How Effective is Intelence, Know its Dosage, Side Effects

Intelence otherwise known as etravirine is an antiviral drug that helps to effectively prevent HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) from multiplying across the human body.
Intelence or etravirine is used effectively along with other drugs in the treatment of HIV in adults and also in children above 6 years. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by HIV.

However, intelence or etravirine is not the cure for AIDS or HIV.

Intelence or etravirine has to be taken along with other medications for HIV. There are few medicines that might result in blood pressure going up or high especially in the blood levels of etravirine. This medicine might also affect blood levels of other medicines that are taken for HIV which will result in making this medicine less effective and may also increase side effects. Therefore, it is important to tell your doctor about all the medicines you are taking at the moment.

There are very rare chances where intelence or etravirine can cause a rare condition such as the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue which will cause the kidney to fail functioning. Therefore, if you ever experience any unexplained pain in muscles, weakness, fever, dark colored urine, unusual tiredness, tenderness, etc. call your doctor for immediate help.

If you are allergic to intelence or etravirine do not take this medicine. Tell your doctor if you have hepatitis C or B or any liver disease to make Intelence safe for you. Intelence or etravirine is to be taken in combination with other drugs that are taken for HIV however; there are a couple of combinations of drugs that must not be taken together with intelence or etravirine. Therefore, follow the instructions your doctor gave carefully especially on the medicine dosage.

Here are a few medicines that you should not take with intelence or etravirine:

• Nevirapine
• Efavirenz
• Rifapentine
• Rifapentine, rifabutin, rifampin
• Delavirdine
• St. John’s wort
• Rilpivirine
• Seizure tablets – phenytoin, carbamazepine, Phenobarbital
• 2 doses of 600 milligrams ritonavir every day.

You should take intelence or etravirine with ritonavir only if you taking protease inhibitor like indinavir, dolutegravir, atazanavir, nelfinavir, fosamprenavir.

It is important to inform your physician if you are planning to get pregnant or are pregnant at the beginning of the intelence or etravirine treatment. There are a lot of chances of HIV to pass to the child if it is not treated properly during pregnancy. It is important to take your HIV medicines as instructed by the doctor to suppress your infection.

Women should not feed baby if they are having AIDS or HIV. There are a lot of chances of the virus to be passed to the baby through breast milk.

Take intelence or etravirine 200 milligrams two times a day after food.

6 to 18 years

16 kilograms to less than 20 kilograms: Take intelence or etravirine 100 milligrams dosage orally two times a day after food

20 kilograms – to less than 25 kilograms: Orally 125 milligrams dosage two times a day after food

25 kilograms to less than 30 kilograms: Orally 150 milligrams dosage two times a day after food

30 kilograms or more: Orally 200 milligrams dosage two times a day after food.

There are many side effects of intelence or etravirine. If you experience any of these symptoms of intelence or etravirine get to a doctor and get immediate help such as difficult breathing, hives, swelling of tongue, lips, throat and face.

There are few cases where intelence or etravirine is known to cause a medicinal condition that might breakdown the muscle tissues, which might lead to kindly failure. If you have any of these symptoms and other symptoms like tenderness, unusual tiredness, muscle pain, weakness, dark coloured urine, high fever, etc.

If you experience these conditions, stop using intelence or etravirine and get help from a physician immediately.

• Seizure
• Confusion
• First sign of simple skin rash
• Little or no urinating
• Rapid weight gain and swelling
• Liver problems: dark urine, loss of appetite, jaundice, loss of appetite, clay colored stools
• Severe skin allergy: Swelling in tongue, face, skin pain, sore throat, fever, burning sensation in eyes, purple or red skin rash, blistering and peeling.

There are high chances of intelence or etravirine increasing the risk of specific autoimmune disorders or infections by altering how the immune system works. These symptoms may not occur immediately when you start taking the medicine but a few weeks or months later. Tell your doctor if you have these conditions:

• Chest pain, wheezing, dry cough, falling short of breath
• Trouble speaking, trouble swallowing, loss of bladder, bowel control
• Increased heart rate, weakness, problems with balance of eye movement, irritable, feeling anxious, irritable
• Swelling in throat or neck, impotence, menstrual changes, loss of interest in sex
• Sores, cold sores on anal or genital area
• New infection signs – swollen glands, fever, weight loss, diarrhea, night sweats, and mouth sores.

Here are the general side effects of intelence or etravirine:

• Rashes
• Numbness
• Diarrhea
• Changes in the shape of body, face, breasts, neck, waist, location to body fat are all side effects of intelence or etravirine.