Question
What happens if I miss a dose?
5 February 2018. Related: Adherence, All topics.
Hi,
I’m aged 28, female, im starting this new Atroiza today. I’m responsible but what happens if I miss a day or 30 min off drinking my tablet.
Answer
Hi,
Thanks for your email.
The best reason to aim for the same time every day, is so that you get into a good routine. This will help you make your meds an easy part of your life. This is especially true when you first start treatment until your viral load becomes undetectable.
Generally it is OK to have a window of an hour either side of your normal time to take your meds. So if you aim to take it at 9 pm each day so long as you take it between 8pm and 10pm this will all be fine.
Most people will miss a dose at some point, but so long as this is not every week , this is also okay.If this keeps happening, please talk to your doctor about things that might help. The more doses you miss though the more likely that you will develop drug resistance.
Please see this page about adherence for more information.
Note: This answer was updated in February 2018 from a question first posted online in September 2013.
Thanks Suzi,
It’s good news your CD4 count is strong and you’ve been undetectable for a while. Getting the test done will help your worries. It’s always a good idea to let the clinic know if you miss some meds for a few days.
Do you know Treatment Action Campaign? They’ve been working since 1998 for access to HIV treatment across SA. You can contact them and ask for help to solve the delivery problem.
Hi Roy,
Thanks for your response. I live in Limpopo but I travel to Joburg and Cape Town alot. My viral load has always been undetected and my cd4 is 690. It’s the first time I’ve missed doses because they can only deliver my meds to a nearby chemist in Pretoria only. So I sent a courier to pick them up for me but there was a confusion which caused me to miss a full three days. I’m very worried but I will do as you suggested and get a test done.
Hi Suzi, Can you contact the clinic and talk to them about this? You can ask if they can change the way you get your meds. If you know when you will be working away you can ask if the delivery of meds can cover this period.
Taking meds properly is important for everyone. If you have missed many doses you can ask at the clinic for a test to see if your viral load is still undetectable. Not taking meds properly can mean that HIV bounces back.
Where do you live Suzi? Please send more info so that I can try to suggest ideas to support you.
I’m currently living between two cities because of work but I was told that I can only receive my meds from one clinic which makes it very hard for me because sometimes I miss my dates due to travelling. I do however try to stick to my medication but for the first time I’ve missed my appointment therefore haven’t been taking my meds properly. Will this cause me to become ill?
Hi Luleka,
It’s not a good idea to stop treatment for 2 weeks. Many people try to take their meds around the same time slot everyday. But it’s not always possible so, as it says above you can aim for the same time and give yourself a window either side of this.
Stopping treatment can lead to HIV bouncing back. When this happens HIV can become resistant to the meds you are taking. However, if you have already missed 2 weeks, you can ask the doctor for a viral load test to make sure HIV is still undetectable.
If you find the meds difficult to take you can talk to the doctor about this. You could find that different meds fit in with your schedule better.
Is it good to skip my dose for 2 weeks?
Hi P, I am sorry that i-Base is in the UK so we have limited knowledge of SA, but this doesn’t sound good. Are you in touch with the Treatment Action Campaign (https://tac.org.za/contact/). It would be good to contact their Cape Town office. I will also try to find out if there are other options for you including whether someone can contact you by email.
I’m staying at Zwezwe in Khayelitsha but at Kuyasa clinic the nurses refused to help me permanently taking my ARV treatment,I’ve been told to go to Wellington where I started to get my meds is it necessary that I can’t get help of not continuing with Arv’s?
Hi Theresa,
i-base advocates aren’t medical doctors. Therefore, its important that you take your daughter to see her doctor. They will be able to advise you. If she is positive its important that she stays on meds.
i have a duagther who was born with hiv and was on medication then the i stop giving her the hiv medicine for sometimes like 6 month and start giving again but she is still strong girl but she is having skin problem which is worry me and am worry is not going to hurt her one day pls help me to know what should i do and what medicine can i apply on or give her for the rushs to go from is body pls pls advice me thank u