Nevirapine : Before Using

Nevirapine - Systemic

Brand Names

Viramune Nevirapine *** Before Using *** How to Use *** Fore Safe Use *** Side Effects *** Additional Information

Before Using

In deciding to using a medication, the chance of taking the drug must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you will make. For nevirapine, the following must be considered

Allergic reaction

Tell your family doctor if you have any unusual or allergic reaction to nevirapine. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes. Note:

Women may have a greater risk of getting a serious rash or reaction with this drug. Nevirapine has been reported to cause unwanted and sometimes serious skin reactions or rash which usually occur in the first 12 to 18weeks of taking this drug.

Pregnancy care

Nevirapine crosses the placenta. Studies in pregnant women have shown that nevirapine decreases the risk of passing HIV to your baby during labor and at birth. Studies in pets at high doses have found that it causes decreased body weight of infant pets. However, nevirapine did not cause birth defects in pets.

Breast-feeding problem

Nevirapine passes into breast milk. Breast-feeding is not recommended in AIDS diseaseds because of the risk of passing the AIDS virus on to the nursing infant and the possibility of serious adverse reactions in nursing infants.

Use for Children

Granulocytopenia may be more likely to occur in child, who are usually more sensitive than adults to this effect of nevirapine.

Elderly care

Many medication have not been studied specifically in elderly people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in adults people. There is no special info comparing use of nevirapine in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Drug interactions

Although certain medication must not be using together at all, in other cases two various medication may be using together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your family doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking nevirapine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

Clarithromycin - Biaxin Nevirapine may decrease the amount of this drug in your body. Your family doctor may want to try another drug.

Fluconazole - Diflucan
Ketoconazole - Nizoral
Methadone - Methadose
contraceptives - birth control containing estrogen or progesterone Nevirapine may decrease the amount of these medication in the body and cause them to be less effective

Lopinavir and Ritoavir - Kaletra Your family doctor may want to change the amount of this drug that you take

Rifabutin - Mycobutin
Rifampin - Rifadin
St. John's wort or St. John's wort containing products These medication may decrease the amount of nevirapine in the body

Prednisone - Deltasone May increase the incidence and severity of a severe rash

Warfarin Your family doctor will want to monitor your blood levels when you are taking this drug at the same time as nevirapine.

Other Information for using

The presence of other medical problems may effect the use of nevirapine. Make sure you tell your family doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

Kidney disease Nevirapine may be removed more slowly from the body

Liver disease Nevirapine has been reported to cause unwanted and sometimes serious effects in the liver