Question
Why have I been given Tribuss – is this an ARV?
5 February 2018. Related: All topics, South Africa, Starting treatment.
I started taking Tribuss about two weeks ago.
I’d like to know what are the side effects of this medication and what is the difference between them and ARVs.
I was shocked when my doctor prescribed me with Tribuss instead of ARVs which I’m familiar with when people are HIV+?
Answer
Hello,
Thanks for your email. How are you doing?
Tribuss is a pill that contains three HIV drugs (ARVs) – efavirenz, FTC and tenofovir DF.
It is one of the generic versions of the brand-name drug Atripla. For a picture of Tribuss see this link.
So your doctor has prescribed you ARVs, and this pill is very effective at treating HIV.
Side effects mainly related to the efavirenz. These include mood changes, sleep problems, vivid dreams (sometimes nightmares). Luckily, for most people, these usually get easier within the first few weeks. If not though, please talk to your doctor about different choices.
This link has more information about efavirenz side effects and how to manage them.
You guide is an Introduction to ART.
Because you are in South Africa, the Treatment Action Campaign may also have more information about treatment and support in SA.
Note: This answer was updated in February 2018 from a question first posted online in October 2013.
Hi! If i may ask if i found out that am Hiv positive and at hospital they gave me tribuss pills D100. Is that means my CD4C is low? Or what? Please help me
Hi Boniwe,
PEP should be taken within 72hrs after a possible risk, therefore if you started them after 72hrs they are unlikely to have any effect. However, if your boyfriend is on medication and his viral load is undetectable there won’t be any risk. For more info, please see here:
http://i-base.info/htb/32308
Good morning
My boyfriend confess that he is Hiv Positive after sleeping with him for several times after I found the Tribuss pills in his bag and now the Dr prescribed for me Trivenz and it was after 72 hours and last time I checked my status I was Hiv negative.
Is it still gonna work for me?
Hi Sammy,
If your girlfriend’s viral load is undetectable then you won’t be at risk. For more info, please see here:
http://i-base.info/htb/32308
If you were in the Uk you wouldn’t have been given ARVs due to your girlfriend having an undetectable viral load.
I met a girl whom i have been dating for more than a month and we’ve had protected and unprotected sex 4 times of which i never knew she has been positive for about 10 years and have been on ARV’s for the past 3 years of which i confirmed her medical history to be true and according to her, her viral load is very low as a matter of fact undetectable.
Due to fear of being HIV positive, i went to my doctor with her because she has been telling me not to be scared that i can not contact it but i didn’t care about her consolation words, so we went to the doctor and get tested, mine came out negative but to be on the safer side, my doctor put me on Trivenz for a month but yet i am scared because we have been together for about 6 weeks now, i haven’t been able to sleep because i am so worried like i have never been before.
Please is there any advice you can render or what i should do?
Hi Mbali,
Tribuss isn’t known to cause asthma. However the Salmeterol that’s in the Fozair could potentially interact with the Tribuss. Please see here:
http://www.hiv-druginteractions.org/downloads/ajd45jg-4er5-67oy-ur43-009ert.pdf?interaction_ids%5B%5D=72246&interaction_ids%5B%5D=72247&interaction_ids%5B%5D=72259
Hi
I am on Tribuss and some vitamins that’s what my doctor prescribed for me…the problem is while taking this I developed Asthma I’ve never suffered from asthma before ; now I’m on Foxair inhaler which I use 2 times a day.If I may know does Tribuss have side effects? Is asthma one of them.
Hi Lineo,
Please see the above post.
I want to know if Tribuss are used for HIV only.
Hi Lili, because you didn’t say, I need to ask first whether you are HIV positive. If yes, and your CD4 count is still strong (above 200), then your doctor might be right to suggest a period off HIV treatment. This will depend on the details of the liver reaction though and your health in general. Most HIV meds are very safe for the liver, but a few still cause serious problems (though this is rare).