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 Vuyeka
Please read the answer to a similar question:
http://i-base.info/qa/11829
I’m more loosing my waight,its a 3rd month now I’m losing weight more
Hi Brabhiza. First, someone’s medical treatment is a personal and confidential issue. Your partner may or may not want to discuss this with you, but may do if you are supportive. Secondly, this link will explain how HIV treatment makes is very effective at reducing the risk of transmission. In this study there were no transmissions after 58,000 times that people had sex without condoms when viral load was undetectable.
http://i-base.info/qa-on-the-partner-study
hi I just find out that my girlfriend is using the tablets called odimune and tribuss when I was cleaning the house and I find them hidden in the corner of the fridge and I did Google these pill and result are the treatment are for (HIV+) and I just wanna knw if these pill are found in the local clinic or private doctor becouse it possible that she’s been hiding this long since we first met and are there any chances that I might be infected as she was taking treatment but I wasn’t?
Effective ART like Tribuss reduces the risk to close to zero, so long as your boyfirens viral load is undetectable:
http://i-base.info/qa-on-the-partner-study
Hi I had unprotected sex with my bf that is HIV+. He is using this tablet calling Tribuss. I want to Know if I can get the virus too and what can I do to prevend getting the virus.
Hi Mickey. Atripla and Tribuss both contain the same meds. If one worked then the other should be just as good. If financial reasons are likely to happen again, talk to your doctor about other options for dosing. For example, because these drugs sty in your body for a long time, you might be able to use slightly fewer pills each week. This would let you store some for use in an emergency. You need to have an undetectable viral load before doing this, but a study called FOTO (Five On Two Off) had good results with people taking Atripla during the week and not at weekends. I need the names of your hormones to look at whether there are drug interactions – or you can ask your doctor about this.
FOTO study abstract:
http://library.iasociety.org/AbstractView.aspx?confID=2009&abstractId=3046
i started taking Atripla for the past 9 months..and i missed my meds for about 3 weeks because financial problems and now my Dr prescribe me Tribuss meds… will it affects my hormones?
Hi Mzimasi – I don’t know what M171 means but this website suggests it is Nadolol which is used to treat angina (chest pain) or hypertension (high blood pressure).
https://www.drugs.com/imprints.php?imprint=m+171
Information about HIV transmission and testing are already online at the FAQ page.
http://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
or in this guide:
http://i-base.info/guides/testing
Hi I found M171 in my girl frnds bag and as Im someone who always do VCT test Im stil negative so are there any chances tht the virus is hidin in my body ???