2.  If you are going to run out of one HIV medication, do not continue the other HIV medications.  Stop all of your HIV medications at the same time unless you are taking Viramune (nevirapine), Sustiva (efavirenz,) Emtriva (emtricitabine) or Epivir (lamivudine.)  If you are taking Viramune, Sustiva, Epivir, or Emtriva, try to stop these medications approximately one week before you run out of your remaining medications.  Continue the other medications in your HIV therapy for approximately one week after you stop Viramune, Sustiva, Epivir, or Emtriva.

3.  Resume your HIV medications only if you can be certain of an uninterrupted supply.  For example, if you have already stopped taking your HIV medications and you will be moving to another city where you are not certain where to locate HIV medications, do not restart your HIV medications before you move.

4.  Do not attempt to stretch your medications out by taking them at lower dosage or less frequently. Take your medications, all together, at the prescribed dosage, or NOT at all!

To summarize, avoid stopping your medications if possible.  If you are forced to stop your HIV medications stop all of your HIV medications at the same time with the exceptions of Sustiva (efavirenz,) Viramune (nevirapine,) and Emtriva (emtricitabine) which are discussed above.  Do not restart your HIV medications until you are certain that you will have a continuous or uninterrupted supply.  Do not stretch your remaining medications out by taking at a lower dose or less frequently.

2.  If you must stop sedative or pain medications, do not stop them suddenly or you will experience withdrawal.  Withdrawal symptoms include increased pain, anxiety, tremor, sweating, diarrhea, restlessness, insomnia.  Although withdrawal from pain medications is not dangerous, withdrawal is VERY uncomfortable.  These symptoms can last from 2-4 days for short acting drugs like oxycodone or hydrocodone to 1-2 weeks for methadone.  Sudden withdrawal from Valium (diazepam) or Xanax (alprazolam) and related drugs can also be dangerous and include seizures.

3.  Slowly taper off of any pain or sedative medications if necessary and if possible.  The most comfortable way to do this is to count the number of pills you have left and to arrange them so that you take 1 on the last day, 2 on the day before that, 3 on the day before that, 4 on the day before that, etc.  Another way to taper off is to take one-half as much medicine every other day until you are off the medication.

4.  If you are going to run out too quickly to taper off of these medications, take your empty bottles and proof of identification to a local emergency department wherever you are located.  Inform the emergency department personnel there that you have evacuated from a disaster situation and that you have taken the pain medication or sedatives for a long time.  After they evaluate you, you may be continued on your pain medication or sedative or they may decide to taper you off due to lack of information.