Precautions and Warnings With Saquinavir

There are several precautions and warnings with saquinavir to be aware of before starting treatment. For instance, tell your healthcare provider if you have certain health conditions, such as liver disease, diabetes, or hemophilia. The medication can make these conditions worse. Precautions and warnings with saquinavir also extend to people with certain allergies and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

 

Saquinavir: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?

You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking saquinavir mesylate (Invirase®) 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 any other medicines you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
 

Specific Precautions and Warnings With Saquinavir

Warnings and precautions to be aware of prior to taking saquinavir include the following:
 
  • Saquinavir must be taken with ritonavir (Norvir®), another HIV medication. Taking saquinavir without ritonavir will decrease the level of saquinavir in your blood, making it less effective.
     
  • The liver helps to remove saquinavir from the blood. Therefore, the medication can make liver disease worse. Make sure to tell your healthcare provider if you already have liver disease or liver damage prior to taking it.
     
  • Saquinavir can cause high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). This can cause problems for people who have diabetes, or it can even cause diabetes in individuals who are at risk for this condition.
     
  • It is not known if it is safe for people with severe kidney disease to take saquinavir.
     
  • The medication can increase triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Therefore, your healthcare provider should monitor your cholesterol and triglyceride levels while you are taking saquinavir.
     
  • There have been reports of bleeding possibly due to protease inhibitors (such as saquinavir) in people with hemophilia. Be sure your healthcare provider knows if you have this condition.
     
  • Saquinavir 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 you may lose weight in other areas.
     
  • Saquinavir 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 saquinavir exactly as prescribed. Missing doses may increase the chance of the virus becoming resistant to HIV medications.
     
  • Saquinavir can interact with a number of different medications (see Drug Interactions With Saquinavir).
     
  • Saquinavir 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 Invirase and Pregnancy).
     
  • It is not known if saquinavir 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 Invirase 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 Saquinavir Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;