Saquinavir for HIV

About saquinavir

Saquinavir is an antiretroviral medicine. It is prescribed for infection par le virus de l'immunodéficience humaine (VIH). 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. Saquinavir 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.

Saquinavir 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. 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.

It is vital to take your antiretroviral medicines exactly as prescribed in order to maintain success and to help to prevent the virus from becoming resistant to the medicines. These medicines are usually taken for life.

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 saquinavir it is important that your doctor knows:

• Si vous êtes enceinte, essayez d'avoir un bébé ou allaitez.

• Si vous avez le diabète (diabète sucré).

• Si vous avez une inflammation du foie (appelée hépatite), ou tout autre problème hépatique.

• Si vous avez des problèmes avec le fonctionnement de vos reins.

• Si vous avez un problème cardiaque ou si on vous a dit que vous avez un trouble du rythme cardiaque.

• Si vous souffrez d'hémophilie ou de porphyrie, qui sont toutes deux des maladies sanguines héréditaires rares.

• Si vous prenez d'autres médicaments. Cela inclut tous les médicaments disponibles à l'achat sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médecines complémentaires.

• Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament.
  

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

• Take saquinavir exactly as your doctor tells you to. It is usual to take two doses each day, at the same time as a medicine called ritonavir - take the doses 12 hours apart. Ritonavir is prescribed to boost the action of saquinavir. The standard dose of saquinavir is two tablets twice a day. If you have not had any treatment for HIV before, it is likely that your doctor will ask you to take a lower dose than this to begin with, and then to increase it to the standard dose after a week.

• Swallow saquinavir tablets whole with a drink of water - do not crush or break the tablets. You should take the tablets with food, so after a meal or with a snack.

• Try to take saquinavir at the same times of day each day (in the morning and evening), as this will help you to remember to take it regularly.

• 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.

• Keep your regular appointments with your doctor so that your progress can be monitored. You will need to have regular blood tests to check how well your medicines are working. Your doctor will also check your heart rhythm, particularly when you first start taking saquinavir.

• It is important that you continue to take saquinavir and your other 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 saquinavir, 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.

• Suivez attentivement tous les conseils que votre médecin vous donne concernant les changements de mode de vie pour réduire tout risque de dommage à votre cœur et à vos vaisseaux sanguins. Cela peut inclure l'arrêt du tabac, une alimentation saine et la pratique régulière d'exercice physique.

• Certaines personnes prenant des médicaments antirétroviraux développent des modifications de la répartition de la graisse corporelle dans le corps. Cela peut entraîner des changements dans l'image corporelle. Votre médecin discutera de cette possibilité avec vous.

• Bien que le traitement avec des médicaments antirétroviraux puisse réduire le risque de transmission du VIH à d'autres par contact sexuel, il ne l'élimine pas. Il est important d'utiliser des préservatifs.

• Il n'est pas rare que les personnes vivant avec le VIH se sentent déprimées ou même dépressives, surtout peu de temps après le diagnostic et le début du traitement. Si vous ressentez des symptômes de dépression ou avez des pensées inquiétantes concernant l'automutilation, vous devriez en parler à votre médecin immédiatement.

• Certaines personnes qui ont pris des médicaments antirétroviraux (en particulier sur une longue période) ont développé une affection appelée ostéonécrose. Il s'agit d'une maladie osseuse où le tissu osseux meurt en raison d'une réduction de l'apport sanguin. Cela entraîne des douleurs articulaires et une raideur, et peut causer des difficultés de mouvement. Si vous remarquez l'un de ces symptômes, parlez-en à votre médecin.

• If you buy any medicines or herbal remedies, check with a pharmacist that they are suitable to take with saquinavir and your other medicines. This is because some remedies interfere with saquinavir and stop it from working properly. In particular, do not take garlic capsules or St John's wort.

• Si vous êtes diabétique, vous devrez peut-être vérifier votre glycémie (glucose) plus fréquemment, car ce médicament peut affecter les niveaux de sucre dans votre sang. Votre médecin vous conseillera à ce sujet.

• Si vous subissez une opération ou un traitement dentaire, informez la personne qui effectue le traitement des médicaments que vous prenez.

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

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 saquinavir. 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 saquinavir have developed an irregular heartbeat. Your doctor will monitor you for any changes, but if you feel faint, or if you feel your heart is beating faster or more irregularly than normal, you should let your doctor know straightaway.

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes que vous pensez être dus aux comprimés, parlez-en à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien pour obtenir des conseils supplémentaires.

• Gardez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière directes.