Details

Efavirenz is an antiviral medicine that prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cells from multiplying in your body. Efavirenz is used to treat HIV, which causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Efavirenz is not a cure for HIV or AIDS. To make sure efavirenz is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have liver disease (including hepatitis B or C) seizures or epilepsy a history of mental illness, injection drug use, or taking an anti-psychotic medicine high cholesterol or triglycerides or if you have ever taken delavirdine (Rescriptor) or nevirapine (Viramune) and they were not effective in treating your condition. Do not use efavirenz if you are pregnant.

Typical Uses

Efavirenz is used with other HIV medications to help control HIV infection. It helps to decrease the amount of HIV in your body so your immune system can work better. This lowers your chance of getting HIV complications (such as new infections, cancer) and improves your quality of life. Efavirenz belongs to a class of drugs known as non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). Efavirenz may also be used in combination with other HIV medications to reduce the risk of getting HIV infection after contact with the virus. Consult your doctor for more details.

Side Effects

Efavirenz may increase your risk of certain infections or autoimmune disorders by changing the way your immune system works. Symptoms may occur weeks or months after you start treatment with efavirenz. Inform your doctor if you have signs of a new infectionfever, night sweats, swollen glands, mouth sores, diarrhoea, stomach pain, weight loss chest pain (especially when you breathe), dry cough, wheezing, feeling short of breath cold sores, sores on your genital or anal area rapid heart rate, feeling anxious or irritable, weakness or prickly feeling, problems with balance or eye movement trouble speaking or swallowing, severe lower back pain, loss of bladder or bowel control or swelling in your neck or throat (enlarged thyroid), menstrual changes, impotence, loss of interest in sex. Efavirenz may also lead to psychiatric symptoms including confusion, severe depression (feeling sad or hopeless), suicidal thoughts, aggression, extreme fear, hallucinations, or unusual behaviour.

Drug Interactions

• Efavirenz+dolutegravir- Talk to your doctor before using efavirenz together with dolutegravir. Combining these medications may reduce the blood levels of dolutegravir, which may make the medication less effective in treating HIV infection. You may need a dose adjustment or more frequent monitoring by your doctor to safely use both medications.

• Efavirenz+oxycodone- Efavirenz may reduce the blood levels of oxycodone, which may make the medication less effective in treating your pain. Additionally, if you have been receiving treatment with oxycodone, adding efavirenz may cause you to experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, yawning, excessive sweating, goose bumps, fever, chills, flushing, restlessness, irritability, anxiety, depression, pupil dilation, tremor, rapid heartbeat, body aches, involuntary twitching and kicking, abdominal cramping, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and weight loss.

• Efavirenz+bosutinib- Efavirenz can significantly reduce the blood levels of bosutinib, which may make the medication less effective in treating your condition. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. Your doctor may be able to prescribe alternatives that do not interact, or you may need a dose adjustment or more frequent monitoring to safely use both medications.

• Efavirenz+ergotamine- Using ergotamine together with efavirenz is not recommended. Combining these medications may significantly increase the blood levels and effects of ergotamine, which in some cases can lead to excessive narrowing of blood vessels in the body. This can reduce blood flow to vital organs and increase the risk of rare but serious side effects such as

Mechanism of action

Efavirenz belongs to a class of antiretroviral medications called non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). It inhibits the replication of HIV, thereby reducing the amount of the virus in the blood.