Medications and Drugs

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Brand Names: Isentress

Generic Name: raltegravir (Pronunciation: ral TEG ra veer)

• What is raltegravir (Isentress)?
• What are the possible side effects of raltegravir (Isentress)?
• What is the most important information I should know about raltegravir (Isentress)?
• What should I discuss with my health care provider before taking raltegravir (Isentress)?
• How should I take raltegravir (Isentress)?
• What happens if I miss a dose (Isentress)?
• What happens if I overdose (Isentress)?
• What should I avoid while taking raltegravir (Isentress)?
• What other drugs will affect raltegravir (Isentress)?
• Where can I get more information?

What is raltegravir (Isentress)?

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). Raltegravir is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.

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

Isentress

oval, pink, imprinted with 227

What are the possible side effects of raltegravir (Isentress)?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• pale skin, easy bruising or bleeding;
• signs of a new infection, such as fever or chills, cough, or flu symptoms;
• sore throat and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
• drowsiness, confusion, increased thirst, lower back pain, urinating less than usual or not at all;
• depressed mood, unusual thoughts about hurting yourself;
• nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, itching, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
• muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness with fever or flu symptoms and dark colored urine.

Less serious side effects may include:

• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain;
• headache;
• tired feeling;
• dizziness; or
• changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and trunk).

This is not a complete list of 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 is the most important information I should know about raltegravir (Isentress)?

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 this medication will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people. Talk with your doctor about safe methods of preventing HIV transmission during sex. 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.