I have started taken Atripla after this March diagnosis for 5 days now. I take it around 3 a.m. I will be on an overseas business trip for a week. The location is 12 hours ahead of where I am, how should I take Atripla?

Hello and thanks for your post.

There are different approaches to dealing with time changes and Atripla dosing. The first (and what most of my patients do) is on day of travel to change your watch (and dosing) to the new time zone and take your medications as scheduled- this would mean having either a 12- or 36 hour time between doses. If your viral load is undetectable, I generally recommend the later (otherwise you'd risk having increased levels of medications and increased potential for efavirenz "foggy morning" side effects on arrival in a foreign country).

Some patients (a minority) on stable Atripla regimens don't have any side effects whatsoever. These patients could continue to take their medication at same time, without adjustment in clock-- that is to say at mid-day in the new time zone, if they previously took their medication at night when at home.

Hope this is helpful. Safe travels, BY