Question
Can I feel better at work from Atripla side effects?
19 March 2012. Related: All topics, Changing treatment, Side effects.
i have started my treatment using Atripla drugs and they make feel tired always at work as i feel like i could sleep at work and it is not good to sleep at work. Is there anyway i can make my self feel better at work as i am taking them every night at 8 PM as i was instructed not to change the time i take them.
Answer
There are several things that might help.
Atripla should not be taken close to a high fat meal. This is because the fat increase the levels of efavirenz that your body absorbs. It is the efavirenz that is making you drowsy and tired.
8 pm seems early to take your meds. In the UK people take Atripla just before they go to bed or an hour or two before. This is usually from 10-12 pm but depends on your own lifestyle. So one option would be to take the Atripla later and a few hours after you have eaten.
If 8 pm is the normal time you sleep, and you are already eating a few hours earlier – ie 6 pm – then talk to your doctor about an alternative HIV combination.
This would be better than putting up with difficult side effects – there are lots of other choices.
See this link for more information on efavirenz side effects:
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