Question
If I take HIV drugs early is there a risk of overdose?
27 March 2009. Related: Adherence, All topics, Side effects.
I am taking Truvada and nevirapine. My viral load is undetectable.
I’m about to go away on a business trip and am not sure when I’ll be able to take my pills. I remember my doctor saying I could take them early, so long as I never leave more than 24 hours between doses, but is this allowable several times?
That is, can I take one dose 18 hours after the previous, the next after another 12 hours, the next after 16 and so on, if I need to? I’d prefer to take them whenever I can get away in private, rather than exactly 24 hours later, as I’ve been doing at home.
Is there any danger of overdosing?
Thanks – and thanks for running this excellent service!
Answer
You can take your medicines less than 24 hours apart. It is, actually, what people do when they want to switch the time when they take ARVs, ie when they travel to a different time zone.
Having slightly higher drug levels of HIV drugs for a few hours will not cause any harm, and in one trip it is also fine to do this several times.
Each drug will have it’s own effect but none of these should be noticeable with the drugs you are taking.
Remember, that if you are taking nevirapine 400mg once-daily, you can split the dose to 200mg twice daily, so if you know you will be taking your next dose in 12 hours you would only need to take one 200mg tablet for that period.
Although modern medicines are researched for their safety and tolerability, it is not really advisable to expose yourself frequently or for a long period to an increased risk of side effects. When you are back home, sticking as much as possible to the 24 hours interval would be great, but a bit earlier or a slight delay won’t make much harm. I tend to be a bit traditional and old fashioned in that respect.
When travelling, is it possible to perhaps taking the pills in the bathroom/toilet or find an explanation, like “I am taking vitamins and herbal supplements”? This may be even an easier option. You won’t believe how many people take that seriously.
Hi Nthaveleng, it is great that you are wanting to start treatment. Have you had any recent tests for viral load and your CD4 count? How often do you think you will be able to go to the clinic? Would you be able to ask to have 2 months supply of treatment instead of 1 months? If this would be easier for you to access treatment?
Where are you based? In SA it would be suitable to contact TAC: https://www.tac.org.za/ TAC is a charity based in SA similar to i-base. They may offer other options that may help you being able to access treatment as much as you need.