Medicines You Should Not Take with ATRIPLA
The following medicines may cause serious and life-threatening side effects when taken with ATRIPLA:
- Vascor® (bepridil)
- Propulsid® (cisapride)
- Versed® (midazolam)
- Orap® (pimozide)
- Halcion® (triazolam)
- Ergot medications, for example, Wigraine® and Cafergot®
ATRIPLA also should not be used with certain anti-HIV or anti-hepatitis B medications:
- Combivir® (lamivudine/zidovudine)
- EMTRIVA® (emtricitabine)
- Epivir® (lamivudine); Epivir-HBV® (lamivudine)
- Epzicom® (abacavir sulfate/lamivudine)
- HEPSERA® (adefovir dipivoxil)
- SUSTIVA® (efavirenz)
- Trizivir® (abacavir sulfate/lamivudine/zidovudine)
- TRUVADA® (emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)
- VIREAD® (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)
Vfend
® (voriconazole) or REYATAZ
® (atazanavir sulfate), with or without Norvir
® (ritonavir), should not be taken with ATRIPLA since they may lose their effect and may also increase the chance of having side effects from ATRIPLA. Fortovase
® or Invirase
® (saquinavir) should not be used as the only protease inhibitor in combination with ATRIPLA.
Do not take St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) or products containing St. John's wort with ATRIPLA.
St. John's wort is an herbal product sold as a dietary supplement.
Talk with your healthcare provider if you are taking or are planning to take St. John's wort.
Taking St. John's wort may cause decreased levels of ATRIPLA, increased viral load, and possible resistance to ATRIPLA or cross-resistance to other anti-HIV drugs.
It is also important to tell your healthcare provider if you are taking any of the following:
- Fortovase®, Invirase® (saquinavir), Biaxin® (clarithromycin) or Sporanox® (itraconazole); these medicines may need to be replaced with another medicine when taken with ATRIPLA
- Calcium channel blockers such as Cardizem® or Tiazac® (diltiazem);
Covera HS® or Isoptin® (verapamil) and others; Crixivan® (indinavir); the immunosuppressant medicines cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune, and others), Prograf (tacrolimus), or Rapamune (sirolimus); Methadone;
Mycobutin® (rifabutin); Rifampin; cholesterol-lowering medicines, such as
Lipitor® (atorvastatin); Pravachol® (pravastatin sodium); and Zocor® (simvastatin); or Zoloft® (sertraline); these medicines may need to have their dose changed when taken with ATRIPLA
- VIDEX®, VIDEX® EC (didanosine) and tenofovir DF (a component of ATRIPLA) may increase the amount of didanosine in your blood, which could result in more side effects. You may need to be monitored more carefully if you are taking ATRIPLA and didanosine together. Also, the dose of didanosine may need to be changed
- REYATAZ or Kaletra® (lopinavir/ritonavir): these medicines may increase the amount of tenofovir DF (a component of ATRIPLA) in your blood, which could result in more side effects. REYATAZ is not recommended with ATRIPLA. You may need to be monitored more carefully if you are taking ATRIPLA and Kaletra together. Also, the dose of Kaletra may need to be changed
- Medicine for seizures [for example, Dilantin® (phenytoin), Tegretol® (carbamazepine), or phenobarbital]; your healthcare provider may want to switch you to another medicine or check drug levels in your blood from time to time
These are not all the medicines that may cause problems if you take ATRIPLA. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider about all medicines that you take.
Keep track of all your medicines to help your healthcare provider
Keep a complete list of all the prescription and non-prescription medicines as well as any herbal remedies that you are taking, how much you take, and how often you take them. Make a new list when medicines or herbal remedies are added or stopped, or if the dose changes. Give copies of this list to all of your healthcare providers and pharmacists
every time you visit your healthcare provider or fill a prescription. This will give your healthcare provider a complete picture of the medicines you use. Then he or she can decide the best approach for your situation.
ATRIPLA does not cure HIV-1 and has not been shown to prevent passing HIV-1 to others.
Ask your doctor if ATRIPLA is right for you, and see your healthcare provider regularly. Individual results may vary.
Please
click here for Important Safety Information, including information on
lactic acidosis,
serious liver problems, and
flare-ups of hepatitis B virus (HBV).