Crixivan

This page contains drug information on Crixivan.
The information provided includes the following:
what is Crixivan
the possible side effects of Crixivan
what happens if you miss a dose of Crixivan
what happens if you overdose with Crixivan
the most important information about Crixivan
how to use Crixivan
other drugs that may affect Crixivan
what to avoid while using Crixivan
 
Generic Name: crixivan (in DIH na veer)
Brand Names: Crixivan
 
What is the most important information I should know about crixivan?
 •  Some drugs are not recommended to be taken with crixivan. Very high levels of these medications, which could occur during therapy with crixivan, could be life threatening. Do not take crixivan without first talking to your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs:
      · cisapride (Propulsid)
      · rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane) or rifabutin (Mycobutin)
      · herbal or natural products containing St. Johns wort
      · pimozide (Orap)
      · ergotamine (Ergostat, Cafergot, Ercaf, Wigraine) or dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45)
      · amiodarone (Cordarone), bepridil (Vascor), flecainide (Tambocor), propafenone (Rythmol), or quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, others)
      · diazepam (Valium), clorazepate (Librium), estazolam (ProSom), flurazepam (Dalmane), midazolam (Versed), triazolam (Halcion), or zolpidem (Ambien)
      · bupropion (Wellbutrin) or clozapine (Clozaril) or
      · meperidine (Demerol), piroxicam (Feldene) or propoxyphene (Darvocet, Darvon, Wygesic).
 •  Take crixivan on an empty stomach, 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal, to get the maximum effect from each dose. If the medication upsets your stomach, it can be taken with a low-fat, low-protein, low-calorie snack.
 •  Drink at least six 8 ounce glasses (48 ounces) of fluid every day while taking crixivan to reduce the formation of kidney stones.

What is crixivan?
 •  crixivan is an antiviral medication. It is in a category of HIV medicines called protease inhibitors. crixivan prevents HIV from maturing. This reduces the amount of infectious or active virus in the body.
 •  crixivan is used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
 •  crixivan is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.
 •  crixivan may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking crixivan?
 •  Some drugs are not recommended to be taken with crixivan. Very high levels of these medications, which could occur during therapy with crixivan, could be life threatening. Do not take crixivan without first talking to your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs:
      · cisapride (Propulsid)
      · rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane) or rifabutin (Mycobutin)
      · herbal or natural products containing St. Johns wort
      · pimozide (Orap)
      · ergotamine (Ergostat, Cafergot, Ercaf, Wigraine) or dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45)
      · amiodarone (Cordarone), bepridil (Vascor), flecainide (Tambocor), propafenone (Rythmol), or quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, others)
      · diazepam (Valium), clorazepate (Librium), estazolam (ProSom), flurazepam (Dalmane), midazolam (Versed), triazolam (Halcion), or zolpidem (Ambien)
      · bupropion (Wellbutrin) or clozapine (Clozaril) or
      · meperidine (Demerol), piroxicam (Feldene) or propoxyphene (Darvocet, Darvon, Wygesic).
 •  Tell your doctor if you have liver disease, kidney disease, hemophilia, diabetes, or high cholesterol. You may need a lower dose of crixivan or special monitoring during your therapy.
 •  crixivan is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether crixivan will be harmful to an unborn baby. It is very important to treat HIV/ AIDS during pregnancy to reduce the risk of infecting the unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about treatment options if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment. .
 •  It is not known whether crixivan passes into breast milk and what effect it may have on a nursing baby. To prevent transmission of the virus to uninfected babies, it is recommended that HIV-positive mothers not breastfeed.

How should I take crixivan?
 •  Take crixivan exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
 •  Take each dose with a full glass (8 ounces) of water. Indanivir may also be taken with skim or non-fat milk, juice, coffee, or tea.
 •  Take crixivan on an empty stomach, 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal, to get the maximum effect from each dose. If the medication upsets your stomach, it can be taken with a low-fat, low-protein, low-calorie snack such as cornflakes with skim milk or dry toast with jelly.
 •  Drink at least six 8 ounce glasses (48 ounces) of fluid every day while taking crixivan to reduce the formation of kidney stones.
 •  It is important to take crixivan regularly to get the most benefit.
 •  crixivan and didanosine (ddI, Videx) should be taken at least 2 and a half hours apart from one another to prevent an interaction.
 •  Treatment of HIV/ AIDS almost always requires the use of two or more drugs. If you need to stop taking one of the medicines you are taking for HIV, you should stop all of them until you can talk to your doctor.
 •  Your doctor may want you to have blood tests or other medical evaluations during treatment with crixivan to monitor progress and side effects.
 •  Store the capsules at room temperature in their original container with the package of desiccant inside the bottle to absorb moisture. Keep the capsules away from excessive heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?
 •  Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and only take the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this medication unless your doctor directs otherwise.

What happens if I overdose?
 •  Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected.
 •  Symptoms of an crixivan overdose are unknown.

What should I avoid while taking crixivan?
 •  Follow your doctors instructions with respect to high-risk activities such as unprotected sex and the sharing of needles. crixivan is not a cure for HIV or AIDS, and you can still transmit the virus to others during therapy with this medication.
 •  Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any other medications, including over-the-counter products. Many drugs may interact with crixivan. Such interactions could cause dangerous side effects or reduce the effectiveness of crixivan.

What are the possible side effects of crixivan?
 •  If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking crixivan and seek emergency medical attention:
      · an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing closing of the throat swelling of the lips, tongue, or face or hives) or
      · pain in your side or blood in your urine.
 •  Less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take crixivan and talk to your doctor if you experience
      · nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
      · insomnia or
      · headache.
 •  Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What other drugs will affect crixivan?
 •  Some drugs are not recommended to be taken with crixivan. Very high levels of these medications, which could occur during therapy with crixivan, could be life threatening. See the "What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking crixivan" section for a detailed list.
 •  Before taking crixivan, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
      · phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton)
      · sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra) or tadalafil (Cialis)
      · a tricyclic antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil), desipramine (Norpramin), nortriptyline (Pamelor), imipramine (Tofranil), and others
      · warfarin (Coumadin)
      · cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral), tacrolimus (Prograf), sirolimus (Rapamune)
      · methadone (Dolophine, Methadose)
      · a stomach or ulcer medication such as cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid), ranitidine (Zantac), esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), pantoprazole (Protonix), omeprazole (Prilosec), or rabeprazole (Aciphex)
      · dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol, others)
      · dapsone
      · disulfiram (Antabuse)
      · a cholesterol medicine including atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), and simvastatin (Zocor)
      · theophylline (Theo-Dur, Theo-Bid, Theolair, Theochron, others)
      · metronidazole (Flagyl), erythromycin (Ery-Tab, E-Mycin, Eryc, E.E.S., PCE, others), clarithromycin (Biaxin) or clindamycin (Cleocin)
      · a calcium channel blocker such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor XR, Tiazac, Diltia XT), felodipine (Plendil), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), or nimodipine (Nimotop), verapamil (Calan, Covers-HS ,Isoptin, Verelan), amlodipine (Norvasc, Lotrel) nisoldipine (Sular), isradipine (DynaCirc)
      · itraconazole (Sporanox) or ketoconazole (Nizoral) or
      · an HIV/ AIDS medicine such as delavirdine (Rescriptor), efavirenz (Sustiva), or nevirapine (Viramune).
 •  You may not be able to take crixivan, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicines listed above.
 •  Rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane) may decrease the level of crixivan in your body. Therefore, it is not recommended that these medications be used together.
 •  crixivan and didanosine (ddI, Videx) should be taken at least 1 hour apart from one another to prevent an interaction.
 •  Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with crixivan. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.