Online PLR Articles Directory South Africa: atazanavir

a-ta-ZAN-a-vir SUL-fate

Commonly used brand name(s)

In the U.S.

Reyataz

Available Dosage Forms:

Capsule

Therapeutic Class: Antiviral

Pharmacologic Class: Atazanavir

Uses For atazanavir

Atazanavir is used in combination with other medicines, in the treatment of the infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Atazanavir will not cure or prevent HIV infection or AIDS. It helps keep HIV from reproducing and appears to slow down the destruction of the immune system. This may help delay problems that are usually related to AIDS or HIV disease from occurring. Atazanavir will not keep you from spreading HIV to other people. People who receive atazanavir may continue to have other problems usually related to AIDS or HIV disease.

atazanavir is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before Using atazanavir

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For atazanavir, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to atazanavir or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of atazanavir in children 3 months to less than 6 years of age. However, use is not recommended in infants younger than 3 months of age.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of atazanavir in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related liver, kidney, or heart problems, which may require caution in patients receiving atazanavir.

Pregnancy

	Pregnancy Category	Explanation
All Trimesters	B	Animal studies have revealed no evidence of harm to the fetus, however, there are no adequate studies in pregnant women OR animal studies have shown an adverse effect, but adequate studies in pregnant women have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus.

Breast Feeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with Medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking atazanavir, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using atazanavir with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

Alfuzosin

Cisapride

Colchicine

Dihydroergotamine

Dronedarone

Ergoloid Mesylates

Ergonovine

Ergotamine

Irinotecan

Lovastatin

Methylergonovine

Methysergide

Midazolam

Pimozide

Ranolazine

Rifampin

Sildenafil

Silodosin

Simvastatin

St John's Wort

Tolvaptan

Triazolam

Using atazanavir with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Abiraterone

Amiodarone

Amitriptyline

Amlodipine

Atorvastatin

Bosentan

Brentuximab Vedotin

Buprenorphine

Cabazitaxel

Cimetidine

Clarithromycin

Clomipramine

Crizotinib

Dasatinib

Dexlansoprazole

Diltiazem

Disopyramide

Docetaxel

Esomeprazole

Etravirine

Everolimus

Famotidine

Felodipine

Fluticasone

Fosamprenavir

Garlic

Iloperidone

Imipramine

Indinavir

Ixabepilone

Lansoprazole

Lapatinib

Lidocaine

Lofepramine

Minocycline

Nevirapine

Nicardipine

Nifedipine

Nilotinib

Nizatidine

Omeprazole

Oxycodone

Pantoprazole

Pazopanib

Quinidine

Rabeprazole

Ranitidine

Rifabutin

Romidepsin

Rosuvastatin

Salmeterol

Saquinavir

Sunitinib

Tacrolimus

Tadalafil

Tamsulosin

Temsirolimus

Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate

Ticagrelor

Tipranavir

Toremifene

Trimipramine

Vemurafenib

Venlafaxine

Verapamil

Using atazanavir with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Desogestrel

Didanosine

Dienogest

Drospirenone

Efavirenz

Estradiol Cypionate

Estradiol Valerate

Ethinyl Estradiol

Ethynodiol Diacetate

Etonogestrel

Fentanyl

Levonorgestrel

Lopinavir

Maraviroc

Medroxyprogesterone Acetate

Mestranol

Methadone

Norelgestromin

Norethindrone

Norgestimate

Norgestrel

Posaconazole

Telaprevir

Trazodone

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Proper Use of atazanavir

Take atazanavir exactly as directed by your doctor. Do not change the dose or stop using atazanavir without checking first with your doctor. When your supply of atazanavir is running low, contact your doctor or pharmacist ahead of time. Do not allow yourself to run out of atazanavir.

atazanavir may be taken in combination with other medicines that are used to treat HIV infection. Check with your doctor for information and dose amounts.

It is important that atazanavir be taken with food.

Swallow the capsule whole. Do not open it.

If you are also using antacids or didanosine (Videx®), take atazanavir 2 hours before or 1 hour after taking these medicines.

atazanavir comes with a patient information leaflet. Read and follow this carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions.

If you miss a dose or forget to use your medicine, use it as soon as you can. If your next regular dose is less than 6 hours away, wait until then to use the medicine and skip the missed dose.

Dosing

The dose of atazanavir will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of atazanavir. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

For oral dosage form (capsules):
- For HIV infection (patient already had HIV treatment):
  - Adults—300 milligrams (mg) with 100 mg of ritonavir (Norvir®) once a day.
  - Children 6 to 17 years of age—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. However, the dose is usually 150 to 300 mg with 100 mg of ritonavir (Norvir®) once a day.
  - Children 3 months to less than 6 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  - Infants younger than 3 months of age—Use is not recommended.
- For HIV infection (patient never had HIV treatment):
  - Adults—300 milligrams (mg) with 100 mg of ritonavir (Norvir®) once a day.
  - Children 6 to 17 years of age—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. However, the dose is usually 150 to 300 mg with 100 mg of ritonavir (Norvir®) once a day.
  - Children 3 months to less than 6 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
  - Infants younger than 3 months of age—Use is not recommended.

Storage

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Do not throw any unused medicine in the trash. Flush it down the toilet or take it to a community take-back program when available.

Precautions While Using atazanavir

It is very important that your doctor check the progress of you or your child at regular visits to make sure atazanavir is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Do not use atazanavir if you are also using alfuzosin (Uroxatral®), cisapride (Propulsid®), indinavir (Crixivan®), irinotecan (Camptosar®), lovastatin (Altocor®, Mevacor®), nevirapine (Viramune®), oral midazolam (Versed®), pimozide (Orap®), rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®), salmeterol (Advair®, Serevent®), sildenafil (Revatio®), simvastatin (Zocor®), triazolam (Halcion®), or ergot medicines (e.g., dihydroergotamine, ergonovine, ergotamine, methylergonovine, Cafergot®, D.H.E. 45®, Ergomar®, Ergostat®, Ergotrate®, Methergine®, Migranal®, or Wigraine®).

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines, and herbal (e.g., St. John’s wort) or vitamin supplements.

Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach; pale stools; dark urine; loss of appetite; nausea; unusual tiredness or weakness; or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.

atazanavir may increase your risk of having kidney stones. Check with your doctor right away and stop using atazanavir if you or your child have blood in your urine, nausea and vomiting, pain in the groin or genitals, or sharp back pain just below the ribs.

atazanavir may increase blood sugar levels. Check with your doctor if you or your child notice a change in the results of your blood or urine sugar tests.

Birth control pills may not work as well while you are using atazanavir. To keep from getting pregnant, use an additional form of birth control along with your pills. Other forms of birth control include condoms, diaphragms, or contraceptive foams or jellies.

When you start taking HIV medicines, your immune system may get stronger. If you have certain infections, such as pneumonia or tuberculosis, you or your child may notice new symptoms when your body tries to fight them. If this occurs, be sure to tell your doctor.

Serious skin reactions can occur with atazanavir. Stop using atazanavir and check with your doctor right away if you or your child have any of the following symptoms while using atazanavir: blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin; chills; cough; diarrhea; itching; joint or muscle pain; red skin lesions, often with a purple center; skin rash; sore throat; sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips; or unusual tiredness or weakness.

atazanavir will not keep you from giving HIV to your partner during sex. Make sure you understand this and practice safe sex, even if your partner also has HIV, by using a latex condom or other barrier method. atazanavir will also not keep you from giving HIV to other people if they are exposed to your blood. Do not re-use or share needles with anyone.

atazanavir may cause you to have excess body fat. Tell your doctor if you or your child notice changes in your body shape, such as an increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck, or around the chest and stomach area. You might also lose fat from the legs, arms, and face.

Tell the doctor in charge that you or your child are using atazanavir before you have any medical tests. The results of some tests may be affected by atazanavir.

atazanavir Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

Incidence not known

Abdominal or stomach discomfort, fullness, or pain

bloating

blood in the urine

blurred vision

chest pain or discomfort

chills

clay-colored stools

constipation

dark colored urine

decreased appetite

diarrhea

dizziness or lightheadedness

dry mouth

fainting

fast heartbeat

fast, shallow breathing

fever

flushed, dry skin

fruit-like breath odor

gaseous abdominal or stomach pain

general feeling of discomfort

headache

hives

increased hunger

increased thirst

increased urination

indigestion

irregular heartbeat

itching

loss of appetite

loss of consciousness

muscle pain or cramping

nausea

pain in the groin or genitals

pain in the stomach, side, or abdomen, possibly radiating to the back

recurrent fever

severe nausea or vomiting

sharp back pain just below the ribs

shortness of breath

skin rash

sleepiness

slow or irregular heartbeat

stomachache

sweating

swelling

tightness in the chest

trouble with breathing

unexplained weight loss

unpleasant breath odor

unusual tiredness or weakness

vomiting

vomiting of blood

wheezing

yellow eyes or skin

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common

Back pain

cough, increased

discouragement

extra body fat

feeling sad or empty

irritability

loss of interest or pleasure

trouble concentrating

trouble sleeping

Less common

Burning, numbness, tingling, or painful sensations

difficulty with moving

muscle stiffness

pain

pain in the joints

sleeplessness

unable to sleep

unsteadiness or awkwardness

weakness in the arms, hands, legs, or feet

Incidence not known

Hair loss or thinning of the hair

rash with flat lesions or small raised lesions on the skin

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

See also: atazanavir side effects (in more detail)

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More atazanavir resources

Atazanavir Side Effects (in more detail)
Atazanavir Dosage
Atazanavir Use in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Atazanavir Drug Interactions
Atazanavir Support Group
1 Review for Atazanavir - Add your own review/rating

Atazanavir MedFacts Consumer Leaflet (Wolters Kluwer)

Atazanavir Sulfate Monograph (AHFS DI)

Reyataz Prescribing Information (FDA)

Reyataz Consumer Overview

Compare atazanavir with other medications

HIV Infection
Nonoccupational Exposure

Online PLR Articles Directory South Africa

Thursday 12 April 2012

atazanavir