Tipranavir for HIV

About tipranavir

Tipranavir 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. Tipranavir 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.

Tipranavir 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 tipranavir it is important that your doctor knows:

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

• If you have diabetes (diabetes mellitus).

• If you have liver inflammation (called hepatitis), or any other liver problem.

• If you have been told you are at risk of bleeding, such as if you have recently had surgery or an accident.

• If you have either haemophilia or porphyria, which are both rare inherited blood disorders.

• 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 tipranavir, and it will also provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you could experience from taking it.

• Take tipranavir exactly as your doctor tells you to. The adult dose is two capsules twice daily, at the same time as a medicine called ritonavir - take the doses 12 hours apart. Ritonavir is prescribed to boost the action of tipranavir, so it is important that you take these medicines together. If your child has been given liquid medicine to take, your doctor will advise you about how much you should give for each dose. The directions for taking the medicine will also be printed on the label of the pack to remind you about what the doctor said to you.

• Tipranavir should be taken with food, so after a meal or with a snack. Swallow the capsules whole with a drink of water. Do not crush or open them.

• Try to take tipranavir 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 on time, take it as soon as you remember providing it is within five hours of the time you should have taken it. If it is more than five hours since you should have taken it, leave out the missed dose but remember to take your next dose when it is due. Do not take two doses together to make up for a missed dose.

Instructions for using the dosing syringe for Aptivus® Oral Solution

1. Remove the bottle cap.

2. Make sure the plunger of the syringe is pushed in fully, then insert the syringe into the adapter.

3. Retournez la bouteille (avec la seringue connectée) à l'envers.

4. Gently pull out the plunger of the syringe so that the medicine fills the syringe to the mark which corresponds to your child's dose.

5. Remettez la bouteille à l'endroit, et retirez la seringue de la bouteille.

6. Put the tip of the syringe into your child's mouth, and gently push the plunger so that the medicine is released.

7. Replace the bottle cap.

• Keep your regular appointments with your doctor so that your progress can be monitored. You will need to have regular blood tests, particularly when you first start taking tipranavir.

• It is important that you continue to take tipranavir 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 tipranavir, 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 déprimées, surtout peu de temps après que le diagnostic a été posé et que le traitement a commencé. Si vous ressentez des sentiments de dépression ou des pensées angoissantes 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 tipranavir and your other medicines. This is because some remedies interfere with tipranavir and stop it from working properly. In particular, do not take indigestion remedies during the two hours before or during the two hours after you take your doses. Also, do not take St John's wort.

• If you have diabetes you may need to check your blood sugar (glucose) more frequently, as this medicine can affect the levels of sugar in your blood. Your doctor will advise you about this.

• 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 tipranavir 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 tipranavir. 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.

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes que vous pensez être dus au médicament, 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.

• Store unopened packs of Aptivus® Capsules in a refrigerator. Once opened, they can be stored in a cool, dry place, away from direct heat and light for up to 60 days.

• Store Aptivus® Oral Solution at room temperature - do pas refrigerate. Once a bottle has been opened it will keep for 60 days - after this time, make sure you have a fresh supply. If crystals start to form on the top of the medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist to replace the bottle. You should continue to take the medicine until the fresh supply is available.