Question

Does activated charcoal interact with HIV drugs?

13 August 2007. Related: All topics, Side effects, Supplements and herbs.

My mom lives in Zimbabwe and she is HIV positive.

She is currently on this medication: lamivudine (3TC) 150mg, stavudine (d4T) 30mg and nevirapine 200mg, which she takes as a single tablet twice a day.

She would like to know if taking activated charcoal as a detox agent in the afternoon will affect the medication she is on in a negative way.

I would be very happy if you reply soon. Ihave been sending her information via email for her to read and will recommend this website as well.

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

Thanks for posting your question.

There are no interactions between HIV drugs and activated charcoal, but if your mom wants to use this, she needs to tell her doctor first.

The general information at this link, cautions that activated charcoal may reduce absorption of healthy nutrients and vitamins. It is sometimes used to reduce drug levels in case of an overdose, but I worry that this might also reduce the active levels of drugs that you mom needs to fight the HIV.

I haven’t seen any studies that say activated charcoal can safely reduce the side effects of HIV drugs.

If you mom is having side effects, it is important that she speaks to her doctor about this, so that an alternative HIV drug can be prescribed, if this is important.