Three months expired Truvada.

[proud40]

My Dr. told me I should start my HIV med regime with Truvada and Viramune, right away. Although he had prescribed them on April 2006, I'm not starting on them until now. I had them stored in my closet drawer all this time. The Viramune is clear, it has an expiration date not until Aug 08, but the Truvada expired just this past February 08. I've been trying to contact my Dr. but he's so hard to catch. I've heard that any med still keeps its therapeutic effects as much as a year or 6 months after expiration date. Should I take the Truvada eventhough it has expired just three months ago?

[Matty the Damned]

It's probably OK to take them, but medicines expire for a reason. Can you not return the expired meds to your pharmacy and exchange them for in date ones?

MtD
(Who won't ask why you've been holding these pills for 2 years)

[Miss Philicia]

Isn't truvada especially "iffy" because of how it reacts to humidity levels?  My bottle says to discard within a year actually.

[MSPspud]

I would call the pharmacist instead of the doctor. 

[proud40]

It's probably OK to take them, but medicines expire for a reason. Can you not return the expired meds to your pharmacy and exchange them for in date ones?

MtD
(Who won't ask why you've been holding these pills for 2 years)

Thanks for your message. The Doctor has already sent me a couple of new Truvada bottles. I was holding back the meds because I have a weak liver from birth; but now, with 87 CD4 and 520,123 viral load, I guess there's no choice anymore. I'm not afraid of dying, I know I'd probably die 'cause my liver won't stand the meds; but I'm at peace with death. All will be fine, no worries.

[pacerintl]

Here's a thought, I know you are concerned about your liver and who knows what else...."what if I take the meds, what might happen, maybe this will happen, maybe that".....or you just might luck out like many people and tollerate the drugs just fine.   But you will never know if you don't take the plunge.  I know this is scarry but compared to what the people faced fifteen to twenty years ago this is a cake walk.

[MitchMiller]

Just wondering why you would choose an HIV drug (Viramune) that has a black box warning about liver toxicity if you have concerns about your liver?  Why not Sustiva instead?