Telzir is to be taken in combination with low doses of ritonavir and other antiretroviral medicines. It is therefore important that you carefully read the package leaflet provided with these medicines. If you have any further questions about ritonavir or the other medicines prescribed, please ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Don?t take Telzir:
- if you are allergic ( hypersensitive) to fosamprenavir, amprenavir or any of the other ingredients in Telzir (listed in section 6), or to ritonavir.
- if you are taking any of these medicines:
- astemizole or terfenadine (commonly used to treat allergy symptoms ? these medicines may be available without prescription)
- pimozide (used to treat schizophrenia)
- cisapride (used to relieve indigestion)
- ergot derivatives (used to treat headaches)
- rifampicin (used to treat tuberculosis)
- amiodarone, quinidine, flecainide and propafenone ( heart medicines)
- bepridil (used to treat high blood pressure)
- oral midazolam or oral triazolam (used to treat anxiety)
- products containing St John?s wort ( Hypericum perforatum).
? Tell your doctor if any of these applies to you.
Take special care with Telzir
Before you take Telzir your doctor needs to know:
- If you have a known allergy to medicines containingsulphonamide. You may also be allergic to Telzir.
- If you have liver disease. Your doctor may lower your dose of Telzir and ritonavir depending on the amount of liver damage. You will be monitored while you are taking Telzir. If your liver disease gets worse, you may need to stop taking Telzir for a while, or permanently. People with hepatitis B or C taking combination therapy are at increased risk of getting severe liver problems.
- If you have haemophilia. Increased bleeding may occur while taking protease inhibitors (such as Telzir). The reason for this is not known. You may need additional factor VIII to control any bleeding.
- If you have diabetes. In some patients taking antiretroviral medicines including protease inhibitors, there have been reports of increased sugar in the blood and diabetes getting worse. Also, some people have become diabetic while taking these medicines.
- If you are taking any other medicines. See section ?Other medicines and Telzir? below.
? Tell your doctor if any of these applies to you. You will need extra check-ups, including blood tests, while you?re taking your medication.
Your doctor will monitor your blood glucose levels before and during treatment with Telzir.
Look out for important symptoms
Some people taking medicines for HIV infection develop other conditions, which can be serious. These include:
- Flare up of old infections
- Change in your body shape
- Problems with your bones. You need to know about important signs and symptoms to look out for while you?re taking Telzir. Please read the information on ?Other side effects of combination therapy for HIV? in section 4 of this leaflet. If you have any questions about this information or the advice given: ? Talk to your doctor.
You may get a skin rash. However you can still continue to take Telzir.It can be treated with antihistamines. Rarely, the skin rash can be severe and serious ( Stevens Johnson syndrome). If this happens, Telzir must be stopped immediately and you must never take it again.
Protect other people. Telzir will not stop you passing HIV infection on to other people, by having sex or by blood transfer. To protect other people from becoming infected with HIV:? Use a condom when you have oral or penetrative sex.
? Don?t risk blood transfer ? for example, don?t share needles.
Other medicines and Telzir
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you?re taking any other medicines, if you?ve taken any recently, or if you start taking new ones ? these include herbal medicines or other medicines you bought without a prescription. Your doctor will decide if these medicines are suitable for you to take with Telzir and ritonavir. This is very important, as Telzir or ritonavir can strengthen or weaken the effects of other medicines. This can sometimes lead to serious medical conditions.
There are some medicines that must not be taken with Telzir. You must check the list of medicines under 'Don't take Telzir' at the beginning of section 2 of this leaflet.
These medicines are not recommended with Telzir/ritonavir:
- doses of ketoconazole and itraconazole greater than 200 mg per day (used to treat fungal infections)
- doses of rifabutin greater than 150 mg every other day (an antibiotic)
- lidocaine given by injection (an anaesthetic)
- halofantrine (used to treat malaria)
- sildenafil and vardenafil (used to treat erectile dysfunction)
- lovastatin, simvastatin and doses of atorvastatin greater than 20 mg per day (used tolower cholesterol)
- fluticasone propionate and similar medicines used to treat asthma, unless considered essential. In this case close monitoring is required.
- lopinavir/ritonavir combination (used to treat HIV infection)
You will be closely monitored if you are taking these medicines with Telzir/ritonavir:
- atorvastatin up to 20 mg per day (used to lower cholesterol)
- carbamazepine, phenobarbital(used to treat epilepsy)
- cyclosporin, rapamycin, tacrolimus (used to suppress the immune system)
- desipramine,nortriptyline, paroxetine and similar medicines (used to treat depression)
- warfarin and other medicines that stop blood clotting
- injectable midazolam (used to treat anxiety).
Your dose of Telzir may need to be changed if you are taking
- etravirine (used to treat HIV infection)
Hormonal contraception
Taking Telzir and ritonavir while taking the contraceptive pill may harm your liver and may stop the contraceptive from working properly.
? Use an alternative non-hormonal type of contraception such as a condom.
No studies have been done on the use of Telzir/ritonavir with other hormonal therapies, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Pregnancy and breast feeding
If you are pregnant, if you become pregnant, or if you are planning to become pregnant: ? Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking Telzir.
Women who are HIV-positive must not breast feed because HIV infection can be passed on to the baby in breast milk. If you?re breast feeding, or thinking about breast feeding:
? Talk to your doctor.
Driving and using machines
Telzir can make you feel dizzy and have other side effects that make you less alert. ? Don?t drive or operate machinery unless you?re feeling well.
Stay in regular contact with your doctor
Telzir helps to control your condition, but it is not a cure for HIV infection. You need to keep taking it every day to stop your illness getting worse. You may still develop other infections and illnesses linked to HIV infection.
? Keep in touch with your doctor, and don?t stop taking Telzir without your doctor?s advice.
