Question
Does Atripla have any interactions?
4 August 2009. Related: All topics, Drug interactions.
Hi,
Could you tell me whether ARVs have interactions, in particular Atripla ?
Answer
Atripla consists of three compounds. Those are tenofovir (TDF), emtricitabine (FTC) and efavirenz (EFV).
All these compounds have the potential to interact with other medicines or/and food. This is why it is advisable every time when you decide to take other pills, including herbal preparations, to discuss this with your doctor.
EFV should not be taken with fatty food, as this increases the levels of the medicine and may lead to stronger side effects. On the other hand, TDF is better absorbed if taken with food. In the US, TDF can be taken with or without food. In Europe, the leaflet still says ‘take with food’. This sometimes confuses people.
Some doctors prefer to start people on Truvada and efavirenz separately, at least in the beginning (for the above mentioned food reasons). When the positive person gets an undetectable viral load result he/she is switched to Atripla. Some doctors, however, start people directly on Atripla and those people have been fine as well.
There is more detailed information on ARV interactions here. This is a particularly complex field of the treatment.
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