Drug Database: Efavirenz / Emtricitabine / Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate

What is efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF?What is efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF?

What is efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF?

Efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF is a prescription medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of HIV in adults and children who weigh at least 88 lb (40 kg). Efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF can be used alone as a complete treatment regimen or with other HIV medicines.

Efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF contains three different HIV medicines: efavirenz, emtricitabine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate.

For more information on the use of efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF in people with HIV, please refer to the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Adults and Adolescents With HIV and the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric HIV Infection.

HIV medicines cannot cure HIV, but using HIV medicines as directed by a health care provider helps people with HIV live longer, healthier lives. HIV medicines also reduce the risk of HIV transmission. If you are using HIV medicines, do not cut down on, skip, or stop using them unless your health care provider tells you to. For more information about using your HIV medicines as prescribed and ways to overcome barriers to medication adherence, please read the HIVinfo fact sheet on HIV Treatment Adherence.

What should I tell my health care provider before taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF?What should I tell my health care provider before taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF?

What should I tell my health care provider before taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF?

Before taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF, tell your health care provider:

• If you are allergic to any of the HIV medicines in efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF (efavirenz, emtricitabine, or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) or any other medicines.
• If you have liver problems, including hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) or hepatitis C virus infection (HCV).
• If you have heart problems.
• If you have ever had a mental health problem.
• If you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse.
• If you have nervous system problems.
• If you have kidney problems or receive kidney dialysis treatment.
• If you have bone problems.
• If you have ever had a seizure or if you take medicine to treat seizures.
• If you have any other medical conditions.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Talk to your health care provider about the benefits and risks of taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF during pregnancy. For more information on the use of efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF during pregnancy, please refer to the Recommendations for the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs During Pregnancy and Interventions to Reduce Perinatal HIV Transmission in the United States.
• If you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. For mothers with HIV in the United States, the Guideline recommends speaking with your health care provider to discuss options for feeding your baby. Mothers with suppressed viral load have a less than 1% chance of transmitting HIV to their baby via their own milk. Although most medicines are safe to use while breastfeeding, some medicines should be avoided. Always let your health care provider know about all the medicines and supplements you are using before you start breastfeeding.
• If you are using hormone-based birth control (such as injections, vaginal rings, implants, contraceptive patches, or birth control pills). Efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF may make these forms of birth control less effective. Your health care provider can help you decide how to adjust your birth control while you are taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF. For more information about using birth control and HIV medicines at the same time, view the HIVinfo HIV and Birth Control infographic.
• About other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take.

How should I take efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF?How should I take efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF?

How should I take efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF?

Efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF comes in tablet form. Each tablet contains:

• 600 mg efavirenz
• 200 mg emtricitabine
• 300 mg tenofovir disoproxil fumarate

Take efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF according to your health care provider’s instructions. Do not miss a dose of efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF, and do not change your dose or stop taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF without first talking with your health care provider. While taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF, it is important to keep all of your appointments with your health care provider.

Take efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF by mouth and on an empty stomach, preferably at bedtime. Taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF at bedtime might help to make some of the side effects less bothersome.

If you take efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF with other HIV medicines, take your other HIV medicines exactly as instructed by your health care provider.

If you have taken too much efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF, contact your health care provider or local poison control center (1-800-222-1222 or online) right away, or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.

For more information on how to take efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF, see the FDA drug label.

What should I do if I forget a dose?What should I do if I forget a dose?

What should I do if I forget a dose?

If you miss a dose of efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. But if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and just take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses at the same time to make up for a missed dose.

What side effects can efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF cause?What side effects can efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF cause?

What side effects can efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF cause?

Efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF may cause side effects. Many side effects from HIV medicines, such as efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF, are temporary or manageable. See the HIVinfo fact sheet on HIV Medicines and Side Effects for more information. Some side effects of efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF can be serious, as described below.

Important warning:

• Worsening of hepatitis B virus infection (HBV). Your health care provider will test you for HBV before you start treatment with efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF. If you have both HIV and HBV and take efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF, your HBV may get worse (flare up) if you stop taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF. Do not stop taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF without first talking with your health care provider. If you stop taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF, you will need blood tests regularly for several months to check your liver function and monitor your HBV.

Other possible serious side effects:

• Changes in your immune system (called immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome or IRIS). IRIS is a condition that sometimes occurs when the immune system begins to recover after treatment with an HIV medicine. As the immune system gets stronger, it may have an increased response to a previously hidden infection.
• Skin rash and allergic reactions. Mild rash can be common with efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF and usually goes away on its own. In rare cases, rashes may be severe. Contact your health care provider right away if you develop a rash while taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF. Stop taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF and get medical help right away if you develop a rash with any of the following symptoms: general ill feeling (malaise); extreme tiredness; muscle or joint aches; fever; blistering or peeling skin; blisters or sores in your mouth; redness or swelling of the eyes (conjunctivitis); swelling of your face, lips, mouth, tongue, throat, or lymph nodes; or trouble breathing or swallowing.
• Liver problems. Some people taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF may develop liver problems. People with a history of hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) or hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) or who have elevated results on liver function tests may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening liver problems while taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF. Liver function tests may be done before and during treatment with efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF. Contact your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes (jaundice); dark-colored urine; light-colored bowel movements; loss of appetite for several days or longer; nausea or vomiting; pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach/abdominal area; or itching.
• Nervous system problems. Contact your health care provider if you experience dizziness; trouble concentrating; abnormal dreams; unusually happy mood; agitation; thought problems; slow thoughts and physical movement; problems sleeping; excessive sleepiness or difficulty awakening; hallucinations; confusion; memory problems; or lack of coordination or balance.
• Mental health problems. Contact your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: feeling sad or hopeless; anxious or restless; thoughts of harming yourself or others; not being able to tell the difference between what is real or unreal; not trusting other people; or hearing or seeing things that are not real.
• New or worsening kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your health care provider will do blood and urine tests before and during treatment with efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF to check your kidneys.
• Bone problems. Bone problems may occur with efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF and may include bone pain, or softening or thinning of the bones (osteopenia), which may lead to fractures.
• Changes in body fat (lipodystrophy syndrome).
• Seizures. Seizures are more likely to happen if you have had seizures in the past.
• A buildup of lactic acid in the blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis is a serious but very uncommon occurrence. Contact your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: unusual weakness or tiredness; unusual muscle pain; shortness of breath or fast breathing; stomach pain with nausea and vomiting; cold or blue hands and feet; dizziness or lightheadedness; or fast or abnormal heartbeat.
• Lactic acidosis may also lead to severe liver problems. In rare cases, severe liver problems associated with lactic acidosis may occur. Contact your health care provider right away if you develop any of the symptoms of liver problems listed above.

Tell your health care provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects of efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF. To learn more about possible side effects of efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF, read the drug label or package insert or talk to your health care provider or pharmacist.

You can also report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088) or online.

What medicines can interact with efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF?What medicines can interact with efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF?

What medicines can interact with efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF?

HIV medicines may interact with other medicines and supplements. Before starting efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF, tell your health care provider about all the prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF works. Taking efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF together with certain medicines or products may cause serious side effects.

For a list of medicines that may interact with efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF, see the drug label or ask your health care provider or pharmacist. You can also look up potential interactions between your HIV medicines and other drugs using the HIV Drug Interaction Checker online.

How should efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF be stored?How should efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF be stored?

How should efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF be stored?

• Store efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF at room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).
• Keep efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF in the container that it came in and keep the container tightly closed. If the container has a small packet of drying agent (called a desiccant), do not remove it. Do not eat the desiccant. The desiccant protects the medicine from moisture.
• Do not use efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF if the original seal over the container opening is broken or missing.
• Throw away efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF that is no longer needed or expired (out of date). Follow FDA guidelines on how to safely dispose of medicine.
• Keep efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF and all medicines out of reach of children.

Manufacturer Information

Atripla brand product is discontinued. For manufacturer information on a generic efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF product, please refer to the generic drug label or the manufacturer’s website.

Last Reviewed: June 30, 2026

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