Question
Can I change from lamzid & aluvia to Atripla?
21 August 2012. Related: All topics, Changing treatment, Resistance.
I was taking aspen lamzid (AZT/3TC) and Aluvia (lopinavir/r),and now it turns out i have to take Atripla (efavirenz, FTC + tenofovir). Is is safe to do so? Won’t my body develop resistance towards the meds?
Answer
Hello,
Thank-you for your email.
To answer your question I would need to know why you are changing medication.
If you are changing because you had virological failure- which means your viral load went up- then there is risk that you have resistance to some HIV medications, which may affect your use of Atripla. This is because resistance to AZT or 3TC can mean you also have resistance to FTC or tenofovir.
If you are changing for another reason, and have no resistance to AZT or 3TC, then it should be OK to switch.
Hi Limda,
Aluvia isn’t a full combination of ARVs, therefore your daughter should be being given something other than this. Also as the following link explains: https://penta-id.org/hiv/treatment-guidelines/ Aluvia isn’t a first line option for children who need to take ARVs. The best thing to do is to discuss this with your childs’ doctor, which ideally should be a pediatrician due to their age.
My child is 12 years old and weigh 48kg and today was given Aluvia.my biggest fear is I know this drug is very dangerous on their side effects and she’s still a miner please give advice.
Hi Tatili
Please contact your doctor as soon as possible and/or the pharmacy that prescribes your meds.
Any drug interaction with Aluvia is likely to be because of the ritonavir it contains. Even though you are now using a lower dose (100 mg a day compared to 200 mg a day before) your doctor and the pharmacy need to double check this.
Sometimes atazanavir can be used without ritonavir, but the dose would have to be 400 mg a day (not 300 mg).
This drug interaction website shows that atazanavir/ritonavir has a serious interaction with simvastatin and the two should not be taken together:
https://www.hiv-druginteractions.org
It would be better to stop the simvastatin for the next few days until you are able to get this sorted out.
I was on aluvia and lamzid for 10 years with the latest cd4 count of 900 and undetedcted viral load, they have always been good all the time. The doctor changed aluvia due to side effect, it did not work well with other chronic meds, l was also taking coveram for highblood pressure for 6 years, glucophage 850mg and gliclazide for 15 years for diabetes, in march 2020 l started taking simvastatin for cholesterol. I went to the doctor with high blood sugar level and very high blood pressure. I was rushed to an emergency section and the senior doctors there recommended that they must replace Aluvia with Ataz
or 300 mg but when i went to fetch the medicine the pharmacist said it has to be boosted with ritonovir 100mg which the doctor was not sure of but it was added, is it correct to boost Atazor with ritonavir which is a component of Aluvia that they stopped. The high blood med was changed to pharmapress, 10mg, for cholesterol l’m still taking simvastatin, for 20 mg and for dibetes l was changed to insulin which l take with the glucophage.
Hi Xoliswa,
A reported side effect of Aluvia is lipodystrophy (fat accumulation). So it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor and ask if there are other HIV meds that will be easier for you to take.
Did your doctor switch to Aluvia because your viral load was high? Please let us know what your viral load and CD4 count results are. Please also tell us what HIV meds you were on before your switched to Aluvia.
Can I change from Aluvia to so. Etching else because of lipodostrophy reasons why I am on Aluvia my viral Load was high than doctor change it
Hi Angie,
Please see this guide to side effects and liver problems. Aluvia contains ritonavir which can potentially cause liver problems.
But what does your doctor say? You can ask about switching to more modern HIV meds if this will improve your health.
Hi , I m on Aspen Lamzid and Aluvia for 12years.I have started to develop liver problems. Its it safe for me to continue with Aluvia and Lamzid or i need to change. Which treatment can i change to if yes?
Hi Yolisa,
If you’re having issues with your current regime, please talk to your doctor about this, they’ll be able to advice you about changing.
I am on Alivia and lamzid well suppressed virus but side effect s with lamzid can I change toTLD