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What are the long-term or serious side effects of Triumeq?

Medically reviewed by Leigh Ann Anderson, PharmD. Last updated on April 21, 2025.

Official Answer by Drugs.com

Key Points

Allergic reactions and Triumeq

If you have had any allergic (hypersensitivity) reaction with Triumeq you may need to stop therapy immediately. A delay in stopping treatment may result in death.

Table 1: If you get a symptom from 2 or more of the following groups in Table 1 while taking Triumeq, call your doctor right away to find out if you should stop taking Triumeq.

Note: A list of these symptoms is on the Warning Card your pharmacist will give you. Carry this Warning Card with you at all times. Data from manufacturer.
Symptom(s)
Group 1 Fever
Group 2 Rash
Group 3 Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal (stomach area) pain
Group 4 Generally ill feeling, extreme tiredness, or achiness
Group 5 Shortness of breath, cough, sore throat

Following an allergic reaction to Triumeq, NEVER restart Triumeq (abacavir, dolutegravir and lamivudine) or any other product containing the medicines abacavir or dolutegravir. Taking Triumeq or abacavir again after having an allergic reaction may cause a very low blood pressure or a fatal reaction (death).

Your risk for an allergic, possibly fatal reaction to abacavir (a component of Triumeq) is much higher if you have a gene variation called HLA-B*5701.

If you stop Triumeq for any other reason, even for a few days, and you are not allergic to Triumeq, talk with your health care provider before taking it again. You may still be at risk of a serious allergic reaction. If your doctor recommends that you restart Triumeq, be sure to start taking it again in the presence of a medical professional or someone who can call for medical help, if needed.

Liver toxicity and Triumeq

If you have moderate or severe liver disease you should not use Triumeq. Liver impairment can occur while taking Triumeq, even if you’ve never had liver disease before.

If you have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and HIV-1 infection and stop taking Triumeq, you may have a flare-up (worsening) of your HBV. Your health care provider should monitor your liver function closely with blood tests for several months if you stop taking Triumeq. You may need to start a hepatitis B virus treatment.

Some HIV medicines, including Triumeq, can cause a rare, but serious condition called lactic acidosis with liver enlargement (hepatomegaly). Lactic acid can build up in your blood and can lead to death in the most serious cases.

Contact your doctor right away if you get any signs or symptoms of lactic acidosis:

Dolutegravir, a component of Triumeq, has been reported to cause elevated liver enzymes, hepatitis, and acute liver failure, even in people without existing liver disease.

Alcohol consumption can also lead to liver disease. Before you start Triumeq, tell your health care provider if you drink alcohol or take medicines that contain alcohol.

Call you doctor right away if you develop any symptoms of liver disease such as:

Heart side effects and Triumeq

Some HIV-1 medicines including Triumeq may increase your risk of heart attack (also called a myocardial infarction).

Before you start treatment with Triumeq, tell your doctor if you smoke, have heart problems, or have risks for heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

Immune system reactions with Triumeq

When you start taking HIV-1 medicine your immune system becomes stronger and may fight infections hidden in your body. This is called Immune Reconstitution Syndrome. If you have new symptoms after starting treatment with Triumeq, tell your doctor right away.

Pregnancy and Triumeq

Tell your doctor before you are prescribed Triumeq if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Your doctor may decide to prescribe a different medicine. One of the medicines in Triumeq called dolutegravir may harm your unborn baby.

If you are already taking Triumeq, and become pregnant, or think you might be pregnant, tell your doctor right away.

If you are able to get pregnant (of child-bearing potential), your doctor will perform a pregnancy test before you start treatment. Use an effective and reliable form of birth control consistently while you are taking Triumeq.

Breastfeeding and Triumeq

You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. Do not breastfeed if you are taking Triumeq.

Two of the medicines in Triumeq (abacavir and lamivudine) can pass into your breastmilk.

Which medicines are in Triumeq?

Triumeq, from ViiV Health Care, contains three medicines in one oral tablet: dolutegravir, an integrase strand transfer inhibitor, and two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors - abacavir and lamivudine.

Triumeq can be used in both adults and children who weigh at least 40 kg (88 pounds) to treat Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

For many people, Triumeq can be used as the only tablet they will need to take each day for HIV-1 treatment. This treatment can help you reach and maintain an undetectable level of virus in your blood, although individual results may vary.

Triumeq is not for use by itself in people who have, or have had, resistance to abacavir, dolutegravir, or lamivudine.

Bottom Line

References

Read next

Can Triumeq be used for PrEP?

Triumeq (dolutegravir, abacavir and lamivudine) is not approved to be used for HIV-1 pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Triumeq is used to treat (not prevent) HIV-1, the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

The medications FDA-approved for PrEP are the two oral medicinesTruvada (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine) or Descovy (emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide), and the long-acting intramuscular injection called Apretude (cabotegravir). Continue reading

Does Triumeq cause erectile dysfunction?

Triumeq is unlikely to cause erectile dysfunction (ED), and ED is not listed as a side effect in the product information nor reported in post-marketing data – these are studies done after a drug has been approved. A review concluded that newer HIV combination treatments in use today have no clear-cut association with ED. Older HIV agents, such as zalcitabine (no longer in use) and enfuvirtide (rarely used) were known to cause ED. Using abacavir and raltegravir together had a weak association with ED, but no protease inhibitors appear to increase the risk. Triumeq contains three antivirals: abacavir and lamivudine and dolutegravir. Continue reading

Can Triumeq be crushed or split?

To ensure you receive the entire dose of Triumeq, the manufacturer recommends that ideally the tablet be swallowed whole. If you have trouble swallowing a whole tablet, crushing or splitting tablets may be an acceptable alternative, if approved by your healthcare provider. Do not chew, cut, or crush the Triumeq PD tablets. Continue reading

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