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AIDS InfoNet
• Fact Sheet 401
Taking Current Antiretroviral Drugs
May 14, 2008
Part A: Nucleoside and Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs) (Nukes)
| Drug | Daily Pills
(Adults)* | How to Take
and Store | Side Effects | Notes |
| Abacavir (Ziagen) | 2 (300 mg: 1, 2x/day or 2, 1x/day) | No food restrictions; alcohol boosts abacavir levels. | Hypersensitivity reaction in about 8% of patients | Don't use with 3TC (Epivir) and tenofovir (Viread) unless additional drugs are used. |
| Combivir | 2 (150 mg 3TC + 300 mg AZT: 1, 2x/day) | No food restrictions. | See AZT and 3TC. | Combines AZT and 3TC in a single twice-daily pill. |
| Didanosine (ddI, Videx, Videx-EC) | 4 (100 mg: 2, 2x/day or 4, 1x/day) Videx-EC: 1 pill daily; 400 mg for people over 60 kg/132 lbs; 250 mg if below | Chew or dissolve in water; take on empty stomach; not within 1 hour of indinavir or 2 hours of ritonavir. | Diarrhea, pancreatitis, abdominal pain, neuropathy, nausea & vomiting | Don't combine with d4T. Check with your health care provider if taking tenofovir. |
| Emtricitabine (Emtriva) | 1 (200 mg; 1, once a day) | No food restrictions. | Headache, diarrhea, nausea, and rash. | |
| Epzicom | 1 (600 mg abacavir + 300 mg 3TC: 1, 1x/day) | No food restrictions. | Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headaches | Blood levels may be increased by bactrim/septra; don't take with d4T |
| Lamivudine (3TC, Epivir) | 2 (150 mg: 1, 2x/day) or 1 (300 mg; 1, 1x/day) | No food restrictions. | Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headaches. | Can reduce resistance to AZT. Don't use with abacavir (Ziagen) and tenofovir (Viread) unless additional drugs are used. |
| Stavudine (d4T, Zerit, Zerit XR) | 1 for Zerit XR, or 2 (40 mg for people over 60 kg/132 lbs body weight, 30 mg if below; 1, 2x/day) | No food restrictions. | Peripheral neuropathy, headache, chills & fever, diarrhea, nausea, fat loss in arms, legs or face. | Don't combine with AZT, ddC or ddI. |
| Tenofovir (Viread) | 1 (300 mg: 1, 1x/day) | No food restrictions. Take 2 hours before, or one hour after ddI. | Mild side effects; some nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite. | Don't use with 3TC (Epivir) and abacavir (Ziagen) unless additional drugs are used. |
| Trizivir | 2 (150 mg 3TC + 300 mg AZT + 300 mg abacavir: 1, 2x/day) | No food restrictions. | See AZT, 3TC and abacavir above. | Combines AZT, 3TC and abacavir in a single twice-daily pill. |
| Truvada | 1 (300 mg tenofovir + 200 mg emtricitabine: 1, 1x/day) | No food restrictions | Headache, nausea, vomiting, rash, loss of appetite | Do not take with ddI or 3TC. |
| Zalcitabine (ddC, Hivid) | Manufacture terminated in 2006 |
| Zidovudine (AZT, Retrovir) | 6 (100 mg: 2, 3x/day) or 2 (300 mg: 1, 2x/day) | No food restrictions. | Anemia, nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, bone marrow toxicity | Don't combine with d4T. |
Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs) (Non-Nukes)**
| Drug | Daily Pills
(Adults)* | How to Take
and Store | Side Effects | Notes |
| Delavirdine (Rescriptor) | 12 (100 mg; 4, 3x/day) or
6 (200 mg; 2, 3x/day) | No food restrictions. 100 mg pills can be dissolved in water. Take one hour apart from ddI or antacids. | Skin rash, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, fatigue | May cause false positive result on test for marijuana use. |
| Efavirenz (Sustiva) | 3 (200 mg; 3, 1x/day) or
1 (600 mg; 1, 1x/day) | Take on an empty stomach before going to sleep. | Vivid dreams, anxiety, rash, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, headache and insomnia |
| Nevirapine (Viramune) | 1 (200 mg; 1, 1x/day for the first two weeks) then 2 (200 mg; 1, 2x/day) | No food restrictions. | Skin rash, fever, headache, nausea. | Watch for liver problems. |
| Etravirine (Intelence) | 4 (100 mg, 2, 2x/day) | Take after a meal | Rash, nausea, abdominal pain | |
| ** NNRTIs are metabolized by the liver, as are many other drugs. Be sure your health care provider knows about all other drugs and supplements you are taking. |
Part B: Combination Therapy, Protease, Fusion and Integrase Inhibitors
Combination Therapy
| Drug | Daily Pills
(Adults)* | How to Take
and Store | Side Effects | Notes |
| Atripla (emtricitabine + tenofovir + efavirenz) | 1 (600 mg efavirenz + 200 mg emtricitabine + 300 mg tenofovir) | Take on an empty stomach before going to sleep. | Vivid dreams, anxiety, rash, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, headache and insomnia, vomiting, loss of appetite. | May cause false positive result on test for marijuana use. |
Protease Inhibitors
| Drug | Daily Pills
(Adults)* | How to Take
and Store | Side Effects | Notes |
| Amprenavir (Agenerase) | 16 (150 mg; 8, 2x/day); also approved in combinations with ritonavir | Take with or without food. Avoid high-fat meals. Don't take within 1 hour of antacids. | Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, numbness around mouth, abdominal pain. | Protease inhibitors are metabolized by the liver, as are many other commonly used drugs. Drug interactions can cause large increases or decreases in the blood levels of drugs you are taking. Interactions can cause under-doses that are ineffective, or overdoses that can be fatal. Make sure your health care provider knows about all medications and supplements you are taking. |
| Atazanavir (Reyataz) | 2 (200 mg; 2, once a day for patients new to antiviral therapy) or 3 (150 mg; 2, plus 1 100 mg ritonavir, once a day) | Take with food. | High levels of bilirubin. Nausea, headache, rash, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, tingling in hands or feet, and depression. Changes in heart rhythm. |
| Darunavir (Prezista) | 6 (300 mg, 2 + 1 ritonavir, twice a day) | Take with food. | Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache and common cold. Rash which in rare cases may be serious. |
| Fosamprenavir (Lexiva) | 4 (700 mg; 2, twice a day) or 4 (700 mg, 2 + 2 ritonavir, once a day; or 700 mg, 1 + 1 ritonavir twice a day) | No food restrictions. | Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, numbness around mouth, abdominal pain. |
| Indinavir (Crixivan) | 6 (400 mg: 2, every 8 hrs, not 3x/day) or
9 (333 mg; 3 every 8 hours) | Take with lots of water, on empty stomach or with low-fat snack. Keep cool and dry. | Headache, nausea, abdominal pain, kidney stones. |
| Lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra) | 4 (200 mg lopinavir + 50 mg ritonavir: 2, 2x/day) | No food restrictions for tablets; take liquid with food. Keep at room temperature. | Diarrhea, fatigue, headache, nausea. |
| Nelfinavir (Viracept) | 9 (250 mg; 3, 3x/day) or 10 (5, 2x/day) or 4 (625 mg; 2, 2x/day) | Take with meals or a snack. | Diarrhea, nausea, gas, abdominal pain, weakness. |
| Ritonavir (Norvir) | 12 (100 mg: 6, 2x/day); small doses used to boost other protease inhibitors | Take with food if possible. Keep refrigerated. Take 2 hours apart from ddI. | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tingling & numbness around mouth. |
| Saquinavir (Invirase) | 6 (500 mg: 2 + 1 100 mg ritonavir, 2x/day) | Take within two hours of a full meal or large snack. In hot climates, keep refrigerated. | Minimal nausea, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort. |
| Tipranavir (Aptivus) | 8 (250 mg, 2 + 2 ritonavir, twice a day) | Take with food. Refrigerate, or keep at room temperature up to 60 days. | Diarrhea, rash, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, tiredness and headache. Worsening of liver problems. |
Fusion Inhibitors
| Drug | Daily Pills
(Adults)* | How to Take
and Store | Side Effects | Notes |
| Enfuvirtide (Fuzeon) | 2 injections each day. 90 mg per injection for adults. | No food restrictions. | Skin reactions where drug is injected ranging from redness and itching to hard lumps. | |
| Maraviroc (Selzentry, Celsentri) | 1 or 2 tablets twice each day. 150 or 300 mg per tablet. | No food restrictions. | Cough, fever, upper respiratory infections, rash, sore muscles, abdominal pain, and dizziness. Can be hard on the liver. | Drug levels depend on other medications being taken. |
Integrase Inhibitor
| Drug | Daily Pills
(Adults)* | How to Take
and Store | Side Effects | Notes |
| Raltegravir (Isentress) | 2 tablets (1, 2x/day) | No food restrictions. | Diarrhea, nausea and headache; elevated levels of creatine kinase (relates to muscle problems | |
* These pill counts reflect the "normal" use of each drug. However, doctors are now combining antiviral medications in new ways. Doses of each drug may be higher or lower in the new combinations.
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This article was provided by AIDS InfoNet.
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