Atripla vs. Symfi

• Are Symfi and Atripla the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Atripla?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Symfi?
• What Is Atripla?
• What Is Symfi?
• What Drugs Interact with Atripla?
• What Drugs Interact with Symfi?
• How Should Atripla Be Taken?
• How Should Symfi Be Taken?

Atripla (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) and Symfi (efavirenz, lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) are combination antiviral medications used to treat HIV, which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Side effects of Atripla and Symfi that are similar include dizziness, trouble sleeping (insomnia), unusual dreams, trouble concentrating, tiredness/fatigue, headache, nausea, and diarrhea.

Side effects of Atripla that are different from Symfi include drowsiness, vomiting, gas, upset stomach, skin discoloration (such as small spots/freckles, darkening of the palms of the hands/soles of the feet), and changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist).

Side effects of Symfi that are different from Atripla include feeling unwell (malaise), nasal signs and symptoms, rash, pain, depression, weakness, and cough.

Both Atripla and Symfi may interact with other antiretroviral medications, other HIV medicines, antidepressants, blood thinners, antibiotics calcium channel blockers, seizure medicines, and cholesterol medications ("statins").

Atripla may also interact with methadone.

Symfi may also interact with drugs that prolong the QTc interval, aminoglycosides, high-dose or multiple nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antimycobacterials, antifungals, antimalarials, hepatitis B and C antiviral agents, hormonal contraceptives, immunosuppressants, sorbitol, and narcotics.

Common side effects of Atripla include:

• dizziness,
• trouble sleeping,
• drowsiness,
• unusual dreams, and
• trouble concentrating.

Side effects may begin 1-2 days after starting Atripla and usually go away in 2-4 weeks. Other side effects of Atripla include:

• tiredness,
• headache,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• gas,
• upset stomach,
• diarrhea, and
• skin discoloration (such as small spots/freckles, darkening of the palms of the hands/soles of the feet), and
• changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist).

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Atripla including:

• unexplained weight loss,
• persistent muscle aches or weakness,
• joint pain,
• numbness or tingling of the hands/feet/arms/legs,
• severe tiredness,
• vision changes,
• severe or persistent headaches,
• signs of infection (such as fever, chills, trouble breathing, cough, non-healing skin sores),
• signs of an overactive thyroid (such as irritability, nervousness, heat intolerance, fast/pounding/irregular heartbeat, bulging eyes, unusual growth in the neck or thyroid known as a goiter), or
• signs of a certain nerve problem known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome (such as difficulty breathing/swallowing/moving your eyes, drooping face, paralysis, slurred speech).

Common side effects of Symfi include:

• trouble concentrating,
• abnormal dreams,
• headache,
• nausea,
• feeling unwell (malaise),
• fatigue,
• nasal signs and symptoms,
• diarrhea,
• rash,
• dizziness,
• trouble sleeping (insomnia),
• pain,
• depression,
• weakness, and
• cough

Atripla (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) is an antiviral medication that treats HIV, which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Atripla is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.

Symfi (elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide) is a four-drug combination of an HIV-1 integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI), a CYP3A inhibitor, and two HIV-1 nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and is indicated as a complete regimen for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older who have no antiretroviral treatment history or to replace the current antiretroviral regimen in those who are virologically-suppressed (HIV-1 RNA less than 50 copies per mL) on a stable antiretroviral regimen for at least 6 months with no history of treatment failure and no known substitutions associated with resistance to the individual components of Genvoya.

Atripla (efavirenz, lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) is a three-drug combination of a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, and two nucleo(t)side reverse transcriptase inhibitors indicated as a complete regimen for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in adult and pediatric patients weighing at least 40 kg.

Symfi may interact with other antiretroviral medications for the treatment of HIV-1 infection, drugs that prolong the QTc interval, antivirals, aminoglycosides, high-dose or multiple nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antimycobacterials, anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, antifungals, some antibiotics, antimalarials, calcium channel blockers, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors ("statins"), hepatitis B and C antiviral agents, hormonal contraceptives, immunosuppressants, sorbitol, and narcotics. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant before using Symfi; women should avoid pregnancy during EFV therapy, a component of Symfi, and for 12 weeks after discontinuation. There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to Symfi during pregnancy. Breastfeeding is not recommended while using Symfi due to the potential for HIV transmission.

The adult dose of Atripla is one tablet once daily taken orally on an empty stomach. Dosing at bedtime may improve the tolerability of nervous system symptoms.

The recommended dose of Symfi is one tablet taken orally once daily on an empty stomach, preferably at bedtime.