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.
Is it ok to take my Meds an hour early, and if I want to go back to my normal time what do i do?
Hi Prince,
That should be fine. If you realise you have missed a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If you remember after 8 hours, it’s fine to take it then.
BUT, if you only realise when you’re going to take your next dose, do not take a double dose.
There’s more info at this link.
What if you take arv 8 hours delay from the time it should be taken ? What will happened to the patient??
Hi Lucia.
No it’s not a problem if you take your meds 5 mins late. It’s ok to take them a few hours either side of your normal time.
It’s not a problem if I take my hiv medication 5 minute late
Hi Ed,
Please see Q4 here: http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
I was suppose to take my meds 10pm but i heard my alarm ringing and when i looked up the time its 10am not 10pm. I misread the time. Are there any repercussions? Im taking lami/teno/efav.
Hi Dan,
It is sometimes difficult to take your meds at the exact same time everyday.
but even when starting, there is a window of about an hour either side of your target time when it is still fine to take them.
So taking them 20 minutes early will be fine.
what if you take them 20 minutes before the expected time
Hi Ceeyor,
What HIV meds are you taking? If you are taking Atripla it’s recommended to take it before bedtime. So that might be a problem if you are working night shifts. You can talk to the doctor and ask if there are other meds that are easier for your to take.
Do you mean you take them at 8pm one night and 11pm the next?
And do you know your viral load and CD4 results? Please let us know.