Time changes

[minismom]

I have always wondered about this.  Here in the states, the time changes twice a year.  In the spring we move the clocks up an hour and in the fall we move it back an hour.  What does this do to med intake times?  If mini takes her first dose of meds at 7:30am in the spring, should we wake her up in the fall at 6:30am to give it to her then back up to 7:30 in the spring so that she's essentially taking meds at the same time regardless of what the clock says?  Honestly, we just keep 7:30 meds at 7:30 even when the time changes.  Can an hour make that much difference?

mum

[newbie76]

What I do I adjust gradually moving the time I take the meds of about 15 minutes over the course of 4 days, which in your case would be:
Day 1: 7.30 am as usual
Day 2: 7.15
Day 3: 7.00
Day 4: 6.45
Day 5: 6.30 which should also be the day when the time changes bringing in fact back to 7.30am new time.

I also do it when I travel to mainland Europe which is an hour ahead of us in the UK. In any case my HIV doc told me that in general I have an hour margin either way, which in my case means that I can take my meds between 9.30 and 11.30pm, although generally I try to stick to my usual time of 10.30pm.

I hope it helps.

[Miss Philicia]

Oh come one.  An hour change isn't going to do anything.  It's like splitting hairs.

[newbie76]

*blush*

I am still quite new to this and don't want to risk messing things up!

[minismom]

You're not messing anything up!  For several years after mini's diagnosis, we did exactly what you wrote because I was horrified that I'd screw up and mini would get sick.  For the last year, we didn't do the "walk down" with the time and her numbers have stayed fine.  I was asking to make sure that her ud vl wasn't just "lucky" and that it was ok to have her meds off by an hour 2x/year.  I thought it was a legitimate question...goodness knows that I've asked crazier ones than this.

mum

[dixieman]

Minismom, Don't worry about it... just be as consistant as you can... the dosage on the newer drugs has a window period sometimes by 24 hours... where theres enough drug in the bodies system... just slowly get it as close as you can... an hour should not make a difference...

[Miss Philicia]

24 hours?  Are you sure?  I've not heard of any quite that long.

[vokz]

I’d love to see you find a doctor who will tell you that there is a 24 hour window period on taking any of your meds

Doses on HIV meds are a pretty inexact science and there are huge variations in how fast we each absorb the meds (due to size, diet metabolism etc) so best not to push it much beyond an hour or two, IMHO.

The fact that some drugs (like Sustiva) stay in your blood for a long time arguably makes it even more important that you take your drugs close to schedule .. because the more of a drug there is at significant - but ineffectual non-therapeutic - levels, the more opportunity there is for resistance to develop.

I agree with Philly though, just do a straight adjustment when the clocks go forwards / back (or perhaps have one single half-hour intermediary step, when the clocks go back an hour, if you are really nervous).

[Miss Philicia]

Agreed.  I'd definitely not fiddle around with more than a couple hours in either direction.

[sacinsc]

Pharmacist told me not to worry about the hour change, just keep them at the same time. That being said I went ahead and changed by the hour. From 8:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Nothing major for me. But I was told I really have about a 4 hour window with my meds.

Matt

[minismom]

Thank you so much for your posts. 

mum

[a2z]

It would be interesting to see a "fudge factor" chart for all HIV meds with min-max ranges for how far off you can be (from the previous day) and still consider the dose to be "not missed" (or not harmful in the case of taking two doses too close together.)

I wonder if even ID Docs agree on windows for the various medicines.

[J.R.E.]

It would be interesting to see a "fudge factor" chart for all HIV meds with min-max ranges for how far off you can be (from the previous day) and still consider the dose to be "not missed" (or not harmful in the case of taking two doses too close together.)

I wonder if even ID Docs agree on windows for the various medicines.

For myself, I always try to take my meds within 45 minutes plus or minus. I normallly take my AM dose ( Viramune and Epzicom) at 8:00 Am. My PM dose  Viramune and Viread, is taken at 8:00 PM.


When I started on meds, just a little over 4 years ago, that was the schedule that worked best for me, according to my work schedule and sleep schedule. And it still works for me.

Bottom line is ADHERANCE !! So, Best thing to do is once you get started on meds, Decide the time factor, of taking those meds, and stick as close to possible to those times. Also, no matter how precise someone is at taking their meds on time, there will be those days, when you may run late, or completely forget a dose.
 From The lessons :

http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/Adherence_7420.shtml

Take care-----Ray

[J.R.E.]

Getting back to the time changes. The first year or two, I was making allowances for the "Spring forward -Fall back time changes.

For the meds that I am on, I just continue now, at taking them at the regular time, despite the time changes.


Ray

[minismom]

When Mini was in the hospital for 5mths, the hospital was so crazy about her HIV meds that they told me to bring our's from home and put a note in her chart that I would be responsible for giving them to her.  At first, they took the meds that I brought from home and sent them down to the pharmacy in the hospital.  Problem was, they considered "on time" as a range of up to 2hrs either way!  I freaked out and demanded that I get back the meds and give them to her myself.  I had to sign a release, but it made me feel better.  Before you rag me about my paranoia, this began about 8mths after diagnosis.  We are still crazed about times, but we just give her meds at the regular time regardless of the time change.  So far, so good.

Thanks for all the great input.

Mum