What is enfuvirtide?
Enfuvirtide is an antiviral medication that prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from infecting healthy cells in your body.
Enfuvirtide is used to treat HIV, which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Enfuvirtide is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.
Enfuvirtide is usually given after other medications have been tried without successful treatment of HIV.
Enfuvirtide may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about enfuvirtide?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to enfuvirtide.
Before using enfuvirtide, tell your doctor if you have a bleeding or blood clotting disorder (such as hemophilia), or a history of breathing problems.
Do not use enfuvirtide as your only medication to treat HIV. Enfuvirtide must be used in combination with other HIV medications. Your disease may become resistant to enfuvirtide if you do not use it in combination with other medicines your doctor has prescribed.
Most people using this medication have a skin reaction (itching, redness, swelling, pain, bruising, tenderness) where the medicine is injected. Call your doctor if these symptoms get worse or last longer than 7 days.
To best treat your condition, use all of your medications as directed by your doctor. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without your doctor's advice. Every person with HIV or AIDS should remain under the care of a doctor. Your blood will need to be tested often. Visit your doctor regularly.
Stop using enfuvirtide and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as fever, cough with yellow or green mucus, stabbing chest pain, wheezing, trouble breathing, sore throat, flu symptoms, swollen glands, easy bruising or bleeding, mouth sores, severe pain in your upper stomach, ongoing nerve pain or tingly feeling, signs of infection such as swelling or oozing where an injection was given.
Having HIV makes it easier for you to get other infections, and some people using enfuvirtide have developed pneumonia. It is not clear whether enfuvirtide is the actual cause of pneumonia but it may increase your risk. You may also be more likely to have pneumonia if you smoke, if you have ever had lung disease, or if you have a history of intravenous (IV) drug use.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using enfuvirtide?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to enfuvirtide.
To make sure you can safely use enfuvirtide, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:
Having HIV makes it easier for you to get other infections, and some people using enfuvirtide have developed pneumonia. It is not clear whether enfuvirtide is the actual cause of pneumonia but it may increase your risk. You may also be more likely to have pneumonia if you smoke, if you have ever had lung disease, or if you have a history of intravenous (IV) drug use.
FDA pregnancy category B. Enfuvirtide is not expected to harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. HIV can be passed to your baby if you are not properly treated during pregnancy. Take all of your HIV medicines as directed to control your infection.
Women with HIV or AIDS should not breast feed a baby. Even if your baby is born without HIV, the virus may be passed to the baby in your breast milk.
Do not give this medicine to a child younger than 6 years old without medical advice.