Skipping Hiv Medication

Here's a taste of what TheBody.com has to offer on this topic:

Articles

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Many HIV Patients Skip Medications to Drink

Researchers have shown that about half of HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy skipped their medicines when drinking alcohol. Seth Kalichman, professor at the University of Connecticut, and colleagues investigated how patients' beliefs about... Read more »

Choosing Alcohol Over HIV Meds? New Study Examines Why People With HIV Skip Treatment When Drinking

Half of HIV-positive individuals who are on treatment and drink alcohol skip taking their HIV medications on purpose, under the erroneous belief that mixing antiretrovirals and alcohol is harmful, according to a prospective study presented at the... Read more »

Mississippi: Most With HIV Skip Treatment

New estimates from the state Department of Health (DOH) show more than two-thirds of Mississippians who test HIV-positive are not on treatment, placing their health in jeopardy and increasing the risk of infecting others. Stigma, cost, and lack of... Read more »

Ask the Experts

skipping a day on medication

Hi doctor,i was on Atripla for about a year then started getting neuropathy symptoms. My doc switched me to Prezista/norvir/isentress back in sept/oct of last year.My neuropathy symptoms subsided after a month or two after the switch and have been...

Response from Keith Henry, M.D.

University of Minnesota, School of Medicine

It seems unlikely though possible that your symptoms would be due to HIV-drug related neuropathy (your new regimen is completely different than Atripla so that any drug in the Atripla that was causing the neuropathy would not have a similar drug in... Read more »

skipping a dose s

I am wondering if it is ok to skip a dose of Atripla for New Year Eve. I have been taking it everyday since August of this year. My doctor says I am doing well. I have heard and read opposing theories. specially about FOTO or five days on two...

Response from Keith Henry, M.D.

University of Minnesota, School of Medicine

Missing a single dose of Atripla for someone who is doing well on it (suppressed virus) generally would not be a problem for most patients. Would let your HIV doctor know about it. KH... Read more »

Skipped 12 doses PEP

Hello,After a possible exposure to HIV, i've used PEP pills the first 3 days. After that i stopped for 6 days (12 doses) now due to side effects.Will it have a positive effect if i start again? Or is it too late? windowperiodiskillingme...

Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.

The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation

Hello Windowperiodiskillingme,If you've missed six days of PEP, there is no point in restarting treatment. I encourage anyone who has had an HIV exposure significant enough to warrant a course of PEP be followed by an HIV physician specialist.... Read more »

How many days can I safely skip taking Atripla with no consequences?

Hello,I'm a 42 yo woman living in the UK. I've been diagnosed HIV+ in October 2009, and started Atripla immediately. A year on, I've got from CD4 127 to 194 and VL undetectable from 86,500. Thankfully the treatment is supplied free of...

Response from Mark Holodniy, M.D., F.A.C.P., C.I.C.

Stanford University, School of Medicine

Hopefully you have gotten your meds by now. Within a few days after stopping one can begin to see the viral load begin to increase. In almost all cases just restarting the meds will result in the viral load going back to undetectable. Sometimes... Read more »

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Skipping Doses

Posted by chrisnxs, 2 Replies

Hello Everyone, can someone please elaborate on the severity of skipping meds? My bf is positive and has been on meds for about a year. He's on my insurance and it kills the price down to a point where he can get his meds pretty easily. I discovered... Read more »