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HIV Drug Chart (Overview)
Last update: September
2009
The number of drugs available to fight HIV keeps growing. This is good news,
but it can also make it difficult to figure out what’s what. Use this HIV drugs
overview to find basic information on all of the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA)-approved HIV drugs, such as:
Drug name
Drug class
How many times a day drug is usually taken
Some of the side effects drug may have
We have also listed the drug makers and their Web address so you can access
more information about each drug, including how to contact the patient
assistance program (PAP) to help you get a drug if you have no insurance and
can’t afford it. For more information on individual drugs you can also
check The Well Project’s
drug info sheets.
[*Note: Sometimes a drug regimen is "boosted" with a low dose of the
protease inhibitor (PI) Norvir to improve the effectiveness of another PI in
the regimen.]
Buildup of lactic acid in the blood, enlarged liver,
lipodystrophy
Special Considerations:
Get tested for hepatitis B (HBV) before taking Emtriva.
Emtriva fights HBV as well as HIV. If you are co-infected with HBV and HIV,
stopping Emtriva may cause your HBV to get worse.
Anemia, neutropenia, buildup of lactic acid in the blood,
enlarged liver, lipodystrophy
Special Considerations:
Get tested for hepatitis B (HBV) before taking Epivir. Epivir
fights HBV as well as HIV. If you are co-infected with HBV and HIV, stopping
Epivir may cause your HBV to get worse.
Kidney problems, bone problems, buildup of lactic acid in the
blood, enlarged liver, lipodystrophy
Special Considerations:
Get tested for hepatitis B (HBV) before taking Viread. Viread
fights HBV as well as HIV. If you are co-infected with HBV and HIV, stopping
Viread may cause your HBV to get worse.
Hypersensitivity (rash, flulike symptoms and sometimes organ
problems, including liver failure), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (severe skin rash
accompanied by fever, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, blisters, facial and
tongue swelling)
Special Considerations:
Contact your health care provider immediately if symptoms of
severe skin reactions develop to discuss possibly stopping Intelence
2 (start with a lower dose for two weeks, then increase to
full dose)
If Boosted,* # of
Doses/Day:
n/a
Common Side Effects:
Nausea, headaches, skin rash, fever, fatigue
Serious Side Effects:
Stevens-Johnson syndrome (severe skin rash accompanied by
fever, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, blisters, facial and tongue swelling),
liver problems
Special Considerations:
Women with CD4 cell counts greater than 250 (including
pregnant women) and men with CD4 cell counts above 400 at the time of starting
treatment have a higher risk of serious liver damage. Careful dosing and liver
monitoring is needed when starting Viramune.
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, gas, headaches,
skin rash, numbness or tingling around the mouth, increased cholesterol,
triglycerides, and glucose, increased liver enzyme levels
Serious Side Effects:
Liver problems, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (severe skin rash
accompanied by fever, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, blisters, facial and
tongue swelling), lipodystrophy, sulfa allergy, increased bleeding in people
with hemophilia
Norvir is most commonly used to boost other drugs at 1 or 2
doses per day
If Boosted,* # of
Doses/Day:
2
Common Side Effects:
Nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, headaches,
heartburn, fatigue, weakness, insomnia, numbness and tingling around the mouth,
increased cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose, increased liver enzyme
levels
Serious Side Effects:
Liver problems, lipodystrophy, increased bleeding in people
with hemophilia
Special Considerations:
Taking Norvir with certain allergy medications, sedatives,
heart medications, and migraine medications can increase the risk of their side
effects
Kidney problems, bone problems, buildup of lactic acid in the
blood, enlarged liver, lipodystrophy, increased bleeding in people with
hemophilia, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (severe skin rash accompanied by fever,
fatigue, muscle or joint aches, blisters, facial and tongue swelling)
Special Considerations:
Liver function should be tested before starting Prezista.
Increased liver function monitoring is a good idea for people with hepatitis or
other liver problems. Prezista is not recommended for people with severe liver
damage.
Risk of skin abscesses at injection site or other severe
injection site reaction (nodules, etc), peripheral neuropathy, possible rare
allergic reaction or increased risk for bacterial pneumonia
Same as those for the individual drugs that make up Atripla:
dizziness, trouble sleeping, drowsiness, nausea, headache, vomiting, trouble
concentrating, and/or rash
Serious Side Effects:
Buildup of lactic acid in the blood, enlarged liver,
lipodystrophy, kidney problems, severe depression
Special Considerations:
Atripla is a one-pill, once-daily drug regimen (it does not
have to be used with other HIV medications). Get tested for hepatitis B (HBV)
before taking Atripla. Because Emtriva and Viread also fight HBV, if you are
co-infected with HBV and HIV, stopping Atripla may cause your HBV to get worse.
Women who are pregnant or may get pregnant should not use Sustiva-containing
regimens.
Same as those for the individual drugs that make up Combivir:
nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, headaches, fatigue, insomnia
Serious Side Effects:
Anemia, neutropenia, myopathy, buildup of lactic acid in the
blood, enlarged liver, lipodystrophy
Special Considerations:
Get tested for hepatitis B (HBV) before taking Combivir.
Epivir fights HBV as well as HIV. If you are co-infected with HBV and HIV,
stopping Combivir may cause your HBV to get worse.
Same as those for the individual drugs that make up Epzicom:
nausea, diarrhea, headaches, fatigue
Serious Side Effects:
Hypersensitivity reaction, anemia, neutropenia, buildup of
lactic acid in the blood, enlarged liver, lipodystrophy
Special Considerations:
Get tested for hepatitis B (HBV) before taking Epzicom. Epivir
fights HBV as well as HIV. If you are co-infected with HBV and HIV, stopping
Epzicom may cause your HBV to get worse. HLA-B*5701 screening (for
hypersensitivity reaction) is recommended before starting a Ziagen-containing
regimen.
Zidovudine (AZT) plus lamivudine (3TC) plus abacavir
Class of Drug:
3 NRTIs
Number of Doses a Day:
2
If Boosted,* # of
Doses/Day:
n/a
Common Side Effects:
Same as those for the individual drugs that make up Trizivir:
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, headaches, fatigue, insomnia
Serious Side Effects:
Hypersensitivity reaction, anemia, neutropenia, myopathy,
buildup of lactic acid in the blood, enlarged liver, lipodystrophy
Special Considerations:
Get tested for hepatitis B (HBV) before taking Trizivir.
Because Epivir also fights HBV, if you are co-infected with HBV and HIV,
stopping Trizivir may cause your HBV to get worse. HLA-B*5701 screening (for
hypersensitivity reaction) is recommended before starting a Ziagen-containing
regimen.
Same as those for the individual drugs that make up Truvada:
nausea, diarrhea, headaches, skin rash, skin discoloration
Serious Side Effects:
Kidney problems, bone problems, buildup of lactic acid in the
blood, enlarged liver, lipodystrophy
Special Considerations:
Get tested for hepatitis B (HBV) before taking Truvada.
Because both drugs fight HBV as well as HIV, if you are co-infected with HBV
and HIV, stopping Truvada may cause your HBV to get worse.
Information provided on this website is for educational purposes only. It is designed to support, not replace, personal medical care and should never be used as a substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis, or hands-on treatment. We recommend all medical decisions be made in consultation with your personal health care provider.
