Question
How much do I need to eat with Eviplera?
30 April 2013. Related: All topics, Starting treatment.
I’m starting eviplera tomorrow and my doctor says I need to take it with a “big” meal. I would prefer to take it in the morning so that it is out of the way but normally have a smoothie for breakfast. Is this enough? He says calorie intake is vital. Can you pls give examples of what is sufficient to take with my tablets?
Any other special care I need to take? Can I drink alcohol? Thank you.
Answer
Hello,
Thanks for your email. It is very important to have a calorie intake of at least 390-550 calories with Eviplera. If you take Eviplera on an empty stomach this can mean you absorb 40% less of one of the three drugs in this pill (called rilpivirine).
This link will take you to examples of appropriate meals to take with Eviplera. A smoothie or protein shake is not sufficient- but there are several breakfast options on that page.
There is no need to avoid alcohol when taking Eviplera (provided that this doesn’t affect your adherence). For more info please see our meds page.
Hi Daniel
Your doctor is right about one thing. This is that there is a lot of information online about calorie content in different foods.
But the drug label is clear that it is the calorie content that is important – and not stomach acidity from chewing.
Because I don’t know which country you are in it is better you use google to search “calorie guide to different food” to see different example and then use the one you like best.
When I good “how many calories in a slice of cheese” – it is about 113 based on a 28 mg (1 oz) slice:
An average slice of bread is about 100 calories.
So really you need to be having 2 slices of cheese and two slices of bread – ie a cheese sandwich. If you add butter, relish or mayonnaise, the calories go up and you can eat a bit less bread etc.
The study for food and Eviplera needs close to 400 calories, rather than just chewing. With this drug it is more to do with absorption with this calorie count rather than stomach acidity. So information from your doctor might notbe correct on this.
Please see this new question with more information. It includes other examples of 400 calories meals.
http://i-base.info/qa/12086
I have a bad relationship with food due to alcoholism but my specialist still put me on Eviplera due to liver problems with Viramune. Sometimes I just have a slice of bread with cheese cos I cannot eat much but he said that’s ok as long as there’s some chewing action involved.
I have been taking drugs for hiv+ for a little over a year now. I was told it must be taken with food and I always have, but I now know how many calories. I take the drugs at breakfast, so breakfast is now a little bigger
Thank you for clearly explaining the “drug with food” how much question