DRUG INTERACTIONS: Ritonavir interacts with many medications. Your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor or pharmacist first.

This drug should not be used with the following medications because very serious interactions may occur: alfuzosin, certain antiarrhythmics (amiodarone, flecainide, propafenone, quinidine), certain benzodiazepines (midazolam, triazolam), bosentan, conivaptan, disulfiram, eletriptan, ergot alkaloids (such as dihydroergotamine, ergonovine, ergotamine, methylergonovine), pimozide, quinine, ranolazine, certain "statin" cholesterol drugs (simvastatin, lovastatin), St John's wort, voriconazole.

If you are currently using any of these medications listed above, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting ritonavir.

Other medications can affect the removal of ritonavir from your body, which may affect how ritonavir works. Examples include boceprevir, rifampin, among others.

Ritonavir can slow down or speed up the removal of other medications from your body, which may affect how they work. Examples of affected drugs include digoxin, fluticasone, salmeterol, theophylline, warfarin, certain antiarrhythmics (including disopyramide, mexiletine), antidepressants (such as bupropion, fluoxetine, nefazodone, trazodone), certain beta blockers (metoprolol, timolol), calcium channel blockers (such as nifedipine, felodipine), some cancer drugs (such as dasatinib, sunitinib, vincristine), certain azole fungal medications (ketoconazole, itraconazole), anti-seizure drugs (including carbamazepine, phenytoin), drugs to treat erectile dysfunction/pulmonary hypertension (such as sildenafil, vardenafil), certain "statin" cholesterol drugs (atorvastatin, rosuvastatin), narcotic pain medications (such as fentanyl, methadone, meperidine), among others.

If any of these medications are taken with ritonavir, your doctor may change your dose of ritonavir or the other drug(s), or your doctor may monitor you specially. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.

This medication may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal birth control such as pills, patch, or ring. This could cause pregnancy. However, to reduce the risk of spreading HIV to others, always use barrier protections during all sexual activity. (See also Notes section.)

This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US National Poison Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center.

NOTES: To reduce the risk of spreading HIV to others, always use effective barrier protections (such as latex or polyurethane condoms, dental dams) during all sexual activity. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.

Do not share this medication with others.

Laboratory and/or medical tests (such as liver tests, viral load, T-cell counts, blood sugar, triglycerides/cholesterol) should be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.

Keep all medical and laboratory appointments.

MISSED DOSE: If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

STORAGE: Store this medication in the original bottle between 68-77 degrees F (20-25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

MEDICAL ALERT: Your condition can cause complications in a medical emergency. For enrollment information call MedicAlert at 1-800-854-1166 (USA) or 1-800-668-1507 (Canada).

Information last revised April 2012. Copyright(c) 2012 First Databank, Inc.