Saquinavir - Talk Medical

Generic Name: saquinavir

Brands: Fortovase, Invirase

What is the most important information I should know about Saquinavir?

· Some drugs are not recommended to be taken with Saquinavir. Very high levels of these medications, which could occur during therapy with Saquinavir, could be life threatening. Do not take Saquinavir without first talking to your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs: ·cisapride (Propulsid); ·astemizole (Hismanal) or terfenadine (Seldane); ·rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane) or rifabutin (Mycobutin); ·herbal or natural products containing St. John's wort; ·pimozide (Orap); ·ergotamine (Ergostat, Cafergot, Ercaf, Wigraine) or dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45); ·amiodarone (Cordarone), bepridil (Vascor), flecainide (Tambocor), propafenone (Rythmol), or quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, others); ·diazepam (Valium), clorazepate (Librium), estazolam (ProSom), flurazepam (Dalmane), midazolam (Versed), triazolam (Halcion), or zolpidem (Ambien); ·bupropion (Wellbutrin) or clozapine (Clozaril); or ·meperidine (Demerol), piroxicam (Feldene) or propoxyphene (Darvocet, Darvon, Wygesic).

· Take Saquinavir with food or at least within 2 hours after a meal to get the maximum effect from each dose. Saquinavir is better absorbed from your stomach when it is taken with food.

What is Saquinavir?

· Saquinavir is an antiviral medication. It is in a category of HIV medicines called protease inhibitors. Saquinavir prevents HIV from maturing. This reduces the amount of infectious or active virus in the body.

· Saquinavir is used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

· Saquinavir is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.

· Saquinavir may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Saquinavir?

· Some drugs are not recommended to be taken with Saquinavir. Very high levels of these medications, which could occur during therapy with Saquinavir, could be life threatening. Do not take Saquinavir without first talking to your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs: ·cisapride (Propulsid); ·rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane) or rifabutin (Mycobutin); ·herbal or natural products containing St. John's wort; ·pimozide (Orap); ·ergotamine (Ergostat, Cafergot, Ercaf, Wigraine) or dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45); ·amiodarone (Cordarone), bepridil (Vascor), flecainide (Tambocor), propafenone (Rythmol), or quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, others); ·diazepam (Valium), clorazepate (Librium), estazolam (ProSom), flurazepam (Dalmane), midazolam (Versed), triazolam (Halcion), or zolpidem (Ambien); ·bupropion (Wellbutrin) or clozapine (Clozaril); or ·meperidine (Demerol), piroxicam (Feldene) or propoxyphene (Darvocet, Darvon, Wygesic).

· Before taking Saquinavir, tell your doctor if you have ·liver disease, ·diabetes, or ·hemophilia.

· You may not be able to take Saquinavir, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during your therapy if you have any of the conditions listed above.

· Saquinavir is in the FDA pregnancy category B. This means that it is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. It is very important to treat HIV/AIDS during pregnancy to reduce the risk of infecting the unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about treatment options if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment.

· It is not known whether Saquinavir passes into breast milk and what effect it may have on a nursing baby. To prevent transmission of the virus to uninfected babies, it is recommended that HIV-positive mothers not breastfeed.

How should I take Saquinavir?

· Take Saquinavir exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.

· Take each dose with a full glass of water.

· Take Saquinavir with food or at least within 2 hours after a meal to get the maximum effect from each dose. Saquinavir is better absorbed from your stomach when it is taken with food.

· It is important to take Saquinavir regularly to get the most benefit.

· Treatment of HIV/AIDS almost always requires the use of two or more drugs. If you need to stop taking one of the medicines you are taking for HIV, you should stop all of them until you can talk to your doctor.

· Saquinavir and didanosine (ddI, Videx) should be taken at least 2 and a half hours apart from one another to prevent an interaction.

· Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Saquinavir. The interaction could lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit and grapefruit juice with your doctor. Do not increase or decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor.

· Your doctor may want you to have blood tests or other medical evaluations during treatment with Saquinavir to monitor progress and side effects.

· The Fortovase and Invirase brands of Saquinavir are not the same products. Do not substitute one brand of Saquinavir for a different brand. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions.

· Store Invirase brand of Saquinavir at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

· Store the Fortovase brand of Saquinavir capsules in the refrigerator. If the Fortovase capsules are kept at or allowed to reach room temperature or above, they must be used within 3 months, or the expiration date printed on the bottle, whichever is first.

What happens if I miss a dose?

· Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and only take the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this medication unless your doctor directs otherwise.

What happens if I overdose?

· Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected.

· Symptoms of a Saquinavir overdose are not known.

What should I avoid while taking Saquinavir?

· Follow your doctor's instructions with respect to high-risk activities such as unprotected sex and the sharing of needles. Saquinavir is not a cure for HIV or AIDS, and you can still transmit the virus to others during therapy with this medication.

· Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any other medications, including over-the-counter products. Many drugs may interact with Saquinavir. Such interactions could cause dangerous side effects or reduce the effectiveness of Saquinavir.

What are the possible side effects of Saquinavir?

· If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking Saquinavir and seek emergency medical attention: ·an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives); ·seizures; ·liver damage (yellowing of the skin or eyes, nausea, abdominal pain or discomfort, unusual bleeding or bruising, severe fatigue); or ·pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), which may cause severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

· Less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take Saquinavir and talk to your doctor if you experience ·mild nausea, diarrhea, or stomach upset; ·rash; ·headache; ·numbness or tingling in a body part; ·muscle or skeletal aches or pains; or ·mouth ulcers or sores.

· Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What other drugs will affect Saquinavir?

· Before taking Saquinavir, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines: ·phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton); ·sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra) or tadalafil (Cialis); ·a tricyclic antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil), desipramine (Norpramin), nortriptyline (Pamelor), imipramine (Tofranil), and others; ·warfarin (Coumadin); ·cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral), tacrolimus (Prograf), sirolimus (Rapamune); ·methadone (Dolophine, Methadose); ·a stomach or ulcer medication such as cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid), ranitidine (Zantac), esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), pantoprazole (Protonix), omeprazole (Prilosec), or rabeprazole (Aciphex); ·dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol, others); ·dapsone; ·disulfiram (Antabuse); ·a cholesterol medicine including atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), and simvastatin (Zocor); ·theophylline (Theo-Dur, Theo-Bid, Theolair, Theochron, others); ·metronidazole (Flagyl), erythromycin (Ery-Tab, E-Mycin, Eryc, E.E.S., PCE, others), clarithromycin (Biaxin) or clindamycin (Cleocin); ·a calcium channel blocker such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor XR, Tiazac, Diltia XT), felodipine (Plendil), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), or nimodipine (Nimotop), verapamil (Calan, Covers-HS ,Isoptin, Verelan), amlodipine (Norvasc, Lotrel); nisoldipine (Sular), isradipine (DynaCirc); ·itraconazole (Sporanox) or ketoconazole (Nizoral); or ·an HIV/AIDS medicine such as delavirdine (Rescriptor), efavirenz (Sustiva), or nevirapine (Viramune).

· You may not be able to take Saquinavir, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medications listed above.

· Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Saquinavir. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.

Where can I get more information?

· Your pharmacist has more information about Saquinavir written for health professionals that you may read.

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