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In this Article

• What is etravirine (Intelence)?
• What are the possible side effects of etravirine (Intelence)?
• What is the most important information I should know about etravirine (Intelence)?
• What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking etravirine (Intelence)?
• How should I take etravirine (Intelence)?
• What happens if I miss a dose (Intelence)?
• What happens if I overdose (Intelence)?
• What should I avoid while taking etravirine (Intelence)?
• What other drugs will affect etravirine (Intelence)?
• Where can I get more information?

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking etravirine (Intelence)?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to etravirine.

You should not take etravirine together with:

• delavirdine (Rescriptor);
• efavirenz (Sustiva); or
• nevirapine (Viramune).

You should not take etravirine with ritonavir if you are also taking:

• atazanavir (Reyataz).
• tipranavir (Aptivus);
• fosamprenavir (Lexiva); or
• lopinavir (Kaletra).

You should not take etravirine without ritonavir if you are also taking:

• atazanavir (Reyataz);
• fosamprenavir (Agenerase);
• indinavir (Crixivan); or
• nelfinavir (Viracept).

Before taking etravirine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have never taken an antiviral medication before.

FDA pregnancy category B. This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. HIV can be passed to the baby if the mother is not properly treated during pregnancy. If you are pregnant, take all of your HIV medicines as directed to control your infection.

Your name may need to be listed on an antiviral pregnancy registry when you start using etravirine. The purpose of this registry is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and delivery to evaluate whether etravirine had any effect on the baby.

You should not breast-feed while you are using etravirine. Women with HIV or AIDS should not breast-feed at all. Even if your baby is born without HIV, you may still pass the virus to the baby in your breast milk.

How should I take etravirine (Intelence)?

Take etravirine exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

This medication comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use. Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Etravirine works best if you take it after a meal.

If you cannot swallow an etravirine tablet whole, place it into a glass of water and allow the tablet to disperse in the liquid. The tablet will not dissolve completely. Drink this mixture right away. To make sure you get the entire dose, add a little more liquid to the same glass, swirl gently and drink right away.

It is important to take etravirine regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescriptions refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

To best treat your condition, use all of your medications as directed by your doctor. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without advice from your doctor. Every person with HIV or AIDS should remain under the care of a doctor.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Visit your doctor regularly.

Store etravirine at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep the tablets in their original container, along with the packet of moisture-absorbing preservative that comes with the medication.