Contents:
- Medical Video: How To Treat Insomnia Naturally Without Medication Fix Sleeping Problems | Best Way To Sleep Better
- Why is it important to take HIV medicine on time?
- Rules for taking HIV drugs
- Here's how to keep remembering to take HIV medicine on time
Medical Video: How To Treat Insomnia Naturally Without Medication Fix Sleeping Problems | Best Way To Sleep Better
Living with HIV requires you to adhere to a treatment schedule. With so many prescribed drugs, sometimes this can make you overwhelmed to remember when and how much you should consume. We want to share some tips that can help you remember to take your HIV medication.
Why is it important to take HIV medicine on time?
The HIV virus reproduces a copy of itself when the virus enters your body. HIV drugs can prevent the virus from carrying out this process. However, using an inappropriate dose of HIV medication will make the drug ineffective in working against the virus. This condition is called drug resistance. After you become immune to an HIV drug, you must stop taking it and replace it with another drug.
Rules for taking HIV drugs
Read the HIV drug instructions carefully to avoid the risk of dangerous drug resistance. This will help you to understand how to use it. Follow the instructions without exception. Here are some instructions that you normally see and their meaning:
- Drink twice a daymeaning that the first dose must be taken in the morning and the second dose to be used about 12 hours later. For example, if you take the first dose at 8 am, the second dose should be taken at 8 o'clock at night.
- Drink three times a day, meaning that the three doses must be taken at a distance of 8 hours. If the first dose is taken at 7am, you should take a second dose 8 hours later at 3pm. The third dose must be taken 8 hours later, which is at 11 o'clock at night.
- Drink after eating or "Drinking with food" means you have to eat something before taking your HIV medication. If you don't want to eat a full portion, eat a large snack, such as a peanut butter sandwich, biscuits with milk, or granola bars and yogurt.
- Drink with an empty stomach means you have to take the medication at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after you eat a snack or heavy food.
Here's how to keep remembering to take HIV medicine on time
Here are some useful tips for you to remember to take your HIV medication on time:
- Do a "trial" before you start taking HIV drugs to see if you have difficulty sticking to the schedule
- Use a pill box with a separate box for each day of the week.
- Make a "dose pack" for pills that you must take when leaving home.
- Make a breakdown of the daily schedule for time to take medication, time to eat, and what to eat. Choose one daily activity - like going to work or watching your favorite TV program - and taking your pills at that time every day
- Use a watch with an alarm. Set an alarm for every time you need to take medication.
- Look for a "dose friend" - someone who also takes HIV drugs so you can remind each other to keep up with the schedule.
- Keep together with all your prescription information on HIV drugs in one place, with an emergency telephone number. Buy your medicine again at least one week before it will run out so you don't run out of medication at all.
Don't let the thought that having HIV will knock you down. Do research on HIV treatment and discuss it with your health care provider. Taking HIV drugs is an important part of fighting your HIV. Remind yourself that there is nothing more important than your health - and that nothing will prevent you from taking your HIV medicine on schedule. That way, you will get the optimal benefits from these drugs and have the best chance of beating HIV.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
