Intelence

Intelence

Generic Name: etravirine (E tra VIR een)

Brand Names: Intelence

What is Intelence?

Intelence is an antiviral medication that prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cells from multiplying in your body.

Intelence is used with other medications to treat HIV, which causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Intelence is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.

Intelence is usually given after other antiviral drugs have been tried without successful treatment of HIV.

Intelence may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Important information about Intelence

There are many other medicines that can interact with Intelence, or make it less effective. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to any healthcare provider who treats you.

Use all medications as directed by your doctor. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without your doctor's advice. Every person with HIV or AIDS should remain under the care of a doctor.

Taking Intelence will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people. Avoid having unprotected sex or sharing razors or toothbrushes. Talk with your doctor about safe ways to prevent HIV transmission during sex. Sharing drug or medicine needles is never safe, even for a healthy person.

Intelence must be taken in combination with other HIV medications. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Before taking Intelence

You should not take Intelence if you are allergic to etravirine.

To make sure you can safely take Intelence , tell your doctor if you have any liver disease, including hepatitis B or C.

You should not take Intelence together with:

delavirdine (Rescriptor);

efavirenz (Sustiva);

nevirapine (Viramune);

rifapentine (Priftin), or rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane);

St. John's wort;

atazanavir (Reyataz) given with ritonavir (Norvir);

fosamprenavir (Lexiva) given with ritonavir (Norvir);

tipranavir (Aptivus) given with ritonavir (Norvir);

ritonavir (Norvir) in doses of more than 600 milligrams twice daily; or

seizure medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin), phenobarbital (Solfoton), or carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol).

You must take Intelence together with ritonavir if you are also taking:

indinavir (Crixivan); or

nelfinavir (Viracept).

FDA pregnancy category B. Intelence is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. HIV can be passed to your baby if you are not properly treated during pregnancy. Take all of your HIV medicines as directed to control your infection.

If you are pregnant, your name may be listed on a pregnancy registry. This is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and to evaluate any effects of Intelence on the baby.

Women with HIV or AIDS should not breast-feed a baby. Even if your baby is born without HIV, the virus may be passed to the baby in your breast milk.

How should I take Intelence?

Take Intelence exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Intelence must be taken in combination with other HIV medications. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Intelence works best if you take it after a meal. Do not take it on an empty stomach.

If you cannot swallow an Intelence tablet whole, place it into a glass of water and allow the tablet to disperse in the liquid. The tablet will not dissolve completely. Drink this mixture right away. To make sure you get the entire dose, add a little more liquid to the same glass, swirl gently and drink right away.

Use Intelence regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

Use all medications as directed by your doctor. Read the medication guide or patient instructions provided with each medication. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without your doctor's advice. Every person with HIV or AIDS should remain under the care of a doctor.

To be sure Intelence is helping your condition, your blood will need to be tested often. Visit your doctor regularly.

Store Intelence at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep the tablets in their original container, along with the packet of moisture-absorbing preservative that comes with the medication.

See also: Intelence dosage (in more detail)

What happens if I miss a dose?

If you are less than 6 hours late in taking your medicine, take the missed dose after your next meal. Then return to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What should I avoid while taking Intelence?

Taking Intelence will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people. Avoid having unprotected sex or sharing razors or toothbrushes. Talk with your doctor about safe ways to prevent HIV transmission during sex. Sharing drug or medicine needles is never safe, even for a healthy person.

Intelence side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Intelence: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop taking Intelence and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;

the first sign of any type of skin rash, no matter how mild;

fever, chills, body aches, mouth sores, feeling very tired, or any other signs of new infection;

chest pain, trouble breathing;

confusion, seizure;

urinating less than usual or not at all, swelling, rapid weight gain; or

nausea, upper stomach pain, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Less serious Intelence side effects may include:

numbness or tingly feeling in your hands or feet;

dizziness, drowsiness;

blurred vision;

upset stomach, constipation, heartburn, dry mouth;

sleep problems (insomnia), unusual dreams;

increased sweating; or

changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist).

This is not a complete list of Intelence side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect Intelence?

There are many other medicines that can interact with Intelence, or make it less effective. Below is just a partial list. Tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);

clopidogrel (Plavix);

darunavir (Prezista), lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra);

dexamethasone (Cortastat, Decadron, Dexasone, Hexadrol, Solurex, and others);

diazepam (Valium);

cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune);

a cholesterol medication such as fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Altocor, Advicor, Mevacor), atorvastatin (Lipitor) or simvastatin (Zocor);

maraviroc Selzentry);

methadone (Diskets, Dolophine, Methadose);

sildenafil (Viagra);

sirolimus (Rapamune), tacrolimus (Prograf);

an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin) or rifabutin (Mycobutin);

an antifungal medication such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Extina, Ketozole, Nizoral, Xolegal), posaconazole (Noxafil), or voriconazole (Vfend); or

a heart rhythm medication such as amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone), digoxin (digitalis, Lanoxin), disopyramide (Norpace), flecainide (Tambocor), mexiletine (Mexitil), propafenone (Rythmol), or quinidine (Quin-G).

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with Intelence. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to any healthcare provider who treats you.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about Intelence.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects.