Question
Overdosing on ARVs
6 September 2013. Related: All topics, South Africa.
I over dosed ARVs with the intention of killing my self but i just felt dizzy and vomitted alot. Could my organs be in danger?
Answer
Hi
Please contact your doctor.
This is so he or she can go through the details of what you took and decide on appropriate medical care.
Your clinic can also help talk about the reasons why you did this and help see other options for your future that are going to be better.
If you were sick soon after taking the meds it is likely that they are out of your body and so the risk of long-term damage is likely to be low – but this is something a doctor needs to decide.
Why did you feel so low?
I hope you are feeling better now and that you contact your clinic so they can help.
Hi Martha,
If you’re taking a medication that contains efavirenz this may explain why you are feeling like this. Ideally you should discuss this with your health care professional and ask them to change you to something else.
Feeling tired is common when someone first starts some ARVs’s, this however should go within a few weeks of being on them. If you’ve been on your meds for longer than a few weeks, then this isn’t really normal. Neither is feeling hungry all the time.
If you’d like to email me, please do. I can help you to a certain extent, however if you are feeling like this you may need professional support. lisa.thorley@i-base.org.uk
You aren’t alone though, you have a community of people who want to help.
hey, I am HIV positive I am always tired, and feeling hungry all the time. I asked about these things at the clinic and they said it is normal. sometimes I even want to die as I do not have anyone to talk to when I feel down, I cry almost everyday without no reason.
Actually I do not know how feel most of the times the only answer I get is to die. The only reason I am still alive are my kids. can somebody please help me I can not do it anymore.
Hi Precious,
Is there anyone that you can talk to about how you are feeling? Although we can email each other privately if this would help, i-Base can only provide limited help compared to someone you can talk to in detail.
This could be a friend or family member, or to anyone at your clinic that could help.
If your HIV meds include the drug efavirenz then many of these feeling could be a side effect of the medicine. Efavirenz is included in Atripla and the many generic versions. Please look at the label if you are not sure and then contact your doctor urgently.
The side effects of efavirenz can easily worsen depression and make people feel like committing suicide. Often this is just the drug. Within a few days of switching to an alternative HIV drugs you might feel completely different.
If your HIV meds do not include efavirenz then it is still important to let your doctor know how you feel. Depression is still common and either counselling or other medication can make a big help. This might be related to other health conditions that you haven’t mentioned or difficulties that might not even be related to HIV.
My email is lisa.thorley@i-base.org.uk
I can’t do this anymore im tired im thinking about overdosing my pills so that i will die peacefully
Hi Nkule, how is your sister now?
When did this happen and how many pills did she take?
My sister overdose with arv and she refuse to go to the hospital
Hi Mara, thanks, I am not sure what to suggest. HIV meds are not linked to loosing an interest in sex. However, efavirenz is a drug in many combinations and this can cause your moods to change – without you realising it is side effect. This might be affecting how you interact with your husband. If you are not sleeping well and this makes you tired, or if you are stressed or anxious because of efavirenz, this might also make sex less important. Please talk to your doctor about this. There is more information about sexual health at this link:
http://i-base.info/guides/side/sexual-health
Hi lovly people. Since i started my meds i have no feeling for man, even when my husband touch me nothing happens. Don’t know what to do . Pls help me. I am HIV positive and on Atroiza meds.
Hi Sandile,
Atroiza should not be taken in this way. Only people who are HIV positive should take Atroiza, and only under prescription from a doctor. This is because Atroiza can cause dangerous side effects. It is unlikely that you have caused any permanent damage but it is not a good idea to do this again. Please see our pages about PEP for more information.
Atroiza is a generic version of Atripla.
I’m a 28 year old guy hiv negative but I got vey sick the first day I took Atrioza pills after an unprotected sex I had but I made a mistake again and took 2 pills a day which led to severe headache and drousiness and have stopped using at the seventh day. Am scared if my life is in danger