Precautions and Warnings With Darunavir

Precautions and warnings with darunavir should be reviewed before taking the medication. For example, tell your healthcare provider if you have diabetes, hemophilia, or any allergies. Other precautions and warnings with darunavir include the safety of taking the medicine if you have liver disease and the risk of high blood sugar in some people.

 

Darunavir: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?

You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking darunavir ethanolate (Prezista™) if you have:
 
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
 
  • Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
  • Breastfeeding.
     
You should also be sure to tell your healthcare provider about all other medicines you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
 

Specific Precautions and Warnings With Darunavir

Warnings and precautions to be aware of prior to taking darunavir include the following:
 
  • Darunavir should be taken with food and with ritonavir (Norvir®), another HIV medication. Taking darunavir without food or ritonavir will decrease the level of darunavir in your blood, making it less effective.
     
  • Darunavir is a sulfonamide ("sulfa") drug. If you are allergic to sulfa drugs, do not take darunavir without first checking with your healthcare provider.
     
  • The medication frequently causes skin rashes. Most often, these rashes are harmless, although sometimes they can be quite dangerous. Let your healthcare provider know if you develop a rash while taking darunavir.
     
  • The liver helps to remove darunavir from the blood. If you have liver disease, darunavir may make it worse. Make sure to tell your healthcare provider if you already have liver disease or liver damage before taking the drug.
     
  • Darunavir can cause high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). This can cause problems for people with diabetes, or it can even cause diabetes in individuals who are predisposed to the condition.
     
  • There have been reports of bleeding possibly due to protease inhibitors (such as darunavir) in people with hemophilia. Be sure your healthcare provider knows if you have this medication condition.
     
  • Darunavir can change the distribution of fat on your body. You may gain fat in areas that are not typical for you, such as in the abdomen or at the back of the neck (a "buffalo hump"), and may lose weight in other areas.
     
  • Darunavir is not a cure for HIV or AIDS. If you have HIV or AIDS, you should always use safer sex practices, whether or not you are taking medications.
     
  • As with all HIV medications, it is important that you take darunavir exactly as prescribed. Missing doses may increase the chance of the virus becoming resistant to HIV medications.
     
  • Darunavir can interact with a number of different medications (see Drug Interactions With Darunavir).
     
  • Darunavir is considered a pregnancy Category B medication. This means that it is probably safe for use during pregnancy, although the full risks are not known (see Prezista and Pregnancy).
     
  • It is not known if darunavir passes through breast milk. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding or plan to start, discuss this with your healthcare provider prior to taking the drug (see Prezista and Breastfeeding). It is important to understand that the HIV virus can be transmitted through breast milk and that breastfeeding is usually not recommended in women with HIV or AIDS.
     
(Precautions and Warnings With Darunavir Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;