APPROVED DOSAGE:
Three green and mustard 200mg capsules three times a day. (This version of saquinavir now only used in combination with other protease inhibitors).
EXPERIMENTAL DOSAGE:
With 400mg ritonavir, take two 200mg capsules of Saquinavir twice a day.
CHILDREN:
Invirasem not approved for use by children.
TIPS ON TAKING:
Take within two hours of a full meal to increase the amount that gets into your blood. Grapefruit juice may increase absorption.
COMMON SIDE-EFFECTS:
Diarrhoea, stomach pain, nausea, lipodystrophy and metabolic disorders.
RARE SIDE-EFFECTS:
Diabetes.
RESISTNCE TO SAQUINAVIR:
May mean resistance to nelfinavir, indlnavir and
ritonavir.
KEY DRUG INTERACTIONS:
Do not take with rifampicin, rifabutin, astemizole,
terfenadine, cisapride. Careful monitoring and dose adjustments may be needed if taking saquinavir with many other drugs including: NNRTIs, methadone, anti- arrhythmics, some anti-depressants, some anti-convulsants, some lipid-lowering drugs, dapsone, ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, dexamethasone, Viagra. If combined with ritonavir, drug interactions may change.
