Question

Can Triumeq add to anxiety in people who are bipolar?

12 April 2024. Related: All topics, Side effects.

I’m a gay man in my 30s and I’m bi polar and suffer with chronic anxiety which I take medication for.

I was diagnosed with HIV in 2015 and I am on Triumeq. I heard this med increases anxiety and I’ve heard of people being taken off it because it increases anxiety.

I asked my clinic about it and they said as I’ve been on it for 8 years I would be okay and they recommended I stay on the medication.

Have you any thoughts on that Triumeq could be increasing my anxiety which has been vary bad lately.

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

Hi there

Thanks for your Q and for letting us post this anonymously online.

Triumeq includes three HIV meds and of these dolutegravir can affect mood.

However, this only affects about 1 in 20 people (5%) and most people notice no difference in mood. Also, this sort of side effect usually occurs when you first start treatment.

If you didn’t notice any changes when you first started, your recent anxiety is more likely to be caused by other things. It might be more important to look at other causes first rather than switching HIV meds, so your doctor is giving you good information.

The only way to know if the HIV meds are involved would be to change to another treatment, even for just a few weeks. So long as your viral load is undetectable now you can return to the current combination if the change makes no difference.

UK guidelines include that everyone should have their treatment reviewed every year though and many people are switching from Triumeq to Dovato because dropping down to this dual combination seems just as good as your current three drugs.

I am sorry that I can’t comment on general management of anxiety related to bipolar as this should be discussed with a relevant expert.