Sustiva Side Effects

Severe side effects of Sustiva

• Sustiva may cause extreme depression, hallucinations, or suicidal thoughts.
• Immune reconstitution syndrome may occur while taking Sustiva.  This entails inflammation (which signifies that the immune system is working) but may become life threatening and needs to be monitored.
• Sustiva may cause hepatitis or severe liver damage.
• Patients with a prior history of seizures may experience a recurrence of seizures while taking Sustiva.
• Many patients experience a rash caused by Sustiva, although some may be serious.

Common side effects of Sustiva

• Sustiva may cause upset stomach and vomiting, loose stools, headache, dizzy feelings, heart palpitations, tiredness, constipation, and/or difficulty sleeping at night.

Warnings & Recalls for Sustiva

Warnings

• Sustiva is a pregnancy category class D drug and should not be prescribed to pregnant patients.  Also, the patient should not become pregnant while taking Sustiva.
• Patients should tell their doctor all of the medications they are on, since Sustiva may negatively interact with other drugs.
• If a patient develops any serious rash including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, then Sustiva should be discontinued.
• Patients with serious liver problems should not take Sustiva.
• Sustiva must be taken with other antiretroviral drugs and not by itself or the virus may develop a resistance to the medication.
• Do not take St. John's Wort while taking Sustiva.
• Patients on Sustiva should not take Pimozide ( a medication for Tourette's disorder).
• A potentially life threatening arrhythmia may develop if a patient takes Sustiva with Vascor (a drug for angina) as well as Cisapride (a reflux medication).

Sustiva Treatment and Use

Sustiva | Efavirenz is used to help treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).  Sustiva is often concurrently prescribed with Voriconazole or Rifampin.  It was first approved for sale in 1998 and is marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

What does Sustiva do?

Sustiva works to reduce the spread of HIV throughout the body.  While it does not cure HIV, slowing the spread of the virus will allow the immune system to slowly rebuild itself.

Dosage

Sustiva comes in 50 mg, 100, mg, and 200 mg capsules as well as 600 mg tablets.  The typical adult dosage is 600 mg once a day before bed.  Dosage may need to be lowered if the patient is under 88 lbs.

Other Names for Sustiva

Brand Name

• Sustiva

Generic

• Efavirenz

Lawsuits & Legal Information for Sustiva