Prezista

Prezista is used for:

Treating HIV infection in certain patients along with other antiretroviral medicines. Prezista must always be taken along with another medicine called ritonavir.

Prezista is an HIV protease inhibitor. It works by blocking the growth activity of an enzyme (HIV protease) that the HIV virus needs to reproduce in the body.

Do NOT use Prezista if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Prezista
• you have severe liver problems
• you are taking astemizole, certain benzodiazepines (eg, midazolam, triazolam), certain other HIV protease inhibitors (eg, lopinavir, saquinavir), carbamazepine, certain HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (eg, lovastatin, simvastatin), cisapride, an ergot derivative (eg, ergonovine, ergotamine), phenytoin, pimozide, phenobarbital, rifampin, St. John's wort, or terfenadine

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Prezista :

Some medical conditions may interact with Prezista . Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
• if you have had a severe allergic reaction (eg, severe rash, hives, difficulty breathing, dizziness) to any other sulfonamide medicine such as acetazolamide, celecoxib, certain diuretics (eg, hydrochlorothiazide), glyburide, probenecid, sulfamethoxazole, valdecoxib, or zonisamide
• if you have a history of hepatitis, cirrhosis, or other liver problems; high blood cholesterol or triglycerides; infection; bleeding problems (eg hemophilia); diabetes; or a family history of diabetes

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Prezista . Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Astemizole, cisapride, ergot derivatives (eg, ergonovine, ergotamine), pimozide, or terfenadine because the risk of severe blood vessel problems or serious and possibly life-threatening irregular heartbeat may be increased
• Certain HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (eg, lovastatin, simvastatin) because the risk of severe muscle and kidney problems may be increased
• Certain benzodiazepines (eg, midazolam, triazolam) because the risk of severe or prolonged nervous system depression or breathing problems may be increased
• Carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifampin, or St. John's wort because they may decrease Prezista 's effectiveness
• Many other prescription and nonprescription medicines (eg, used for asthma, birth control, blood thinning, heart problems, heartburn, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, HIV infection, immune system suppression, impotence, infections, irregular heartbeat, mental or mood problems, migraine headaches, pain, seizures), and herbs found in multivitamin products, herbal teas, and dietary supplements may interac t with Prezista and increase the risk of side effects

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Prezista may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.