A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Efavirenz
What should I monitor?
- Check blood work. Talk with healthcare provider.
- Follow up with healthcare provider.
Reasons to call healthcare provider immediately
- Signs of a life-threatening reaction. These include wheezing; tightness in the chest; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; fits; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.
- Severe headache.
- Changes in thinking clearly and logically (if no improvement in 2-4 weeks).
- Any rash.
- No improvement in condition or feeling worse.
How should I store this medicine?
- Store in a tight container at room temperature.
General statements
- Do not share your medicine with others and do not take anyone else's medicine.
- Keep all medicine out of the reach of children and pets.
- Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, herbal/supplements, vitamins, over-the-counter) with you. Give this list to healthcare provider (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, physician assistant).
- Talk with healthcare provider before starting any new medicine, including over-the-counter or natural products (herbs, vitamins).
What are the common side effects of this medicine?
- Dizziness and changes in thinking clearly. Use caution in driving, doing other tasks or activities that require mental alertness. These should improve.
- Inability to sleep. Should improve.
- Headache. Mild pain medicine may help. Should improve.
- Rash. Usually seen in the first 3 weeks of medicine.
What are the precautions when taking this medicine?
- Check medicines with healthcare provider. This medicine may not mix well with other medicines.
- Do not run out of this medication. Get it refilled today!
- Tell healthcare provider if you are allergic to any medicine. Make sure to tell about the allergy and how it affected you. This includes telling about rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, throat; or any other symptoms involved.
- Protect against sexual spread of disease. Use an effective method of birth control. Talk with healthcare provider if you have questions.
- Do not use in pregnancy and do not get pregnant. Use birth control that you can trust while taking this medicine. Talk with healthcare provider if you have questions.
- Breast-feeding is not recommended in HIV disease.
What do I do if I miss a dose?
- Take a missed dose as soon as possible.
- If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed one. Return to your regular schedule.
- Do not take a double dose or extra doses.
- Do not change dose or stop taking medicine without talking with healthcare provider.
What is this medicine used for?
- This medicine is used to treat HIV infection. It is usually taken with 2 other medicines.
How does it work?
- Efavirenz stops the HIV virus from increasing. It blocks reproduction of the virus.
How is it best taken?
- The medicine must be taken exactly as directed.
- Take with or without food. Take with food if this medicine causes an upset stomach. Do not take with fatty foods.
- Take at bedtime for the first 2-4 weeks. This makes side effects easier to handle.
Reasons not to take this medicine
- If you have an allergy to efavirenz or any other part of the medicine.
What key warnings should I know about before taking this medicine?
- This medicine is used in combination with other medicines to treat HIV infections.