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Generic Name: delavirdine (de la VIR deen)
Brand Names: Rescriptor

What is delavirdine?

Delavirdine is an antiviral medication that prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cells from multiplying in your body.

Delavirdine is used to treat HIV, which causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Delavirdine is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.

Delavirdine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about delavirdine?

There are many other medicines that can interact with delavirdine, 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. 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.

HIV/AIDS is usually treated with a combination of different drugs. To best treat your condition, 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.

Taking delavirdine will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people through unprotected sex or sharing of needles. Talk with your doctor about safe methods of preventing HIV transmission during sex, such as using a condom and spermicide. Sharing drug or medicine needles is never safe, even for a healthy person.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking delavirdine?

• astemizole (Hismanal);

• terfenadine (Seldane);

• cisapride (Propulsid);

• alprazolam (Xanax), 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).

Before taking delavirdine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

• liver disease;

• high cholesterol or triglycerides;

• low stomach acid production; or

• if you have ever taken efavirenz (Sustiva) or nevirapine (Viramune) and they were not effective in treating your condition.

If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use delavirdine, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.

Your name may need to be listed on an antiviral pregnancy registry when you start using delavirdine. The purpose of this registry is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and delivery to evaluate whether delavirdine had any effect on the baby.

How should I take delavirdine?

Take delavirdine 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.

This medication comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use. Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Delavirdine can be taken with or without food.

If you have a condition of decreased stomach acid, your doctor may recommend taking delavirdine with an acidic beverage such as orange or cranberry juice.

The 100-milligram delavirdine tablets may be dissolved in water to make swallowing easier. Place 4 tablets into at least 3 ounces (just under 1/3 cup) of water. Let the liquid stand for a few minutes, then stir to allow the tablets to disperse evenly in the liquid. Drink this mixture right away. To make sure you get the entire dose, add a little more water to the same glass, swirl gently and drink right away.

The 200-milligram delavirdine tablet must be swallowed whole. Do not crush, chew, or disperse the tablet in water.

It is important to take delavirdine regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescriptions refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

To best treat your condition, 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 this medication is helping your condition, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your liver function may also need to be tested. It is important that you not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

What happens if I miss a dose?

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.

What happens if I overdose?

What should I avoid while taking delavirdine?

Taking delavirdine will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people through unprotected sex or sharing of needles. Talk with your doctor about safe methods of preventing HIV transmission during sex, such as using a condom and spermicide. Sharing drug or medicine needles is never safe, even for a healthy person.

Delavirdine side effects

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;

• easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;

• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms; or

• any other signs of new infection.

Less serious side effects may be more likely to occur, such as:

• mild nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, or bloating;

• diarrhea or constipation;

• headache, mood changes;

• blurred vision;

• cough, stuffy nose;

• muscle or joint pain;

• sleep problems (insomnia), unusual dreams;

• tired feeling, trouble concentrating; or

• changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist).

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What other drugs will affect delavirdine?

There are many other medicines that can interact with delavirdine, or make it less effective. Before taking delavirdine, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

• sildenafil (Viagra);

• St. John's wort;

• 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), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan);

• heart rhythm medicine such as amiodarone (Cordarone), bepridil (Vascor), flecainide (Tambocor), or propafenone (Rythmol), or quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex);

• medications to prevent organ transplant rejection;

• other HIV medicines such as amprenavir (Agenerase), indinavir (Crixivan), lopinovir/ritonavir (Kaletra), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), or saquinavir (Invirase);

• a sedative such as estazolam (Prosom), flurazepam (Dalmane), quazepam (Doral), or temazepam (Restoril);

• seizure medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin) or carbamazepine (Tegretol);

• steroid medicine such as dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol) or fluticasone (Advair, Flovent, Flonase); or

• stomach medications such as Axid, Pepcid, Prevacid, Prilosec, Tagamet, or Zantac.

If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to use delavirdine, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

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.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist has information about delavirdine written for health professionals that you may read.

What does my medication look like?

Delavirdine is available with a prescription under the brand name Rescriptor. Other brand or generic formulations may also be available. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new to you.

• Rescriptor 100 mg-white, capsule-shaped tablets

• Rescriptor 200 mg-white, capsule-shaped tablets

• Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
• Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.