Prezista® (Darunavir)
Who should take this?
Prezista (darunavir) should be used by people who have already used other anti-HIV drugs. Prezista has not been studied for use in children. It is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Any woman who is or plans to become pregnant should talk to her doctor before taking Prezista. HIV can be passed to a fetus during pregnancy if the mother is not properly treated. HIV-positive mothers should not breast feed their babies as they can pass the virus to the baby through the milk.
How is it taken? / Dosage
Darunavir comes in a tablet. It should be taken by mouth with food twice a day. The food helps the body absorb the drug better. It is paired with ritonavir.
Different patients benefit from different doses of the drug. It is important to follow the doctor’s directions. Do not change the dose or stop taking the drug without taking to a doctor first. It is important not to miss doses of the drug. If a dose is missed, it should be taken right away. If it’s nearly time for the next dose, take that one and skip the missed dose. Don’t take a double dose.
Following the doctor’s directions about taking Prezista helps it work most effectively with the fewest side effects. This also helps prevent drug resistance. When HIV develops a resistance to the drug, it means the drug no longer works to fight the HIV infection.
Side Effects
Along with its desired effects, darunavir may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these effects are known, diarrhea, nausea, headache and cold-like symptoms (runny nose or sore throat) are the most common side effects reported.
It is common for protease inhibitors to cause the distribution of fat to change on the body. (The fat builds up on the neck, breasts and abdomen. This is called lipodystrophy.) Inflammation of the liver, abnormal liver function tests and high cholesterol and triglyceride levels have also been reported.
Some people may be allergic to Prezista. A person who has difficulty breathing or swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat needs medical help right away.
A person who has any of the following signs should call a doctor:
- A need to go to the bathroom often
- A racing heart beat
- A skin rash that is red, blistering and peeling
- Flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills or body aches
- Great thirstiness
- Nausea, stomach pain or a loss of appetite
- Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
- Swollen hands, feet or ankles
- Tea-colored urine or clay colored stools
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)
These could be signs of an allergy to Prezista. If these symptoms happen, a doctor should be called right away.
There may be other side effects not listed above. Any side effects that are unusual or bothersome should be reported to a doctor.
Drug Interactions
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Resistance
HIV can adapt and change (mutate). When this happens drugs that once were effective against HIV no longer are. The virus has found a way to grow even when the drug is taken properly. A Sign of resistance is a HIV viral load that doesn’t drop.
The virus has to make more than one change (mutation) before it becomes resistant to Prezista. (Non-nucleoside analog drugs lose their effectiveness with only one change.) When a resistance builds up against Prezista, it most often means there will be a resistance to other protease inhibitors.
The best way to prevent drug resistance is to take antiretroviral drugs regularly as the doctor has prescribed. This will make opportunistic infections less likely. It will also improve quality and length of life.
