Question
How soon can I eat after taking Odimune?
21 August 2012. Related: Adherence, All topics.
I hear you say its advisable to take odimune (efavrienz+ FTC+ tenofovir) at bed time and its only taken on empty stomach, how long exactly should i stay away from food before taking it? The reason i am asking this is I can not starve the whole day before taking the tablet.
Answer
Saying that Odimune needs to be taken on an ’empty stomach’ doesn’t mean you need to starve yourself. It is fine to eat something before or when you take this, but you have to be careful to make sure this is not a high fat meal.
A high fat meal will increase levels of efavirenz and so you may get more side effects (mood changes, anxiety, disorientation or interrupted sleep etc). Food low in fat or with just a little fat, will be fine.
More about this is explained in this question: What happens if don’t take Atripla on an empty stomach?
Odimune is a generic version of Atripla which includes the same meds but is just made by a different company.
Hi
It sounds like you have had a great response to treatment, with a good CD4 increase.
It may just be that you are more aware of symptoms because you have recently started treatment. HIV doesn’t increase your chance of getting flu though.
In the UK HIV positive people are recommended to get the flu vaccine each year, but this is because if you do get flu the symptoms can be more serious if your immune system is already suppressed.
Hi, I would like to know, i have been on Odimune for almost a year now and my CD4 counte went from 214 to 400 in about 3 months.
But the strange thing is that i seem to be more prone to flu than i was before i started taking the medication. I bought flu pills that have Sutherlandia Zinc and Astragalus. Will they do any harm?
Generally odimune is not suitable for people who do shift work. Please see this previous question (sustiva is one of the drugs in odimune) for more information.
hai can use odumine even u working two shift at work?
Hi Vuyokazi, if you have a rash it’s important to talk to your doctor to make sure that this isn’t anything serious. If your doctor has checked this and says it is nothing serious please see our side effects guide for advice about rashes and about dry skin.
Hi m taking odimune n activovite m almost 2weeks taking them l realise that ma body is itching lyk m having allergy on something are mayb the side effects of the treatment?
Hi,
Can you tell me when you take your treatment and whether you take it with food or not? Most people take odimune about an hour before they go to bed so that you are asleep when these side effects are worst. It’s also important not to take odimune within 2 hours of a high fat meal as this can make side effects worse. In the UK odimune is called Atripla- you can read more about this combination here.
If you are already following these instructions then you should talk to your doctor. Odimune doesn’t suit everybody and if you continue to experience difficult side effects you may be able to change to a different combination treatment.
People starting ARV treatment generally put on weight as they find they have a stronger appetite and more energy. If you are worried about this do speak to your doctor though.
Hi I would like to know if how long does side effect takes I’ve started odimune since 1Feb 2013 once I taken my pills in about 2hours I will feel like I’m drunk meaning the feeling I want to sleep immediately then i went to my gp to get exactly what is happening she told me it will go away in abt a month bt I’m still feel the same way though it is 3months now. Another question I hv a lot of appetite meaning I eat a lot than normal is it right?
Hi Siphe,
If you are only taking AZT to prevent transmission of HIV to your baby then it’s unlikely you will change treatment unless your doctor thinks you should use combination therapy. Please see our pregnancy guide for information about treatment options in pregnancy.
Im pregnant and my cd4 is 532 I ve been using AZT for the past 2 months, now that theres a new HIV treatment will I also change my treatment to odimune