 Using raltegravir (Isentress)
Dear Patient,
Your health care provider has prescribed an antiretroviral medication that inhibits a specific enzyme that is required for the HIV virus to replicate. The enzyme is called integrase. By blocking the replication of the virus, the medication can decrease the viral load in your body and stop the loss of CD4 cells. The brand name of this medication is Isentress.
How you'll take Isentress
You'll take Isentress twice a day by mouth, with or without food.
What to do if you miss a dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Take the next dose at the regular time. If you don’t remember until it's almost time to take the next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your usual schedule. Don't take two tablets at the same time to make up skipped doses. Don't take more than two doses each day.
What to do about side effects
Notify your health care provider if you experience side effects to this medication.
Common: diarrhea, nausea, headache.
Less common: fever, muscle pain, infections.
What you must know about other medications
The effectiveness of this medication may be changed if it's taken with rifampin. It's important to tell all of your health care providers that you're taking this medication.
Special directions
- Take this medication twice a day, at about the same time each day. You can take this medication with or without food, but should maintain the same pattern once you start taking the medication.
- You'll need to take other medications for the treatment of your HIV infection. Those medications and Isentress must be used together.
- Don't let your prescription run out; if you stop taking the medication for a period of time it could lead to resistant strains of the virus developing, rapid increase in your viral load, and decreased usefulness of these antiretrovirals.
Keep in mind
- It isn't known how this medication could affect an unborn baby; use of contraception is advised. If you wish to become pregnant, consult your health care provider. If you become pregnant while taking Isentress, consider being included in the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry.
- It isn't known how this medication could affect a breastfed baby. Because of the potential for serious adverse effects on an infant, you should choose another method of feeding your baby while you're taking this medication.
- This medication doesn't lessen the risk of passing HIV on to other people. Continue to practice safe sex, use condoms or other barrier methods during sex and never reuse or share needles.
- Report signs of infection; unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness; severe diarrhea; and headache that won't go away.
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