What is delavirdine?
Delavirdine is an antiviral medication that prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cells from multiplying in your body.
Delavirdine is used to treat HIV, which causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Delavirdine is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.
Delavirdine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about delavirdine?
Do not take delavirdine with pimozide (Orap), alprazolam (Xanax), midazolam (Versed), triazolam (Halcion), or ergot medicines such as dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45), ergonovine (Ergotrate), ergotamine (Ergomar, Cafergot, Wigraine), or methylergonovine (Methergine).
These drugs can cause life-threatening side effects if you use them while you are taking delavirdine.
There are many other medicines that can interact with delavirdine, or make it less effective. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.
HIV/AIDS is usually treated with a combination of different drugs. To best treat your condition, use all of your medications as directed by your doctor. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without advice from your doctor. Every person with HIV or AIDS should remain under the care of a doctor.
Avoid having unprotected sex or sharing needles, razors, or toothbrushes. 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.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking delavirdine?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to delavirdine, or if you are using any of the following drugs:
alprazolam (Xanax), midazolam (Versed) or triazolam (Halcion);
pimozide (Orap); or
ergot medicine such as ergotamine (Ergomar, Ergostat, Cafergot, Ercaf, Wigraine), dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal Nasal Spray), ergonovine (Ergotrate), or methylergonovine (Methergine).
Using any of these medicines while you are taking delavirdine can cause serious medical problems or death.
If you have certain conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication. Before taking delavirdine, tell your doctor if you have:
liver disease;
high cholesterol or triglycerides;
low stomach acid production; or
if you have ever taken efavirenz (Sustiva) or nevirapine (Viramune) and they were not effective in treating your condition.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether delavirdine is harmful to an unborn baby. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
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 when you start using delavirdine. The purpose of this registry is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and delivery to evaluate whether delavirdine had any effect on the baby.
You should not breast-feed while you are using delavirdine. 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.