POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: waisland on September 20, 2013, 09:58:58 am
-
I've always had insomnia but since starting Stribild, it has gotten much worse. That coupled with my unemployment and time off from school means my sleep schedule is all over the place and there isn't a single hour of the day during which I know I'll always be awake. I'm trying to get that back on track, but that's a whole other mess... In the meantime, I've got a question:
If I'm taking one pill a day, how much deviation can I have with when I take it? Is a four-hour window too much of a window? I've been taking it at 1PM, no earlier than noon, but on some days when the insomnia gets really bad I will accidentally end up asleep until nearly 4PM so I take it then.
I'm new to all this, am I worrying for nothing? Or have I been committing egregious errors the last few weeks without even realizing it? Thank you for your assistance!
-
I wouldn't think you are going to run into problems with that short of time difference between dosing . Since you are new to living with HIV I would double down on getting on a consistent schedule if only for the reason of sometimes the habits we create when dealing with new things are the habits we keep .
You are going to be OK with the dosing wiggle room but it would be even less of an issue once you go undetectable .
-
Thanks Jeff :)
-
I think most one a day medicines are somewhat forgiving. I occasionally take Atripla at midnight or later when I am going out. Once, I was out of town and passed out without taking my medicine. I took it when I woke up at 630am. I was a little stressed, but the research I did suggested that the medicine has a long half life. If you have been taking your medicine for a while, don't stress about a single late dose.
That being said, I agree with Jeff G., get in the habit if taking it at the same time so that you train yourself. I tend to take mine at 9pm and I even set my phone to remind me. Also, having a 7 day pill box helps me make sure I don't miss a day.
-
The package insert (http://www.gilead.com/~/media/Files/pdfs/medicines/hiv/stribild/stribild_pi.pdf) is uncomfortably vague:
"If a patient misses a dose of STRIBILD, the patient should take the missed dose as soon as they remember. If it is almost time for the next dose of STRIBILD, the patient should not take the missed dose, but resume the usual dosing schedule."
However, this euro-doc (http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/comitologie/ros/2013/D026788-01/COM-AC_DR(2013)D026788-01(ANN1)_EN.pdf) gives firmer guidelines:
"If the patient misses a dose of Stribild within 18 hours of the time it is usually taken, the patient should take Stribild with food as soon as possible and resume the normal dosing schedule. If a patient misses a dose of Stribild by more than 18 hours and it is almost time for the next dose, the patient should not take the missed dose and simply resume the usual dosing schedule."
Also this charming addendum:
"If the patient vomits within 1 hour of taking Stribild another tablet should be taken."
-
Also this charming addendum:
"If the patient vomits within 1 hour of taking Stribild another tablet should be taken."
Thanks for posting this tidbit. While I have not had this happen to me, I have often wondered what I would do should i yack up my meds. Good info to mentally file away.
-
"If the patient vomits within 1 hour of taking Stribild another tablet should be taken."
love it
thanks again for the replies