Drug Interactions
See also How to Use section. The effects of some drugs can change if you take other drugs or herbal products at the same time. This can increase your risk for serious side effects or may cause your medications not to work correctly. These drug interactions are possible, but do not always occur. Your doctor or pharmacist can often prevent or manage interactions by changing how you use your medications or by close monitoring. To help your doctor and pharmacist give you the best care, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products) before starting treatment with this product. While using this product, do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any other medicines you are using without your doctor's approval. Some products that may interact with this drug include: drugs for irregular heartbeat (such as amiodarone, quinidine), beta-blockers (such as propranolol, atenolol, metoprolol), certain chemotherapy drugs (dasatinib, lapatinib, sunitinib, temsirolimus), digoxin, eletriptan, eplerenone, etravirine, warfarin. Other medications can affect the removal of atazanavir from your body, which may affect how atazanavir works. Examples include St. John's wort, rifamycins (such as rifabutin), certain anti-seizure drugs (carbamazepine, phenobarbital), other HIV drugs (such as delavirdine, indinavir, ritonavir, tenofovir), among others. Atazanavir can slow down or speed up the removal of other medications from your body, which may affect how they work. Examples of affected drugs include bepridil, cisapride, clarithromycin, fluticasone (inhaled through the mouth or nose), irinotecan, pimozide, ranolazine, trazodone, certain benzodiazepines (midazolam, triazolam), calcium channel blockers (such as diltiazem, verapamil), ergot alkaloids (such as dihydroergotamine, ergonovine, ergotamine, methylergonovine), certain drugs that weaken the immune system (cyclosporine, tacrolimus, sirolimus), drugs to treat erectile dysfunction/pulmonary hypertension (such as sildenafil, vardenafil), certain "statin" cholesterol drugs (lovastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin), medicines for depression (tricyclics such as amitriptyline), among others. Check the labels on all the medicines you use for heartburn, indigestion, or ulcers (including prescription or nonprescription antacids, proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole, H2 blockers such as ranitidine). These medications may prevent your HIV drugs from working. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about using those products safely. This medication may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal birth control products (such as pills, patch, ring). This effect can result in pregnancy. However, to reduce the risk of spreading HIV to others, always use barrier protections during all sexual activity. (See also Notes section.) This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use. Share the list with your doctor and pharmacist to lessen your risk for serious medication problems.