Should You Take Trikafta with Food? Plus, 5 Other Tips for Taking Trikafta

For certain people living with cystic fibrosis (CF), Trikafta (elexacaftor / tezacaftor / ivacaftor) can make a huge difference in their quality of life. If you’ve been prescribed this medication, there are specific instructions to follow to get the most benefit from taking it.

When and how you take Trikafta are all important factors to consider. And the types of foods you eat with it can make a difference, too. Below, we cover six tips for taking Trikafta.

1. Always take Trikafta with a meal that contains fat

You should always take Trikafta with a meal that contains fat. That’s because fat allows you to absorb more of your Trikafta dose — specifically the elexacaftor and ivacaftor components.

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Any kind of fat will help you absorb Trikafta. But it’s best for your overall health to choose foods that contain healthy fats. Examples of foods with healthy fats include:

• Olive oil

• Nut butters, such as peanut butter and almond butter

• Nuts, such as walnuts and almonds

• Avocado

• Fatty fish, such as salmon or mackerel

• Seeds, including chia seed and sesame seed

If you’re eating more fats than usual, you may need a different dosage of your pancreatic enzyme replacement, such as Creon. In this case, talk to your prescriber to see if they recommend any dosage changes.

2. Take your morning and evening Trikafta doses 12 hours apart

Most people take Trikafta twice a day — a morning dose and an evening dose. It’s best to take these doses 12 hours apart. Establishing a good routine can help you take your Trikafta doses on time.

Since Trikafta needs to be taken with a fat-containing meal, try taking your morning dose with breakfast and your evening dose with dinner. You can also set calendar reminders or use a medication reminder app on your phone to help you stay on track.

3. Mix the Trikafta oral granules with food or liquid that is refrigerated or at room temperature

Trikafta is available as tablets and oral granules. The tablets should be swallowed whole without chewing or crushing. But the granules come in a packet and should be mixed with food or liquid that’s either refrigerated or at room temperature. The Trikafta granule mixture should be taken within 1 hour after mixing.

When mixing with food, it's best to opt for soft, easily mashed food. Examples include applesauce, yogurt, or pudding. When mixing with a liquid, you can use water, milk, or juice.

Don’t take or mix Trikafta with grapefruit juice, as it can interfere with how your body breaks down Trikafta. When taken together, the amount of Trikafta in your body may be higher than expected, increasing the risk of side effects.

Remember: Even though you might mix Trikafta oral granules with the foods or liquids listed above, each dose should be taken either just before or just after eating food containing fat. 

4. Check to make sure you’re taking the correct tablet or packet since they’re not all the same

Both Trikafta tablets and granules come in therapy packs labeled with your morning and evening doses. And each tablet and granule packet will be a specific color to help you tell your morning and evening doses apart.

Always double-check before taking Trikafta to be sure it’s the correct tablet or packet. That’s because the morning and evening Trikafta doses are not the same. The morning dose consists of 2 tablets or 1 packet containing elexacaftor and tezacaftor. The evening dose consists of 1 tablet or 1 packet containing ivacaftor only.

It’s also important to note that some people may be instructed to take Trikafta differently. For example, people with liver disease or drug interactions may not always take an evening dose. And they may be instructed to take fewer pills in the morning or skip a dose on certain days. In this case, make sure you follow the directions for your specific Trikafta dosage schedule.

5. There are steps you can take if you miss a morning or evening Trikafta dose

As mentioned above, you should try to take your morning and evening Trikafta doses 12 hours apart. But if you forget to take a dose at your usual time, there are specific steps you can take. This will depend on when you were supposed to take your missed dose.

If you miss a morning or evening dose and it's within 6 hours of when you usually take it, take the missed dose with a fat-containing meal as soon as you remember. Take your next regularly scheduled dose at your usual time.

If it has been more than 6 hours since you were supposed to take your morning dose, take it as soon as you remember. Then, skip your evening dose that night. But if it has been more than 6 hours since you were supposed to take your evening dose, skip it and resume your usual schedule the next day.

Your healthcare team may have given you specific instructions for missed doses that are different from those detailed above. In this case, you should follow their instructions. Contact your pharmacist or prescriber if you have any questions.

6. Make sure your healthcare team has your current medication and supplement list

Trikafta has a number of drug interactions. These include many medications that can interfere with how your body breaks down and removes Trikafta. Some interactions may result in higher Trikafta levels than expected. Other interactions may make Trikafta less effective.

To manage potential Trikafta interactions, make sure your healthcare team has your complete medication list. This should also include any over-the-counter medications and supplements you take. Some interactions may be managed with a lower Trikafta dosage, while others may need to be avoided altogether.

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Written by:

Alex Evans, PharmD, MBA

Alex Evans, PharmD, MBA, has been a pharmacist for 12 years. His first job was floating in a community chain pharmacy.

Edited by:

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD, is the director of pharmacy content for GoodRx. She has over a decade of experience as a pharmacist and has worked in clinical, academic, and administrative roles.

Reviewed by:

Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP

Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP, is a board-certified ambulatory care clinical pharmacist. In his early career, he provided direct patient care in a variety of settings, including hospital and community pharmacies, and in a primary care clinic as a clinical pharmacist.

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