Question
My brother is having side effects with Atroiza
23 July 2013. Related: All topics.
My brother is 35 and HIV positive.
He has been using Atroiza for a week. CD4 is 216 and he’s always dizzy, has lost weight, is not eating well and i think he’ losing his mind. Please help!
Answer
Hi,
Thanks for your email. Atroiza contains a drug called efavirenz that can affect your emotions and they way you act. For some people it can seem like you are going crazy.
Usually these side effects will improve after the first few weeks of treatment but for some people these can be severe or may not improve over time. If you are worried it is important that your brother talks to his doctor so that they can assess the severity of his side effects.
Some people need to change to different treatment very early on though if these side effects are severe.
Please see this page in our side effects guide for more information.
Atroiza is a generic version of Atripla.
Hi,
Tribuss and Atroiza are both generic versions (copies) of a drug called Atripla. They contain the same ingredients and work in the same way. They only have different names because they are made by different companies.
You should tell your clinic or doctor about your muscular pains. They can help you work out if it is linked to your meds. If it is they can let you know if there are alternatives available.
I have been taking atroiza for quite sometime now and now and again they switch me to tribuss, I am now experiencing muscular pains. Is it possible that they are caused by the treatment?
Hi,
It is great that you are checking that your meds will not affect your baby. Atroiza is a generic version (copy) of a pill called Atripla. It contains the same meds and works in the same way.
The advice about using Atroiza in pregnancy has now changed. It is considered to be safe to take.
You can find a more detailed answer to a similar question here:
http://i-base.info/qa/7093
Hi i am 17 weeks pregnant and i have HIV. They gave me Atrozia at the clinic but when i read the instructions inside it says that its not safe to use during pregnancy. I am worried please i need some reassurance that nothing will happen to my baby.
Hi Palesa, I am really sorry to hear this. I hope you take time and get the support you need to cope with this. It sounds like your doctor may be giving you good advice. This sometimes happens during pregnancy and sometimes there is no direct reason. Large database studies report miscarriages in HIV negative people and in HIV positive people on treatment at about the same rates. There isn’t a higher rate of miscarriages in people using Atroiza (or even efavirenz) compared to other medicines. I may help to overcome the loss of the pregnancy to know that your HIV meds were unlikely to be the reason for this.
i was 3 months pregnant and i’m using Atroiza but i just had a miscarriage. i dont know wht was wrong and the doctors just said it normally happens whn you r in tht stage.
Hi.
Atroiza is a generic version of Atripla and includes three medis in one pill.
One of these meds is called efavirenz, and rash can be a side effect of this drug.
Approximately, up to 15% of people get a rash with efavirenz, and this is usually mild.
However, about 5% of people switch to an alternative drug because of the rash.
In a small percentage of people (about 0.01%) the rash can be very serious.
You or your friend needs to talk to her doctor to explain the rash in detail in case she needs to visit the clinic.
This is important. Your friends doctor needs to then give appropriate information that is individual to these symptoms.
Hi. A friend of mine just comenced with Atroiza two weeks ago. She’s having rash over the whole body. Is this the side effects and if so what can she do?
Hi
Thanks for posting – it sounds like you have a lot going on.
First, it may help to know that Tribuss and Atroiza are the same meds. They have the same active meds but are just made by different manufacturers. Changing between one and the other is safe – but do not take both at the same time.
Secondly, although efavirenz, which is one of the drugs in Atroiza/Tribuss was originally not recommended during pregnancy, this has now changed in many countries. The links above include information that it can now be taken during pregnancy.
This is because a safety registry that included many thousands of women, did not find this was associated with a higher risk of complications.
Sometimes it takes a long time for the printed label on a medicine to be changed.
Please talk to your doctor or nurse if you are still worried about anything.
Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and try not to get too stressed both for you and your baby :)
Hi,
Im a 21 year old pregnant woman who started taking Tribuss last month. I did experience sider effects like dizzynes and now i went to the clinic and they gave me Atroiza also known as TDF. Now i’m worried because it is stated that it shouldn’t be used during pregnancy. They told me they don’t have Tribuss and now i’m really worried such change in this medication would affect my baby. Im way too stressed and i dont know what to do. Any advise please!!
Thank you