What is nevirapine?
Nevirapine is an antiviral medication that prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cells from multiplying in your body.
Nevirapine is used to treat HIV, which causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Nevirapine will not prevent or cure HIV or AIDS.
Nevirapine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about nevirapine?
Nevirapine can cause severe or life-threatening effects on the liver. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these liver symptoms while taking nevirapine: skin rash, nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, low fever, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Nevirapine may also cause severe or life-threatening skin reactions. Contact your doctor at once if you have fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling. This type of reaction is a medical emergency.
There are many other medicines that can interact with nevirapine, or make it less effective. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to any healthcare provider who treats you.
Use all medications as directed by your doctor. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without your doctor's advice.
Taking this medication will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking nevirapine?
Nevirapine can cause life-threatening effects on the liver. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these liver symptoms while taking nevirapine: skin rash, nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, low fever, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Nevirapine may also cause severe or life-threatening skin reactions. Contact your doctor at once if you have fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling. This type of reaction is a medical emergency.
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to nevirapine, or if you have moderate to severe liver disease.
The following drugs should not be used while you are taking nevirapine:
atazanavir (Reyataz);
efavirenz (Sustiva, Atripla);
itraconazole (Sporanox);
ketoconazole (Nizoral);
rifampin (Rifater, Rifamate, Rifater); or
St. John's wort.
To make sure you can safely take nevirapine, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:
skin problems;
liver disease (or a history of hepatitis);
kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis); or
if you have ever taken delavirdine (Rescriptor) or efavirenz (Sustiva, Atripla) and they were not effective in treating your condition.
FDA pregnancy category B. Nevirapine is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. However, nevirapine may be more likely to cause liver damage in a pregnant woman. 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.
Nevirapine can make birth control pills less effective. Ask your doctor about using a non-hormone method of birth control (such as a condom, diaphragm, spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while taking nevirapine.
If you are pregnant, your name may be listed on a pregnancy registry. This is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and to evaluate any effects of nevirapine on the baby.
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.