Triumeq is a single-tablet regimen combining dolutegravir, abacavir and lamivudine in one pill, taken once a day.

If you are taking Triumeq it’s important to check with your HIV doctor or pharmacist before taking any medicines from the following groups: antibiotics; antiepileptic medicines; herbal medicines – in particular St John’s Wort should be avoided; metformin, a tablet to treat diabetes – levels of this drug can be increased by Triumeq and your doctor may need to decrease the dose.

You should not take antacids, to treat indigestion and heartburn, or multivitamins, calcium or iron supplements during the six hours before you take Triumeq, or for at least two hours after you take it.

Allergic (hypersensitivity) reaction, lactic acidosis (too much lactic acid in the blood), suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

Difficulty in sleeping, sleepiness, abnormal dreams, depression, headache, diarrhoea, nausea, fatigue, rash, itching, vomiting, stomach pain, dizziness, hair loss, depression, flatulence, abdominal pain, bloating, muscle pain and discomfort, joint pain, an irritated or runny nose, cough, indigestion, gastric reflux and loss of appetite.

Dolutegravir: An allergic (hypersensitivity) reaction has been reported in some people taking dolutegravir. This is rare, but you should see a doctor immediately if you think you are experiencing an allergic reaction. The symptoms are skin rash; fever; fatigue; swelling, sometimes of the face or mouth, causing breathing problems; muscle or joint aches.

Abacavir: Abacavir can cause a serious allergic (hypersensitivity) reaction in people with one particular gene. Before starting treatment with abacavir or any abacavir-containing regimen you should have an HLA-B*5701 test to see if you have this gene. If the test is positive you must not take abacavir. If the test is negative, it is highly unlikely that an allergic reaction will occur, but contact your HIV clinic immediately (or A&E if out of hours) if you begin to feel unwell after starting the drug.

In the box with the drug there is an ‘alert card’, which you should carry with you for the first six weeks of taking abacavir. The particular side-effects you should look out for during this time are:

• Any skin rash OR

If you get one or more symptoms from at least TWO of the following groups:

• fever
• shortness of breath, sore throat or cough
• nausea or vomiting, or diarrhoea or abdominal pain
• severe tiredness or achiness or generally feeling ill.

You should never retry abacavir, or take any combination containing abacavir, if you have had an allergic reaction to it previously.

Take with or without food, preferably in the morning.

Triple-drug combination in one tablet, taken once a day. Combines 50mg dolutegravir (an integrase inhibitor), 600mg abacavir and 300mg lamivudine (both NRTIs) in an oval, film-coated purple tablet.