Question
Can I take Tribuss with food?
5 July 2012. Related: All topics, Side effects, South Africa, Starting treatment.
Hi! I am 35 years and started taking my tribuss pill in February 2012. My problem is that I cant take the pill on an empty stomach. Can this make the pill to disfunction?
Answer
Hi,
Thank-you for your question.
Tribuss is a generic combination treatment which contains three HIV drugs. These are efavirenz, FTC and tenofovir. In the UK, this combination in a single pill is called Atripla.
Tribuss is usually recommended to be taken on an empty stomach is to reduce side effects. This is up to 60% more efavirenz is absorbed if it is taken with a high fat meal.
This would mean there is more efavirenz than you need and you may be more likely to get side effects. Side effects from efavirenz include dizziness, mood changes and sleep disturbance. Please follow this link for more information about efavirenz side effects.
However, the increased levels of efavirenz are connected to a high fat meal.
If you prefer to take Tribuss with some food this is fine, just not with fatty foods.
Please let me know if you have any more questions!
Hi,again it’s Anele. Thank U baby she is naughty as ever she good. Which doctor do I need to see a Urologist or Gyncologist?and what about my Hobby should he go and get checked also?but he is hive negetive. Thank You.
Hi Portia,
I’m sorry to hear you have been so unwell. How are you feeling now? Do you have any support? If you live in South Africa you could contact the Treatment Action Campaign for information about HIV support services in your area.
Tenofovir, one of the drugs in Tribuss, has been linked to serious kidney side effects, although this is very rare. It is important that your doctor takes this into account, and this may mean changing treatment. This is something you should discuss with your doctors. You can read about kidney problems in our side effects guide.
I can’t say for sure whether this will have had any impact on your CD4 count, although so long as treatment is still working well your CD4 count is unlikely to be affected. You would need to have this checked to be sure though.
Hi bin on tribuss now for almost 5months n in January i develop a painful lump next to my right ear n de Dr prescribes Flagyl. i took 2 dose n de next i was totally sick admitted wid kidney failure… do u think tribuss also nt de cause of my kidneys. im still taking tribuss daily… also worried dat my cd4 will drop after been so sick…
Hi Anele,
It’s good to hear from you again- how are you and your baby getting on?
One of the drugs in Tribuss (efavirenz) can affect your sleep, and can make you feel tired during the day. Making sure you take Tribuss a couple of hours before bed, and on an empty stomach, can make this easier. But if you are already doing this and you are still feeling sleepy all the time you should speak to your doctor. In the UK you would probably change to a different treatment but whether you can do this will depend on if you have any drug resistance, and which drugs are available where you are. If you do want to change treatment and your doctor doesn’t think this is possible you could contact the Treatment Action Campaign for advice.
You should speak to your doctor about these sores. Because this happens once a month it may be hormonal and linked to your periods, but it could also be the sign of an infection. Your doctor should be able to look at these and give you the right treatment.
Hi,I have been on Tribuss for one year,but I’m always sleepy and I have no energy at all,every once a month I get sores in my private part what could be the cose of this?.
Hi Mary,
It’s important to discuss this numbness with your doctor to find out what the cause is. I can not diagnose this online, but numbness on one side of the body can be a symptom of a serious medical condition and is unlikely to be caused by stress alone. You should also check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any other medications incase these interact with your medication. I’m sorry but I don’t know what tasly products are so I can’t check this for you.
I’m on tribuss,i have a problem of numbness on my left side I’m not not sure whether is becaus of stress,a friend recommended that I tasly products,my worry is that it may cause the ARV’S not to work.please help
Hi Petro,
Dizziness is a common side effect of efavirenz, one of the three medications in tribuss.
Most people prefer to take tribuss an hour or so before going to bed because this means that the highest drug levels (when side effects are worst) occur while you are sleeping. Changing the time you take tribuss may therefore help to make side effects easier.
Side effects are also likely to be worse if you are taking tribuss within 2 hours of eating a high fat meal. There’s more information about this above.
Please see our side effects guide for more information about efavirenz side effects, including what to do if these don’t improve.
Why is tribuss making some people dizzy even after 3 months of taking.Also can i change my time of taking pill from 7 pm to 9 pm.
Hi Mary,
How are you getting on with Tribuss?
So long as neither of you has any drug resistance there is unlikely to be any HIV related risk from having unprotected sex. There is still a possible risk of other STIs if you have other sexual partners, and of pregnancy if this is your only method of contraception. For more information please see this previous question.
Some sexual health clinics provide female condoms, but these aren’t always as easy to access as male condoms. It’s worth asking your clinic about this or, if you live in South Africa, you could contact the Treatment Action Campaign who may be able to suggest where you can get these. An alternative is to use a water-based lubricant (for example KY Jelly, ID Glide, Astroglide or Liquid Silk) during sex to make this more comfortable. Again, your clinic may be able to provide this for free.
In response to your question about viral load and CD4: the normal pattern after starting treatment is that your viral load will decrease very quickly, and your CD4 count will slowly increase. The aim is to have an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies) Do you know what your viral load is? You can read more about this in this previous question.