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Interactions between drugs and food

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The following is an overview of dietary requirements for currently available HIV drugs. When you are prescribed a new drug you should be given written information about how to take it, including information about dietary restrictions.

Ask your doctor, pharmacist or dietitian if you would like any further information about your diet and HIV drugs.

Nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs/NtRTIs)

 

Food requirements

abacavir (Ziagen)

May be taken with or without food.

emtricitabine (Emtriva)

May be taken with or without food.

lamivudine (Epivir)

May be taken with or without food.

tenofovir disoproxil (Viread)

Take with food.

zidovudine (Retrovir)

May be taken with or without food, though taking with food may reduce nausea.

Combination pills

 

Food requirements

Atripla (efavirenz, emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil combined)

Take on an empty stomach (preferably at bedtime), to reduce the incidence of side-effects (particularly avoid taking it soon after a high-fat meal as this increases the risk of side-effects).

lamivudine and zidovudine (combined – sometimes called Combivir)

May be taken with or without food, although taking with food may reduce nausea.

Descovy (tenofovir alafenamide and emtricitabine combined)

Take with or without food.

Eviplera (rilpivirine, emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil combined)

Take with food.

Genvoya (elvitegravir, emtricitabine, tenofovir alafenamide and cobicistat, a boosting agent)

Take with food.

Kivexa (lamivudine and abacavir combined)

May be taken with or without food.

Stribild (elvitegravir, emtricitabine, tenofovir disoproxil and cobicistat, a boosting agent)

Take with food.

Triumeq (dolutegravir, abacavir and lamivudine combined)

May be taken with or without food.

Trizivir (zidovudine, lamivudine and abacavir combined)

May be taken with or without food.

Truvada (tenofovir disoproxil and emtricitabine combined)

Take with or after food.

Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs)

 

Food requirements

efavirenz (Sustiva)

Take on an empty stomach (preferably at bedtime), to reduce the incidence of side-effects (particularly avoid taking it soon after a high-fat meal as this increases the risk of side-effects).

etravirine (Intelence)

Take with or after food (within two hours after a main meal or within half an hour after a snack).

nevirapine (Viramune and Viramune prolonged-release)

Take with or without food.

rilpivirine (Edurant)

Take with a meal.

Protease inhibitors

 

Food requirements

atazanavir (Reyataz) (taken with a booster dose of ritonavir or cobicistat)

Take with or after food (within two hours after a main meal or within half an hour after a snack).

darunavir (Prezista) (always taken with a booster dose of ritonavir or cobicistat)

Take with or after food (within half an hour after a meal).

fosamprenavir (Telzir) (usually taken with ritonavir)

May be taken with or without food.

lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra)

Take with or without food.

ritonavir (Norvir)

May be taken with or after food, but taking with a fatty meal minimises the risk of nausea (this is less of a problem with the low dose [100mg] of ritonavir taken as a booster for other protease inhibitors).

tipranavir (Aptivus) (must be taken with ritonavir)

Take with or after food to reduce the incidence of side-effects.

Fusion and entry inhibitors

 

Food requirements

maraviroc (Celsentri)

May be taken with or without food.

enfuvirtide (Fuzeon)

Administered by injection. No food restrictions.

Integrase inhibitors

 

Food requirements

dolutegravir (Tivicay)

May be taken with or without food. If you have some resistance to integrase inhibitors, you will be asked to take it with food.

raltegravir (Isentress)

May be taken with or without food. Do not chew, crush or split tablets.

Nutrition

Published August 2016

Last reviewed August 2016

Next review August 2019

Contact NAM to find out more about the scientific research and information used to produce this booklet.

This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.
Community Consensus Statement on Access to HIV Treatment and its Use for Prevention

Together, we can make it happen

We can end HIV soon if people have equal access to HIV drugs as treatment and as PrEP, and have free choice over whether to take them.

Launched today, the Community Consensus Statement is a basic set of principles aimed at making sure that happens.

The Community Consensus Statement is a joint initiative of AVAC, EATG, MSMGF, GNP+, HIV i-Base, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, ITPC and NAM/aidsmap
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This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.

NAM’s information is intended to support, rather than replace, consultation with a healthcare professional. Talk to your doctor or another member of your healthcare team for advice tailored to your situation.