Ritonavir for HIV

About ritonavir for HIV

Ritonavir is an antiretroviral medicine. It is prescribed for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. It slows the progress of HIV infection, but it is not a cure. HIV destroys cells in the body, called CD4 T cells. These cells are a type of white blood cell and are important because they are involved in protecting your body from infection. If left untreated, the HIV infection weakens your immune system so that your body cannot defend itself against bacteria, viruses and other germs. Ritonavir slows down the progress of HIV infection by reducing the amount of virus in your body. It does this by stopping the production of a protein that the virus needs to copy (replicate) itself.

Ritonavir will be prescribed for you by a doctor who is a specialist. It belongs to a group of antiretroviral medicines known as protease inhibitors (PIs). It is given alongside a number of other antiretroviral medicines, as part of a combination therapy. It is often prescribed to boost the action of these other antiretroviral medicines - when it is given like this, it is referred to as 'low-dose' ritonavir. Taking three or more antiretroviral medicines at the same time is more effective than taking one alone. Taking a combination of different medicines also reduces the risk that the virus will become resistant to any individual medicine. One brand of ritonavir (called Kaletra®) also contains another antiretroviral medicine called lopinavir. There is more information available about this brand in a separate medicine leaflet called Lopinavir with ritonavir for HIV.

Es fundamental tomar los antirretrovíricos exactamente como se prescriben para mantener el éxito y evitar que el virus se vuelva resistente a los medicamentos. Estos medicamentos suelen tomarse de por vida.

Ritonavir is also available in combination with nirmatrelvir in a medicine called Paxlovid®. It is used for the treatment of COVID-19 disease. For more information on this read our leaflet called Paxlovid tablets for COVID-19 disease.

Before taking ritonavir

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine can only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking ritonavir it is important that your doctor knows:

• Si está embarazada, esperando un bebé o en período de lactancia.

• Si padece diabetes (diabetes mellitus).

• If you are being treated for low levels of thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism).

• If you have a heart problem or have been told you have a heart rhythm disorder.

• Si tiene inflamación del hígado (llamada hepatitis), o cualquier otro problema hepático.

• If you have inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).

• Si padece hemofilia o porfiria, que son trastornos sanguíneos hereditarios poco frecuentes.

• Si está tomando otros medicamentos. Esto incluye todos los medicamentos que se pueden comprar sin receta, así como las hierbas medicinales y los medicamentos complementarios.

• Si alguna vez ha tenido una reacción alérgica a un medicamento.
  

How to take ritonavir

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about ritonavir, and it will also provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you could experience from taking it.

• Take ritonavir exactly as your doctor tells you to - the directions will be printed on the label of the pack to remind you about what the doctor said to you. Depending upon which other medicines you are taking, you may be prescribed a 'high dose' of ritonavir (adult dose: six tablets twice daily), or a 'low dose' (adult dose: 1-2 tablets once or twice daily). If you are prescribed high-dose ritonavir, you will be given three tablets twice a day for three days to start with, and then your dose will be increased over the next two weeks to the maintenance dose of six tablets twice a day. Twice-daily doses should ideally be taken 12 hours apart, so take the first dose in the morning and the other in the evening.

• If ritonavir is being prescribed for your child, the dose prescribed will depend upon your child's weight and height. Your doctor will advise you about how much you should give for each dose.

• Tablets should be swallowed with a drink of water. Do not crush or break the tablet before you swallow - it should be swallowed whole. If you have any difficulties swallowing tablets, let your doctor know about this, as either the sachets or liquid medicine could be more suitable for you.

• Take ritonavir after a meal or with a snack, and try to take your doses at the same times of day each day, as this will help you to remember to take it regularly.

• If you (or your child) are using powder sachets, open the sachet and pour the 100 mg of ritonavir powder from the sachet on to soft food (such as apple sauce or vanilla pudding). Swallow the mixture within two hours. Alternatively the powder from the sachet can be mixed with 9.4 ml of liquid (water, chocolate milk, or infant formula) in the mixing cup provided. If you do this, make sure you mix the solution well, allow the bubbles to disappear, and then measure out your dose using the dosing syringe provided. Wash and dry the mixing cup and syringe after each use.

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember (unless it is nearly time for your next dose, in which case do not take the forgotten dose but take the next dose when it is due). Do not take two doses together to make up for a missed dose.

Aproveche al máximo su tratamiento

• Acuda regularmente a las citas con su médico para que pueda controlar su evolución. Deberá someterse a análisis de sangre periódicos.

• It is important that you continue to take antiretroviral treatment regularly. This will help to prevent the HIV from becoming resistant to the medicines you are taking. Even if you miss only a small number of doses, the virus can become resistant to treatment.

• If you develop any infection soon after you start this treatment, let your doctor know. As a result of taking ritonavir, your immune system may start fighting an infection which was present before you started the treatment, but which you may not have been aware of.

• Siga al pie de la letra las recomendaciones de su médico sobre cambios en el estilo de vida para reducir el riesgo de daños en el corazón y los vasos sanguíneos. Por ejemplo, dejar de fumar, comer sano y hacer ejercicio con regularidad.

• Algunas personas que toman antirretrovirales desarrollan cambios en la distribución de la grasa corporal. Esto puede provocar cambios en la imagen corporal. Tu médico hablará contigo sobre esta posibilidad.

• Aunque el tratamiento con antirretrovíricos puede reducir el riesgo de transmitir el VIH a otras personas a través del contacto sexual, no lo detiene. Es importante que utilices preservativos.

• No es infrecuente que las personas seropositivas se sientan decaídas o incluso deprimidas, sobre todo poco después del diagnóstico y del inicio del tratamiento. Si te sientes deprimido o tienes pensamientos angustiosos sobre hacerte daño, habla con tu médico inmediatamente.

• Algunas personas que han tomado antirretrovirales (sobre todo durante mucho tiempo) han desarrollado una enfermedad llamada osteonecrosis. Se trata de una enfermedad ósea en la que el tejido óseo muere debido a la reducción del riego sanguíneo. Produce dolores y rigidez en las articulaciones y puede dificultar el movimiento. Si notas alguno de estos síntomas, habla con tu médico.

• If you buy any medicines, check with a pharmacist that they are suitable to take with your other medicines. This is because some medicines interfere with ritonavir, and vice versa. This can mean either that the ritonavir does not work properly, or that it increases the risk of side-effects from the other medicines. In particular, do not take St John's wort while you are on ritonavir.

• Si padece diabetes, es posible que tenga que controlar su nivel de azúcar en sangre (glucosa) con más frecuencia, ya que este medicamento puede afectar a los niveles de azúcar en sangre. Su médico le aconsejará al respecto.

• Si va a someterse a una operación o a un tratamiento dental, comunique a la persona que lleve a cabo el tratamiento qué medicamentos está tomando.

• Treatment for HIV is usually lifelong. Continue to take this medicine regularly for as long as your doctor tells you to, even if you feel well. This is to keep your immune system healthy.

Can ritonavir cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with ritonavir. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Important: some people taking ritonavir have developed inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) - the most common signs of this are persistent stomach pain, feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting), high temperature (fever), and feeling generally unwell. Let your doctor know straightaway if you develop these symptoms.

Si experimenta cualquier otro síntoma que considere que puede deberse al medicamento, consulte a su médico o farmacéutico.

How to store ritonavir

• Mantenga todos los medicamentos fuera del alcance y de la vista de los niños.

• Almacenar en un lugar fresco y seco, lejos del calor y la luz directos.

Información importante sobre todos los medicamentos