1. NUCLEOSIDE AND NUCLEOTIDE ANALOG
REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE INHIBITORS (NUKES)
|
DRUG |
DAILY PILLS
(Adults) |
HOW TO TAKE &
STORE |
SIDE
EFFECTS |
NOTES |
| Abacavir
(Ziagen®) |
2
(300 mg: 1, 2x/day or 2, 1x/day) |
No
food restrictions. |
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 above. |
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. |
| Emtricitabine(FTC
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, once a
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; 30 mg if below: 1, 2x/day) |
No
food restrictions. |
Peripheral neuropathy, headache,
chills & fever, diarrhea, nausea. |
Don't combine with AZT 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, comiting, 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. |
2. NON-NUCLEOSIDE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE INHIBITORS
(NNRTIs or NON-NUKES)
|
DRUG |
DAILY PILLS
(Adults)* |
HOW TO TAKE &
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. |
Serious
interactions with many other
drugs** |
| 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. |
**NNRTI's 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, leading to under-doses
that are ineffective, or overdoses that can be fatal. Make
sure your physician knows about all medications you are
taking.
3. PROTEASE INHIBITORS
|
DRUG |
DAILY PILLS
(Adults)* |
HOW TO TAKE &
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 foods. Don't take within 1
hour of antacids. |
Nausea,
diarrhea, vomiting, rash, numbness around mouth,
abdominal pain |
Serious
interactions with many other
drugs.** |
| Atazanavir
(Reyataz®) |
2 (200 mg: 2,
once a day)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. |
| Darunanavir
(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 hours, 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, nausea, headache |
| 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 the
mouth. |
| Saquinavir
(Invirase®) |
6(500 mg: 2 +
1-100mg 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. |
*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 these new combinations.
**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, leading
to under-doses that are ineffective, or overdoses that can be
fatal. Make sure your physician knows about all
medications you are taking. |
