What is efavirenz?
Efavirenz is an antiviral medication that prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cells from
multiplying in your body.
Efavirenz is used to treat HIV, which causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Efavirenz is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.
Efavirenz may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking efavirenz?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to efavirenz, or if you are using any of the
following drugs:
-
cisapride (Propulsid);
-
midazolam (Versed) or triazolam (Halcion);
-
pimozide (Orap); or
-
ergot medicine such as ergotamine (Ergomar, Ergostat,
Cafergot, Ercaf, Wigraine), dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal Nasal Spray), ergonovine
(Ergotrate), or methylergonovine (Methergine).
Using any of these medicines while you are taking
efavirenz can cause serious medical problems or death.
If you have certain conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take
efavirenz. Before you take efavirenz, tell your doctor if you have:
-
liver disease (including hepatitis B or C);
-
high cholesterol or triglycerides; or
-
if you have ever taken delavirdine (Rescriptor) or
nevirapine (Viramune) and they were not effective in treating your condition.
FDA pregnancy category D. This medication can cause harm to an
unborn baby.
Do not use efavirenz
without your doctor's consent if you are
pregnant. Use two forms of birth control, including a barrier form (such as a condom or diaphragm
with spermicide gel) while you are taking efavirenz, and for at least 12 weeks after your treatment ends.
Tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.
HIV can be passed to the baby if the mother is not properly treated during pregnancy.
Take all of your HIV medicines as directed to control your infection while you are pregnant.
Your name may need to be listed on an antiviral pregnancy registry when you start using
efavirenz. The purpose of this registry is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and delivery to evaluate
whether efavirenz had any effect on the baby.
You should not breast-feed while you are using efavirenz. Women with HIV or AIDS
should not breast-feed at all. Even if your baby is born without HIV, you may still pass the virus to the
baby in your breast milk.
How should I take efavirenz?
Take efavirenz exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger
amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your
prescription label.
Take efavirenz on an empty stomach at bedtime, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
Efavirenz can cause side effects such as mood or behavior changes. These symptoms may
improve the longer you take the medication. Taking efavirenz at bedtime may also lessen these effects.
Contact your doctor if you have more serious symptoms such as severe depression or thoughts of
hurting yourself.
Take efavirenz regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescriptions refilled before you run
out of medicine completely.
Do not take efavirenz as your only HIV medication. HIV/AIDS is usually treated with a
combination of different drugs. Your disease may become resistant to efavirenz if you do not take it in
combination with other HIV medicines your doctor has prescribed. Use all of your medications as
directed by your doctor. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without advice from your
doctor. Every person with HIV or AIDS should remain under the care of a doctor.
To be sure efavirenz is helping your condition and not causing harmful effects, your blood and
liver function may need to be tested on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your
doctor.
This medication can cause you to have a false positive drug-screening test. If you provide a
urine sample for drug-screening, tell the laboratory staff that you are taking efavirenz.
Store efavirenz at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What happens if I miss a dose of efavirenz?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the
missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time.
Do not
take
extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Where can I get more information about efavirenz?
Your pharmacist has information about efavirenz written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of efavirenz?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these
signs of an allergic
reaction:
hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Efavirenz may cause serious psychiatric symptoms including confusion, severe depression,
suicidal thoughts, aggression, extreme fear, hallucinations, or unusual behavior. Contact your doctor at
once if you have any of these side effects, even if you have had them before.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
-
fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling,
and red skin rash;
-
nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, dark urine,
clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
-
fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms; or
-
any other signs of new infection.
Less serious side effects may include:
-
mild nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain, diarrhea or constipation;
-
cough;
-
blurred vision;
-
headache, dizziness, tired feeling;
-
trouble concentrating, problems with balance or
coordination;
-
muscle or joint pain;
-
sleep problems (insomnia), unusual dreams; or
-
changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in
your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist).
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your
doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at
1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about efavirenz?
Efavirenz may cause serious psychiatric symptoms including confusion, severe depression,
suicidal thoughts, aggression, extreme fear, hallucinations, or unusual behavior. Contact your doctor at
once if you have any of these side effects, even if you have had them before.
Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant. It could harm the
unborn baby. Use two forms of birth control, including a barrier form (such as a condom or diaphragm
with spermicide gel) while you are taking efavirenz, and for at least 12 weeks after your treatment ends.
Tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment.
Do not take efavirenz with cisapride (Propulsid), pimozide (Orap), midazolam (Versed),
triazolam (Halcion), or ergot medicines such as dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45), ergonovine
(Ergotrate), ergotamine (Ergomar, Cafergot, Wigraine), or methylergonovine (Methergine).
These drugs can cause life-threatening side effects if you use them while you
are taking efavirenz.
There are many other medicines that can interact with efavirenz, or make it
less effective.
Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications
you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do
not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
Taking this medication will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people. Talk with
your doctor about safe methods of preventing HIV transmission during sex. Sharing drug or medicine
needles is never safe, even for a healthy person.
What should I avoid while taking efavirenz?
Efavirenz can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if
you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase some of the side effects of efavirenz.
Cold or allergy medicine, sedatives, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers,
and medicine for seizures, depression or anxiety can add to sleepiness caused by efavirenz. Tell your
doctor if you regularly use any of these medicines.
Avoid having unprotected sex or sharing needles, razors, or toothbrushes. Taking this
medication will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people. Talk with your doctor about safe
methods of preventing HIV transmission during sex. Sharing drug or medicine needles is never safe,
even for a healthy person.
What other drugs will affect efavirenz?
There are many other medicines that can interact with efavirenz, or make it
less effective.
Before taking efavirenz, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following
drugs:
-
itraconazole (Sporanox);
-
St. John's wort;
-
voriconazole (Vfend); o
-
a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
-
a cholesterol medication such as Lipitor or Zocor;
-
an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), rifabutin
(Mycobutin), or rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane);
-
heart or blood pressure medications such as amlodipine
(Norvasc), diltiazem (Tiazac, Cartia, Cardizem), felodipine (Plendil), nicardipine (Cardene),
nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan);
-
other HIV medicines such as indinavir (Crixivan),
lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra), nevirapine (Viramune), ritonavir (Norvir), or saquinavir (Invirase);
or
-
seizure medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin) or
carbamazepine (Tegretol).
This list is not complete and there are other drugs that can interact with
efavirenz. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This
includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using
a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and
show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.
What happens if I have an overdose of efavirenz?
