumstances beyond my control.
Should I expect the worst with my health.
I am so confused right now.
Answer
Can I ask what happened this time and whether this is likely to happen again?
This is because, the chance of developing resistance becomes a concern if you miss Atripla doses regularly.
The three drugs in Atripla (efavirenz, FTC and tenofovir) all have good concentrations at the end of each 24-hour dose to cover you for a few hours either way.
This was shown in a study called FOTO which followed people taking Atripla on weekdays and missing the two days at the weekend. After one year everyone still had a viral load that was undetectable (less than 50 copies/mL).
Please follow this link for more information on the FOTO study.
No treatment guidelines recommend following the FOTO strategy, but it is a good example of how an occasional missed dose of Atripla is unlikely to do any harm.
Having said that though, adhering to your medication is extremely important. Please follow this link for more information on the importance of adherence.
As you missed 4 doses of your medication, it is recommended that you discuss this further with your doctor. This is important especially if you feel that you may be likely to miss as many doses again in the future.
Please also follow this link where a similar question has been answered in more detail.
FOTO STUDY: Cohen C et al. The FOTO study: The 48 week extension to assess durability of the strategy of taking efavirenz, tenofovir and emtricitabine Five days On, Two days Off (FOTO) each week in virologically suppressed patients. IAS 2009, Cape Town. Abstract MOPEB063.
http://library.iasociety.org/AbstractView.aspx?confID=2009&abstractId=3046
Hi Cynthia,
It’s great that you’ve started taking Atripla. But it’s important to take it everyday to make sure it works well against HIV.
There are some good tips here that can help you remember when to take it.
Do you have access to your CD4 count and viral load results? Please let us know.
It’s a good idea to talk to the doctor about how to try and get used to Atripla.
I have been missing taking atripla because I am not used yet, but once I remember, I take, hope it won’t affect me right?
Hi Ivy,
Sorry, I’m not sure what acriptega is. Are they HIV meds? Can you let us know please?
I have missed my acriptega medication due to MRI and ct scan can this affect my health
Hi Liz,
If you’ve been off medication for months, the best thing to do is to see your doctor. Ideally they’ll check to see what your CD4 count is as well as your viral load. They should also checked to see that you haven’t developed resistance to the Atrozia.
I have missed months of my atroiza but I want to start taking them will they work
Hi Baipidi,
Though not ideal, missing 3 days of meds shouldn’t be an issue.
I’m missed 3 because I was admitted due to are accident
H Alfred,
Sorry about this mistake due to the holidays. But missing doses too often can give HIV the chance of drug resistance.
But adhering to your meds is very important. Are you able to talk to your doctor about this as soon as the holidays are over? You can ask about the chances of resistance and check that Atripla will still work well.
In the meantime here are some useful tips about remembering to take meds on time.
I missed my HIV med once in a while like a day or 2 due to work and different time zones. Recently about two weeks ago I missed 5 doses and now I’m missing 5 doses again because of I forgot to redeem my prescription on time and now it expired and due to the holidays I am not able to get the meds for 5 days. My current viral load as of May 2018 is < 20 and CD4+ is 350. I am very worries about the situation and want to know if my health is at risk? I take Atripla.