raltegravir Health Article

Generic name(s):

raltegravir

Brand name(s):

Isentress

What is the most important information I should know about raltegravir?

Before using raltegravir, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have a muscle disorder, kidney disease, or liver disease.

HIV can be passed to the baby if the mother is not properly treated during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Take all of your HIV medicines as directed to control your infection while you are pregnant. You should not breast-feed while you are using raltegravir. Women with HIV or AIDS should not breast-feed at all. Even if your baby is born without HIV, you may still pass the virus to the baby in your breast milk.

Taking raltegravir will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people through unprotected sex or sharing of needles. Talk with your doctor about safe methods of preventing HIV transmission during sex, such as using a condom and spermicide. Sharing drug or medicine needles is never safe, even for a healthy person.

Call your doctor at once if you have serious side effects such as easy bruising or bleeding, signs of a new infection, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), muscle weakness with fever and dark colored urine, or if you urinate less than usual or not at all.

What is raltegravir?

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

Raltegravir is used to treat HIV, which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This medication is usually given to people who have a strain of the virus that is resistant to other antiviral medications. Raltegravir is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.

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

What should I discuss with my health care provider before taking raltegravir?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to raltegravir.

Before using raltegravir, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

• a muscle disorder;

• kidney disease; or

• liver disease.

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take raltegravir.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. HIV can be passed to the baby if the mother is not properly treated during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Take all of your HIV medicines as directed to control your infection while you are pregnant.

Your name may need to be listed on an antiviral pregnancy registry if you become pregnant while you taking this medication. The purpose of this registry is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and delivery to evaluate whether raltegravir had any effect on the baby.

You should not breast-feed while you are using raltegravir. Women with HIV or AIDS should not breast-feed at all. Even if your baby is born without HIV, you may still pass the virus to the baby in your breast milk.