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.
Hi I am 20 weeks pregnant . I went to clinic same day hiv and treatment . I asked about viral load and CD4 count they said my results after a month . Now I am vomiting., headche, dizzy I can’t even go to work . What must I do to continue or to stop?
Hi Lucricia, It’s great that you are starting ARVs again. Taking ARVs can benefit your overall health. And modern HIV treatment (ART) is easier to take, it has fewer side effects. Can you ask at the clinic for support while you get back on treatment? People’s bodies can change for many reasons that are not because they are positive and taking ARVs.
Hello. I’ve stopped taking my Arv for about 8 months now . And I’m going to start again tomorrow to take the pills. I’m just worried ….that they might change my body. And people will now notice that I’m positive.
I’m so scared .
Hi Mpho,
It’s a good idea to talk to the clinic and ask if they really are changing treatment. They could be the same meds but made by a different company. This means that they can look different from each other, but really are the same. Modern HIV treatment (ART) can come in a single pill, they now often contain three types of ARV.
Do you live in South Africa? If so, you can contact Treatment Action Campaign. They’ve been going since 1998. They could help with support to talk to your clinic about these changes.
Hi
I started treatment on much last year the problem is that they changing my treatment every time when l go to clinic. When I ask sister said they are all the same but it’s I m stating from the scratch it makes me dizzy after taking one. Some one time they are white pink when I started treatment they there three types of arv
Hi Thando,
Please go and discuss this with your doctor, they may need to give you something for the rash. When someone is new to treatment its important that they adhere to medication.
hi I’m Thando i started arv treatment last month and after 2 weeks of taking the pills I developed rash all over my body mostly my arms and legs. I went to the doctor who gave me injection for rash and itchiness and it went away after 2/3 days, by mistake I skipped a dose on Tuesday and the following day I took it and the rash started all over again. please help me what should i do
Hi Sina,
Though not ideal, you’ll be fine. Now that you’ve remembered please take your meds as soon as you can.
I’ve been on meds for 2 years, I’ve just missed 2 doses, what should I do?
Hi Cece,
Treatment for both TB and HIV can be complex. It’s great that you are taking your ARVs. But it’s important for you to finish the course of TB treatment. Otherwise it might not work and the TB drugs you’re taking might not be effective in future.
It’s important that you talk to the clinic about your TB treatment to see if you can take a new complete course.