Atripla

Atripla Information

Atripla (also known as Efavirenz, Emtricitabine and Tenofovir) is antiviral drug which stops the HIV to reproduce in the human organism. Atripla contains in its composition two anti HIV medicines: non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (also abbreviated as NNRTI) and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors which fight the infection away from the human body.

Atripla Indications

Atripla is a medicine which is recommended in the persons who are suffering from HIV. This medicine is not a cure for HIV or for AIDS; it is not effective in the prevention of the passing the virus to other people. This medicine may be used to treat other medical conditions than those listed above; for more information, talk to your personal health care provider or to a pharmacist.

Atripla Warnings

Patients are recommended to inform their doctor if they are suffering from liver diseases, kidney diseases, bone problems, hepatitis infection, epilepsy, seizure disorders and a history of mental illness. Patients who are suffering from one or more of these diseases will not be able to take this medicine or they will be needing dosage adjustments and regularly tested during the treatment.

Women who are pregnant or preparing to get pregnant should not take Atripla without their doctor’s approval because this medicine is harmful for the baby. It is a well known fact that HIV can be passed to the baby in the cases in which the mother is not treated correctly during pregnancy; this is why it is very important to tell your doctor if you are pregnant, because he will know how to control the infection in order not to be passed to the baby.

Women are recommended not to breast feed during the treatment with Atripla, because even if the baby is healthy he can become infected with HIV through the breast milk. Atripla may lead to lactic acidosis (this is the build up of the lactic acid in the human organism). This medical condition may lead to the following symptoms: muscle pain, muscle weakness, breathing problems, nausea, vomiting, arrhythmias, stomach pain and numbness. Patients who experience these symptoms, even in the mild form, should inform their doctor as soon as they can, because these symptoms usually get worse and can lead to death.

Atripla Intake Guidelines

Usually, the personal healthcare provider or the doctor will tell the patients exactly how to take Atripla, in order to obtain visible results. Patients should listen carefully to the doctor’s indications and if they have further questions about the treatment and the medicine they should talk again with their personal healthcare provider or with their pharmacist. It is very important to take this medicine exactly as it is prescribed by the doctor and to refill your prescription before you run out of this drug, in order not to interrupt the treatment. In order for the patient to see the improvements during the treatment with Atripla, they should go to regular blood and liver exams.

Patients should keep this medicine at the room’s temperature, avoiding heat, direct light and moisture. Patients are recommended to take this medicine with a full glass of water on an empty stomach. In order to avoid or to lessen the side effects of Atripla, patients should take this medicine before going to sleep.

Atripla Dosage

Patients should take Atripla as the doctor prescribed them and not in larger or smaller quantities or for longer/shorter periods of time. Their personal healthcare provider will ask them to undergo regular blood tests to see how the disease evolves under the treatment with Atripla. Their doctor can also change their dose in order to get the best results from this treatment. It is recommended not to change the dose of the medication nor its schedule without talking to you doctor first.

Atripla Overdose

The patients who believe that they have taken an overdose of Atripla should call their doctor as soon as possible and should also announce the local poison center. It is possible for the patients to remain in the hospital for further investigations and blood tests. The symptoms of an Atripla overdose remain unknown for the moment, but taking into consideration the side effects of this medicine the patients may experience: muscle pain, breathing problems, stomach pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, irregular heartbeats, weakness, cold and blue hands and feet, enlarged liver, persistent nausea, abnormal dreams, kidney problems, loss of appetite and even uncontrollable muscle contractions.

Atripla Missed Dose

Patients should try as much as possible to respect the treatment’s schedule, but if they happen to miss a dose, they should take it as soon as they remember. When it is almost time for the next dose, patients are recommended to forget about their skipped dose and continue with their normal schedule. Patients must not take a double dose of Atripla, unless their doctor tells them to do so.

Atripla Side Effects

It is well known the fact that any medicine has its side effects. In the case of Atripla, patients might experience the following side effects during the treatment: nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, fatigue, headaches, vomiting, sinus infection, abnormal dreams, sore throat, colds, runny nose, and drowsiness. This is not a complete list of the side effects which can appear during the treatment, for further information we recommend you to discuss with your doctor.

Atripla Drug Reactions

Patients are recommended not to use Atripla if they are already under treatment with one or more of the following medicines: Astemizole, Cispriade, Lamivudine, Midazolam, Voriconazole, Methysergide, or other similar medicines. One should avoid combining his or her intake of this medicine (Atripla) with a therapy with Emtricitabine, Tenofovir or Efavirenz, antibiotics, antifungals, antihistamines, antipsychotics, heart medications, sedatives, antimigrain drugs, because this can lead to a life threatening interaction.