Precautions:
Before taking ritonavir, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: diabetes, heart problems (coronary artery disease, heart attack), hemophilia, high cholesterol/triglycerides, liver problems (such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C), pancreatitis.
This medication may cause dizziness. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely. Limit alcoholic beverages.
If you have diabetes, this product may increase your blood sugar levels. Check your blood sugar levels regularly as directed by your doctor. Tell your doctor immediately if you have symptoms of high blood sugar, such as increased thirst, increased urination, confusion, drowsiness, flushing, rapid breathing, or fruity breath odor. Your doctor may need to adjust your diabetes medication(s).
Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).
During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. However, it is now normal to prescribe HIV medicines for pregnant women with HIV. This has been shown to decrease the risk of giving HIV to the baby. Ritonavir may be part of that treatment. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.
It is unknown if this medication passes into breast milk. Because breast milk can transmit HIV, do not breast-feed.
Interactions:
Ritonavir interacts with many medications. Your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor or pharmacist first.
This drug should not be used with the following medications because very serious interactions may occur: alfuzosin, certain antiarrhythmics (amiodarone, flecainide, propafenone, quinidine), certain benzodiazepines (midazolam, triazolam), bosentan, conivaptan, disulfiram, eletriptan, ergot alkaloids (such as dihydroergotamine, ergonovine, ergotamine, methylergonovine), lurasidone, pimozide, quinine, ranolazine, certain “statin” cholesterol drugs (simvastatin, lovastatin), St John’s wort, voriconazole.
If you are currently using any of these medications listed above, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting ritonavir.
Other medications can affect the removal of ritonavir from your body, which may affect how ritonavir works. Examples include boceprevir, rifampin, other HIV drugs (such as delavirdine), among others.
Ritonavir can slow down or speed up the removal of other medications from your body, which may affect how they work. Examples of affected drugs include cisapride, digoxin, fluticasone, salmeterol, theophylline, certain antiarrhythmics (including disopyramide, mexiletine), antidepressants (such as fluoxetine, nefazodone, trazodone), certain beta blockers (metoprolol, timolol), certain “blood thinners” (such as rivaroxaban, warfarin), calcium channel blockers (such as nifedipine, felodipine), some cancer drugs (such as dasatinib, sunitinib, vincristine), anti-seizure drugs (including carbamazepine, phenytoin), drugs to treat erectile dysfunction-ED or pulmonary hypertension (such as sildenafil, vardenafil), certain “statin” cholesterol drugs (atorvastatin, rosuvastatin), narcotic pain medications (such as fentanyl, methadone, meperidine), among others.
If any of these medications are taken with ritonavir, your doctor may change your dose of ritonavir or the other drug(s), or your doctor may monitor you specially. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
This medication may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal birth control such as pills, patch, or ring. This could cause pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about additional or alternative reliable forms of birth control, and always use an effective barrier method (latex or polyurethane condoms/dental dams) during all sexual activity to decrease the risk of spreading HIV to others. Tell your doctor if you have any new spotting or breakthrough bleeding, because these may be signs that your hormonal birth control is not working well.
This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.