Drug Name

Viramune (Nevirapine)

Drug Uses

This medication is used in the treatment of infection with the HIV virus (the virus that causes AIDS). It is used in combination with other HIV medications in selected patients. No cure exists for HIV infection, as well as the illnesses associated with your disease (infections, etc.) may continue. Because HIV can quickly become resistant to this medication incase used alone, viramune must be used with at least 1 other anti-HIV medication. Your doctor may change your treatment plan incase this medication stops working well.

How Taken

Take by mouth as directed. The usual dose is one 200 mg tablet daily for the earliest 14 days, then followed by one 200 mg tablet twice a day. Viramune is used with at least one other medication (antiretroviral) for HIV. It is substantial to follow the dosing instructions carefully in order to minimize humorless side effects, such as rash. Incase a rash develops in the earliest two weeks, the viramune dose is not increased until the rash is gone. Incase treatment is stopped for more than 7 days, then re-treatment should begin as directed by your doctor, usually with one 200 mg tablet daily for 14 days, then one 200 mg tablet twice a day. Read the Patient Information Leaflet available from your pharmacist. Incase you possess any questions, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Drug Class as well as Mechanism

Viramune is an oral medication that is used for the treatment of infections with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is similar to efavirenz (Sustiva) as well as delavirdine (Rescriptor). Viramune is in a class of drugs called reverse transcriptase inhibitors which includes zalcitabine (Hivid), zidovudine (Retrovir), didanosine (Videx), as well as lamivudine (Epivir). During infection with HIV, the HIV virus multiplies within the body's cells. The newly-formed viruses then are released from the cells as well as spread throughout the body where they infect other cells. In this manner, the infection spreads to recent, uninfected cells that the body is continually producing, as well as HIV infection is perpetuated. When producing recent viruses, the HIV virus must manufacture recent DNA for each virus. Reverse transcriptase is the enzyme that the virus uses to form this recent DNA. Viramune directly inhibits the activity of reverse transcriptase as well as blocks the production of DNA as well as recent viruses. Unlike zidovudine, nevirapine does not need to beconverted to an active form as well as it does not compete with the compound (thymidine triphosphate) that is required by HIV virus to make recent DNA. Viramune does not kill existing HIV virus as well as it is not a cure for HIV.

Missed Dose

Incase you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Incase it is within 2 hours of the next dose, skip the missed dose as well as resume your usual dosing schedule. It is substantial not to miss doses of this drug.

Storage

Store at room temperature between 59 as well as 86 degrees F (15 to 30 degrees C) away from moisture as well as light as directed. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep in a tightly closed bottle.

Warnings/Precautions

This medication should not be used incase you possess confident health examination conditions. Before using this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist incase you have: very bad liver disease. Tell your doctor your health examination history, especially of: liver disease (including Hepatitis B or C infections), very bad kidney disease, any allergies. This medication should be used only when clearly needed during pregnancy. Discuss the risks as well as benefits with your doctor. This drug is excreted into breast milk. Because breast milk can transmit HIV, do not breast-feed. Viramune has infrequently caused very bad (sometimes fatal) liver as well as skin reactions (e.g., Stevens-Johnson syndrome, allergic reaction), especially during the earliest 18 weeks of therapy. These reactions are most likely to occur during the earliest 6 weeks of therapy but can occur at any time while using viramune. Incase you develop a rash at any time while using this medication, or incase you develop unusual fatigue, abdominal or stomach pain, not light urine, loss of appetite, or yellowing ofthe skin or eyes, seek immediate health examination attention (liver function tests should as well as be done at this time). Incase you had a very bad liver or skin reaction while on this drug in the done, you should not restart therapy with viramune again. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.

Likely Side Effects

Nausea or headache may occur. Notify your prescriber incase these problems persist or worsen. Notify your prescriber immediately incase you develop: fever, blistering, mouth sores, pink eye (conjunctivitis), swelling, muscle/joint aches, tingling or numb hands or feet. Changes in body overweight may occur while you are using this medication (e.g., increased overweight in the upper back as well as stomach areas, decreased overweight in the arms as well as legs). The cause as well as long-term effects of these changes are unknown. Discuss the risks as well as benefits of therapy with your doctor, as well as the likely role of exercise to reduce this side effect. A humorless allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate health examination attention incase it occurs. Symptoms of a humorless allergic reaction include: very bad rash, itching, swelling, dizziness, trouble breathing. Incase you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

More Information

Viramune has not been shown to reduce the chance of transmitting the HIV virus to others. Laboratory tests (e.g., liver function especially incase rash occurs) will be performed in order to monitor for drug side effects. These tests will be done frequently as well as will be monitored closely by your doctor especially during the earliest 18 weeks of treatment. Keep all doctor's appointments while using this medication.