I've just started taking Atripla a few weeks ago and am suffering from lower back pain and every BM is painful. I cut the dose in half the other night and had a great next day. I know its not good to mess with your dosage.so how do I prevent these symptoms.

Hello,

You are absolutely correct! "It is not good to mess with your dosage" of Atripla! In fact it's a very bad idea. Not taking the full recommended dose can quickly lead to the development of drug resistance to one or more of the three components in your Atripla. This in turn can make treatment of your HIV disease much more difficulty going forward, as there are only a limited number of options and many are much less convenient and more difficult to tolerate than Atripla.

Next, low back pain and painful bowel movements are most likely not related to Atripla! I would recommend you immediately restart your full dosage and contact your HIV physician specialist to evaluate the discomfort in your back and gastrointestinal tract. Never alter a dose of your antiretrovirals without consulting your HIV specialist. Be sure to advise your doctor exactly how many half doses you took.

Good luck.

Dr. Bob