Tenofovir (Systemic)

Brand Names : Viread

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For tenofovir, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to tenofovir. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Tenofovir has not been studied in pregnant women. However, tenofovir has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies.

Breast-feeding - It is not known whether tenofovir passes into breast milk. However, because of the possibility that this medicine could cause unwanted effects in nursing babies and the risk of passing HIV on to the infant, breast-feeding is usually not recommended.

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of tenofovir in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information comparing use of tenofovir in the elderly with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking tenofovir, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking the following:

• Didanosine - It is recommended that tenofovir be taken 2 hours before or 1 hour after taking didanosine

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of tenofovir. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - May be worsened by tenofovir