ATAZANAVIR

Common side effects: Headache or nausea may occur.

Serious side effects, include: unexplained weight loss, persistent muscle aches/weakness, joint pain, numbness/tingling of the hands/feet/arms/legs, severe tiredness, vision changes, severe/persistent headaches, signs of infection (such as fever, chills, trouble breathing, cough, non-healing skin sores), signs of an overactive thyroid (such as irritability, nervousness, heat intolerance, fast/pounding/irregular heartbeat, bulging eyes, unusual growth in the neck/thyroid known as a goiter), signs of a certain nerve problem known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome (such as difficulty breathing/swallowing/moving your eyes, drooping face, paralysis, slurred speech), yellowing eyes/skin, increased thirst/urination, dizziness, lightheadedness, signs of a kidney stone (such as pain in side/back/abdomen, painful urination, blood in the urine), chest/jaw/left arm pain, shortness of breath, unusual sweating.

There may be increased fat in the upper back and stomach areas, decreased fat in the arms and legs.

Contact your doctor if you experience allergic reactions or symptoms mentioned above.

Precautions

Inform your doctor or pharmacist your allergies, medical history, especially of:  liver problems (including hepatitis B or C infections), kidney problems (including kidney stones), heart problems (such as heart rhythm problems, irregular heartbeat, coronary artery disease, heart attack), diabetes, a certain bleeding problem (hemophilia), diabetes.

Atazanavir may increase your risk for heart problems such as a heart attack because this drug and HIV infection can increase the level of cholesterol and fats (triglycerides) in your blood.

Inform your dentist or doctors about the drugs you are taking before having any surgery or dental procedures done.

Children younger than 3 months should not be given Atazanavir because of the risk of very serious side effects.

For pregnant and breastfeeding women, consult your doctor about the risks and benefits of this drug before taking it.

Interactions

Some products that may interact with this drug include: certain medications used to treat chronic hepatitis C (such as boceprevir, simeprevir), a certain combination HIV medication (elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir), indinavir, nevirapine, drugs to treat heartburn, indigestion, or ulcers (including H2 blockers such as famotidine, proton pump inhibitors such as lansoprazole/omeprazole) reduce stomach acid and decrease the absorption of atazan

Medications that can affect the removal of atazanavir from your body are: bosentan, efavirenz, etravirine, certain rifamycins (such as rifampin, rifapentine), certain drugs used to treat seizures (such as carbamazepine, phenytoin), St. John’s wort, among others.

Atazanavir can slow down the removal of other medications from your body such as alpha blockers (alfuzosin, silodosin), certain benzodiazepines (midazolam, triazolam), dronedarone, ergot alkaloids (such as dihydroergotamine, ergotamine), irinotecan, lurasidone, pimozide, a certain drug to treat erectile dysfunction-ED or pulmonary hypertension (sildenafil), certain “statin” cholesterol drugs (lovastatin, simvastatin), salmeterol, among others.

This medication may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal birth control such as pills, patch, or ring. Consult your doctor about the risks and benefits.

Overdose

Get emergency medical help when overdose is suspected. Symptoms of overdose include lightheadedness and dizziness.

Missed Dose: As soon as you remember, take a regular dose or if the time of the next does is near, wait for it before taking another dose and resume your usual schedule.  Do not increase the dose to compensate for the missed dose.

Storage: Store medication in room temperature.  Do not expose to light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medications away from pets and children.  Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour into a drain.