An Abbreviated, At-a-Glance Guide to Drug Interactions
Updated by Paul Djuricich, R.Ph., Pharm.D.
March/April 2009
Please see the drug's page for details, or refer to the manufacturer's package insert for a full comprehensive list of potential drug interactions. Also, make your pharmacist and health care providers aware of any drug that you add. Some interactions are more serious than others; some drugs may only require a dose adjustment, while others may either render the drug completely ineffective, or worse, lead to a potentially fatal reaction. Discuss any changes, however minor, with your health care providers, including your pharmacist, since small reactions may become serious. Look up your drugs with "Check my meds" at www.aidsmeds.com, which lists the effect of food as well as interactions for medications. The University of Liverpool also has an interactive database that allows you to look up antiretroviral drug interactions and has PDF charts of interactions between antiretrovirals and other drugs. Remember, brand names are usually capitalized, while generic names are not. Visit www.hiv-druginteractions.org.
Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (also called nucleoside analogs, NRTIs, or nukes)
See Epivir and zidovudine (Retrovir). Do not take zidovudine, Epivir, Epivir-HBV, Epzicom, Trizivir, Emtriva, Truvada, or Atripla while taking Combivir, since all or part of these medications are already in Combivir or have equivalent medications.
No significant drug interactions. Do not take Truvada, Atripla, Epivir, Epivir-HBV, Epzicom, Combivir, or Trizivir while taking Emtriva, since they contain Emtriva or medication equivalent to it.
No significant drug interactions. Do not take Epivir-HBV, Epzicom, Combivir, Trizivir, Truvada, or Atripla while taking Epivir, since they contain Epivir or medication equivalent to it.
See Epivir and Ziagen. Do not take Combivir, Epivir, Epivir-HBV, Trizivir, Emtriva, Truvada, or Atripla while taking Epzicom, since all or part of these medications are already in Epzicom or have equivalent medications.
Do not take with Combivir or Trizivir, since zidovudine is already in these medications. Amphotericin B, Benemid, Biaxin, dapsone, Depakote, doxorubicin, flucytosine, ganciclovir, hydroxyurea, interferon-alpha, Mycobutin, pentamidine, phenytoin (Dilantin and others), ribavirin, rifampin, sulfadiazine, Valcyte, and Zerit.
See Epivir, Retrovir, and Ziagen. Do not take zidovudine (Retrovir), Epivir, Epivir-HBV, Ziagen, Emtriva, Truvada, or Atripla while taking Trizivir, since all or part of these medications are already in Trizivir or have equivalent medications.
See Emtriva and Viread. Do not take with Emtriva, Viread, Atripla, Epivir, Epivir-HBV, Combivir, Epzicom, or Trizivir, since all or part of these medications are already in Truvada or have equivalent medications.
Do not take with Atripla, since Sustiva is already in Atripla. Bepridil, Biaxin, birth control pills, carbamazepine (Tegretol and others), Crixivan, ergot alkaloids (Cafergot, D.H.E. 45, Methergine, Wigraine), Invirase, itraconazole, Kaletra, Lexiva, Lipitor, methadone, midazolam, Mycobutin, Norvir, Reyataz, rifampin, phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin and others), pravastatin, simvastatin, St. John's wort, triazolam, Vfend, and warfarin.
See Sustiva and Truvada (Emtriva/Viread). Do not take Sustiva, Emtriva, Truvada, Viread, Epivir, Epzicom, Combivir, or Trizivir, while taking Atripla, since all or part of these medications are already in Atripla or have equivalent medications.
Aptivus/Norvir interacts with many other drugs, so it is important to tell your health care professional all the medications you are taking. See the manufacturer package insert for the most complete list. Birth control pills, calcium channel blockers (Adalat, Norvasc, Procardia, and others), carbamazepine (Tegretol and others), Cialis, Crestor, ergot alkaloids (Cafergot, D.H.E. 45, Methergine, Wigraine), disulfirum (Antabuse), Flagyl, fluconazole, fluticasone (Advair, Flonase, Flovent), other HIV protease inhibitors, immunosuppressants, itraconazole, ketoconazole, Lescol, Levitra, Lipitor, lovastatin, methadone, midazolam (oral), Mycobutin, Paxil, phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin and others), pimozide, pravastatin, quinidine, rifampin, Rythmol, simvastatin, St. John's wort, Tambocor, trazodone, triazolam, valproic acid, Viagra, vitamin E, Vfend, Videx, warfarin, Ziagen, zidovudine, and Zoloft.