Home > Community Treatment Reports and Side Effects > Fosamprenavir

What is the most important information I should know about fosamprenavir?

Do not take fosamprenavir with cisapride (Propulsid), pimozide (Orap), midazolam (Versed), triazolam (Halcion), or an ergot medicine such as Ergomar, Cafergot, Wigraine, D.H.E. 45, Migranal, Methergine, and others.

Fosamprenavir should not be taken together with ritonavir (Norvir) if you are also using a heart rhythm medication called flecainide (Tambocor) or propafenone (Rythmol). Ask your doctor about taking a different medication for your heart rhythm disorder.

These drugs can cause life-threatening side effects if you use them while you are taking fosamprenavir.

There are many other medicines that can cause serious interactions if you use them while taking fosamprenavir. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors.

HIV/AIDS is usually treated with a combination of different drugs. To best treat your condition, use all of your medications as directed by your doctor. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without advice from your doctor. Every person with HIV or AIDS should remain under the care of a doctor.

Avoid having unprotected sex or sharing needles, razors, or toothbrushes. Taking this medication will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people. Talk with your doctor about safe methods of preventing HIV transmission during sex.

Warning

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Back to Treatment Report

What is fosamprenavir?

Fosamprenavir is an antiviral medication in a group of HIV medicines called protease (PRO-tee-ayz) inhibitors. Fosamprenavir prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cells from multiplying in your body.

Fosamprenavir is used to treat HIV, which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Fosamprenavir is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.

Fosamprenavir may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Precautions

Do not take this medication if you are allergic to fosamprenavir or a similar drug called amprenavir (Agenerase).

Do not take fosamprenavir together with cisapride (Propulsid), pimozide (Orap), midazolam (Versed), triazolam (Halcion), or ergot medicines such as ergotamine (Ergomar, Cafergot), dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal Nasal Spray), ergonovine (Ergotrate), or methylergonovine (Methergine).

Fosamprenavir should not be taken together with ritonavir (Norvir) if you are also using a heart rhythm medication called flecainide (Tambocor) or propafenone (Rythmol). Ask your doctor about taking a different medication for your heart rhythm disorder.

These drugs can cause life-threatening side effects if you use them while you are taking fosamprenavir.

If you have certain conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use this medication. Before you take fosamprenavir, tell your doctor if you have:

  • liver disease;
  • diabetes;
  • a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia;
  • high cholesterol or triglycerides; or
  • if you have ever used a protease inhibitor in the past.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether fosamprenavir is harmful to an unborn baby. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant. HIV can be passed to the baby if the mother is not properly treated during pregnancy. Take all of your HIV medicines as directed to control your infection while you are pregnant.

Your name may need to be listed on an antiviral pregnancy registry when you start using this medication.

Taking fosamprenavir together with another HIV medicine called ritonavir (Norvir) and also using birth control pills can increase you risk of liver problems. Ask your doctor about using a non-hormone method of birth control (such as a condom, diaphragm, spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while taking fosamprenavir and ritonavir.

You should not breast-feed while you are using fosamprenavir. Women with HIV or AIDS should not breast-feed at all. Even if your baby is born without HIV, you may still pass the virus to the baby in your breast milk.

Avoid having unprotected sex or sharing needles, razors, or toothbrushes. Taking this medication will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people. Talk with your doctor about safe methods of preventing HIV transmission during sex. Sharing drug or medicine needles is never safe, even for a healthy person.

Back to top

Instructions

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Symptoms of a fosamprenavir overdose are unknown.

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Back to top

Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop taking fosamprenavir and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

  • fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
  • pale or yellowed skin, dark colored urine, fever, confusion or weakness;
  • increased urination or extreme thirst;
  • easy bruising or bleeding; or
  • signs of a new infection, such as fever or chills, cough, or flu symptoms.

Less serious side effects of fosamprenavir may include:

  • mild nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain;
  • numbness or tingling, especially around your mouth;
  • headache, mood changes; or
  • changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Back to top

Interactions

Many other drugs can cause serious or life-threatening drug interactions if you use them while taking fosamprenavir. Tell your doctor if you are also using:

  • heart rhythm medicine such as amiodarone (Cordarone), lidocaine, or quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex);
  • an antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Etrafon), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), or paroxetine (Paxil);
  • steroid medicine such as dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol) or fluticasone (Advair, Flonase, Flovent);
  • St. John's wort;
  • antibiotics such as itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), or rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, Rifater);
  • a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
  • a calcium channel blocker such as amlodipine (Caduet, Lotrel, Norvasc), diltiazem (Tiazac, Cartia, Dilacor), felodipine (Plendil), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan);
  • cholesterol-lowering medicine such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor, Altocor), or simvastatin (Zocor);
  • drugs that weaken the immune system, such as cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune), sirolimus (Rapamune), or tacrolimus (Prograf);
  • other HIV /AIDS medicine such as delavirdine (Rescriptor), efavirenz (Sustiva), nevirapine (Viramune), or lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra);
  • insulin or diabetes medication you take by mouth;
  • medicines to treat erectile dysfunction, such as sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), or vardenafil (Levitra);
  • seizure medications such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol), phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton), or phenytoin (Dilantin); or
  • stomach acid reducers such as cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid), or ranitidine (Zantac).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with fosamprenavir. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.

Back to top

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04