Efavirenz dose reduction possible

People who experience ongoing central nervous system (CNS) side effects from the treatment efavirenz will be pleased to know that they may soon be able to take a lower dose of the drug.

A trial conducted in the Netherlands has reported that people who show high concentrations of the drug in their blood were able to decrease their dose from 600ml to 400ml without their viral load [1]A measurement of the quantity of HIV RNA in the blood. Viral load blood test results are expressed as the number of copies (of HIV) per milliliter of blood plasma. becoming detectable. Those with high concentrations are more likely to experience side effects.

But before you start chopping up your pills, it’s important to talk to your doctor and discuss the possibility of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM)
– a technique where they measure the quantity of drug in your blood but unfortunately one that is not widely available in Australia.

While dose reduction can be a better option than stopping the treatment altogether, it’s not one you should attempt without support.
www.aidsmap.org [2]