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Agenerase
Generic Name: amprenavir (am PREH nah veer)
Brand Names: Agenerase
Important Information: Agenerase
- Some drugs are not recommended to be taken with amprenavir. Very high levels of these medications, which could occur during therapy, could be life threatening. Do not take without first talking to your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs:
- cisapride (Propulsid)
- rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane) or rifabutin (Mycobutin)
- herbal or natural products containing St. John's wort
- pimozide (Orap)
- ergotamine (Ergostat, Cafergot, Ercaf, Wigraine) or dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45)
- amiodarone (Cordarone), bepridil (Vascor), flecainide (Tambocor), propafenone (Rythmol), or quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, others)
- diazepam (Valium), clorazepate (Tranxene), estazolam (ProSom), flurazepam (Dalmane), midazolam (Versed), triazolam (Halcion), or zolpidem (Ambien)
- bupropion (Wellbutrin) or clozapine (Clozaril)
- meperidine (Demerol), piroxicam (Feldene) or propoxyphene (Darvocet, Darvon, Wygesic)
- Do not take a vitamin E supplement while taking the Agenerase brand of capsules or solution. This medication already contains large amounts of vitamin E.
- Drinking alcoholic beverages is not recommended while taking the Agenerase brand amprenavir solution because it may increase side effects.
- Taking amprenavir solution and ritonavir (Norvir) solution together is not recommended.
What is Agenerase
- An antiviral medication. It is in a category of HIV medicines called protease inhibitors. This medication prevents HIV from maturing. This reduces the amount of infectious or active virus in your body.
- Used in combination with other antiretroviral medicines to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
- Not a cure for HIV or AIDS.
What to Discuss before Using
- Some drugs are not recommended to be taken with amprenavir. Very high levels of these medications, which could occur during therapy, could be life threatening. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs:
- cisapride (Propulsid)
- rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane) or rifabutin (Mycobutin)
- herbal or natural products containing St. John's wort
- pimozide (Orap)
- ergotamine (Ergostat, Cafergot, Ercaf, Wigraine) or dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45)
- amiodarone (Cordarone), bepridil (Vascor), flecainide (Tambocor), propafenone (Rythmol), or quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, others)
- diazepam (Valium), clorazepate (Librium), estazolam (ProSom), flurazepam (Dalmane), midazolam (Versed), triazolam (Halcion), or zolpidem (Ambien)
- bupropion (Wellbutrin) or clozapine (Clozaril)
- meperidine (Demerol), piroxicam (Feldene) or propoxyphene (Darvocet, Darvon, Wygesic)
- Before taking amprenavir, tell your doctor if you have:
- an allergy to "sulfa" drugs
- diabetes
- liver disease
- a bleeding disorder (hemophilia)
- You may not be able to take this medication, or you may require a special dosage or monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.
- Amprenavir capsules are in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether this medication will harm an unborn baby. However, oral solution should never be used by pregnant women. The oral solution may harm an unborn baby. It is very important to treat HIV/ AIDS during pregnancy to reduce the risk of infecting your baby. Talk to your doctor about your treatment options if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment.
- It is not known whether this medication passes into breast milk and what effect it may have on a nursing baby. To prevent transmission of the virus to uninfected babies, it is recommended that HIV-positive mothers not breast-feed.
Dosage Method
- Take exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
- Take each dose with a full glass (8 ounces) of water.
- Can be taken with or without food. Do not take with a high-fat meal because this could reduce the effectiveness.
- Amprenavir and didanosine (ddI, Videx) should be taken at least 1 hour apart from one another to prevent an interaction. Likewise, amprenavir and antacids should also be taken at least 1 hour apart from one another.
- Measure the solution with a special dose-measuring spoon or cup, not with a regular table spoon, to ensure that you get the correct amount of medicine.
- Treatment of HIV/ AIDS almost always requires the use of two or more drugs. If you need to stop taking one of the medicines you are taking for HIV, you should stop all of them until you can talk to your doctor.
- The capsules and oral solution CANNOT be used interchangeably at the same milligram dose.
- Your doctor will probably want you to have regularly scheduled blood tests and other medical evaluations during treatment to monitor progress and side effects.
- Store the capsules and solution at room temperature away from moisture and heat. The solution should not be refrigerated.
Miss a dose: Problems?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember up to four hours late, then take your next dose at its regularly scheduled time. However, if more than four hours have passed since the dose you missed, skip that dose and take only your next dose at its regularly scheduled time. Do not take a double dose of this medication unless your doctor directs otherwise.
Overdose?
- Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected.
- Symptoms of an overdose are unknown.
Avoid During Treatment
- Follow your doctor's instructions with respect to high-risk activities such as unprotected sex and the sharing of needles. Amprenavir is not a cure for HIV or AIDS, and you can still transmit the virus to others during therapy with this medication.
- Do not take a vitamin E supplement while taking the Agenerase brand of amprenavir capsules or solution. This medication already contains large amounts of vitamin E.
- Drinking alcoholic beverages is not recommended while taking the Agenerase brand of amprenavir solution because it may increase side effects.
Side effects
- If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking this medication and seek emergency medical attention:
- an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives); or
- a rash, especially one with red blisters (may be severe and life-threatening).
- Less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take this medication and talk to your doctor if you experience:
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain
changes in taste, a tingling sensation around your mouth or other areas of numbness or tingling
itching
depression or changes in mood
increased blood sugar levels or increased cholesterol and/ or triglyceride levels
changes in body fat (increased fat in the upper back, neck, breast, and abdomen and loss of fat from the face, legs, and arms)
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 to avoid while undergoing treatment
- Some drugs are not recommended to be taken with amprenavir. Very high levels of these medications, which could occur during therapy with amprenavir, could be life threatening. See abpve sections for a detailed list.
- Do not take amprenavir with any other prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including herbal products, without first talking to your doctor.
- This medication may decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. Another form of contraception is recommended while taking amprenavir. Birth control pills also decrease the effectiveness of amprenavir. Talk to your doctor about other forms of contraception.
- Do not take a vitamin E supplement while taking the Agenerase brand of amprenavir capsules or solution. Agenerase contains large amounts of vitamin E.
- Taking amprenavir solution and ritonavir (Norvir) solution together is not recommended.
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