Question
I am pregnant, can I take Tribuss?
31 July 2012. Related: All topics, Pregnancy, South Africa.
Hi Doc. I am 12 weeks pregnant and HIV positive. My doctor prescribed Tribuss for me.
My problem is when I refer from the leaflets it says for pregnant women Tribuss are not recommended so now I’m scared if my unborn baby will be safe or what.
Please help with your advice I’m confused. Thanks.
Answer
Firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy. How are you doing generally? Are you in touch with other women living with HIV? Many find it helpful to share experiences of being HIV positive and pregnant.
I would just like to start off by confirming that we are HIV positive treatment advocates, not doctors.
In response to your question, Tribuss contains the drugs efavirenz, FTC and tenofovir. It is a combination that is now used by many HIV positive pregnant women worldwide.
I can appreciate your confusion especially as in the past, women wishing to conceive were advised not to use efavirenz. Or to switch if they found out they were pregnant whilst taking it.
However, over the past few years, this advice has now changed. Here in the UK, the current UK guidelines for the management of HIV in pregnancy recommend that efavirenz can continue to be used by women considering pregnancy. They also recommend that efavirenz can be used by women diagnosed HIV positive during pregnancy.
There are many reports of women throughout the world who have continued taking efavirenz during pregnancy.
You may find it helpful to read our guide to HIV pregnancy and women’s health. The guide answers a lot of general questions you may have around HIV and pregnancy.
You may also find it helpful to contact TAC (Treatment Action Campaign). TAC are based in South Africa and support people living with HIV. They will be able to put you in contact with support groups near you.
Good luck for the rest of your pregnancy.
I m so relieved to find out about this site because I was worried cos I have started to take tribuss for past 2wks n I read the leaflet n found out that I must not fall pregnant so now I m going to fall pregnant
Hi
Without more details it is difficult to help. It sounds like you need to talk to your doctor about the trouble you are having. There are usually choices for different meds and most of the recently approved HIV drugs only have a lw risk of side effects.
I am so confused because all the medication has side effects on me and i really dont know what to do.
Hi
Tribuss is a generic form of Atripla. It contains three drugs: efavirenz, teneofovir and FTC.
The information about efavirenz is most important because it can affect your moods, give you vivid dreams and interrupt your sleep and changes your moods. If serious it is easy to change but your doctor needs to know that you need the information again.
Information about efarirenz side effects:
http://i-base.info/guides/side/cns-side-effects
General information on each drug:
http://i-base.info/guides/category/arvs
Hi there,I’ve been recently changed to this Tribuss medication and my physician did not notify me any side effects and my medication is delivered to me all the time but I did not get the mediction leaflet inside the box . Can you please notify me of the side effects and how I should take this medication as the sticker on the medication states that I should take the medication before bedtime. I’ve been reading some comments an it seems like I should take the medication on an empty stomach. Thanx
Hi Joy,
I’m very sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. Do you have any support?
Whether you continue treatment after pregnancy will depend on your own wishes, your doctor’s advice, and the guidelines in the country you live in. Because your CD4 count is above 350- the point where most countries recommend starting treatment if you’re not pregnant- you should be given the option to stop treatment after pregnancy if you wish to do so. In some countries, though, you will be given the option to continue treatment if you prefer.
Please follow this link for more information about pregnancy and HIV.
Hi doc my CD4 is 64O and VL is 9950 and I’m pregnant I just found out that I’m HIV+ so i want to know should i continue to take ARVs after the baby is born im currently on Tribuss? Confused. I was not on med before.
Thank you so much I have also been stressing about the same thing and worried about channging treatment during pregnancy…..
Hi Zevile,
I’m very glad that the information has helped you. Your clinic should be able to put you in touch with a support group. Or if you tell me where you live I can try to find a group to put you in touch with.
Hi Advocate, thank you so much for your information about tribuss on pregnancy woman. Im one of those confused woman, i’v been using Triomune due to its side effect Dr changed me to tribuss den recently I’v heard from the other Dr that Tribuss is not recommended if you are still looking for a baby. With your information i got on this website im so happy. How can I get the support group for woman living with HIV?? I want to join they since Im only 3years in this treatment. There is so much that I would like to know that bothers me about HIV, like how to disclose to your parents ect.