Question
Are these side effects from Atroiza?
13 December 2013. Related: All topics, Life expectancy, Newly diagnosed, Pregnancy, Side effects.
Am a 19 yr old girl I just foundout that am HIV+ and am pregnant.
I started taking Atroiza but since I started I hardly sleep. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and have a bad headache when I ask nurse she say its part of treatment. Is it Atroiza doing this or what?
I know HIV can’t be cured and I doing this for my unborn baby because if I die who wil raised her/him?
Answer
Hello,
I’m very sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. Finding out you are HIV positive is never easy but finding out in pregnancy can be especially hard. Do you have any support to help you deal with this?
Atroiza is a generic version of Atripla.
Atroiza contains a drug called efavirenz which has side effects that include sleep disturbance, mood changes and headaches. Usually these will improve over the first few weeks of treatment. However, some people change to a different drug because of these side effects.
It’s important to understand that these are related to your treatment, and to discuss them with your clinic if you are finding them difficult or they don’t improve. This link has more about these side effects.
You are right that we don’t have a cure for HIV. ARVs are very effective at treating HIV though and can allow you to have a long and healthy life.
With ARVs, HIV positive people have almost the same life expectancy as HIV negative people. Living with HIV isn’t something that is easy and you do need to take it seriously, but it shouldn’t stop you from doing anything in life you would have done before your diagnosis.
You may find the following links useful for more information. Do get back in touch if you have any questions.
Anetef is a gneric verion of Atripla and this link includes information about side effects:
http://i-base.info/guides/1561
If the itching becomes a rash it is important to contact your doctor straight away.
I just started taking Anetef a few days ago. Last night after taking the pill my body started itching and I could not sleep. Is this normal?
Hi, It’s good that you have started HIV treatment. This can help keep you healthy. Having a backache isn’t a reported side effect with Atioza. But we are not doctors, and so it’s important if you have any symptoms to call your doctor about them.
You can find out more about starting HIV treatment (ART) in this guide Introduction to ART
I’m 22 years of age I’m a girl last month I have find that I’m HIV+ and I’m using atroiza and now I had terrible back ache, is it aside effect of my treatment?
Hi Louis,
It sounds like your son is not well at all. If these are side effects of Atroiza they are not normal because they are seriously affecting his quality of life.
It’s important that you make sure he sees the doctor about these symptoms. Is it possible for you to call the doctor or clinic on his behalf and ask them? Please let me know how you get on.
Best wishes, Roy
My adoptive son is HIV positive for a number of years. We relocated recently, and he went without his treatment for quite some time. He is now using Atroiza, and has lost a lot of weight. He allso urinates in his bed, and on the floor. He throws up on the floor instead of going to the bathroom. Is this normal or not. As I dont want to force him if it is normal side effects. Please help. I get the idea that he is looking for attension. But also dont want to be unfair towards him.
Hi Iwando,
Sorry, I’m not sure what domino tablets are. Many people have side effects during the first 10 days of starting ARVs. But these are usually mild. Does Atenef make you vomit? Please could you let me know more about these side effects.
Thanks, Roy
I am a 26 year old guy, I just found out that am HIV positive this May. so I started to take ARVs because my CD4 account was too low. so I got domino tablets, and when I went to the clinic this month on 1 august they gave me Atenef and this tablets they make me sick am always sick everyday please help
Hi Pat,
Atroiza, Tribuss and Atenef all contain the same meds, even though they might be different colours.
They are just as safe, and just as affective as each other. But they are made by different companies. That’s the reason the have different names. Here in the UK the trade name is Atripla. But the tablet is the same, it’s a fixed dose combination of efavirenz, tenofovir DF and FTC.
You can find other manufacturers names for this fixed dose combination here:
http://i-base.info/guides/1561
Good day, I’ve been using Afroiza, Tribuss medication which were one colour, now the nurses have changed me to Atenef (Sonke pharmaceuticals) which are now white, I am so confused and scared as it was not explained to me as to why they changed me from those I know and they were treating me well. Is there any difference between the 3?