Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is treated with fosamprenavir in combination with other drugs. Fosamprenavir belongs to the group of drugs known as protease inhibitors. It functions by lowering the blood’s HIV concentration. Although fosamprenavir does not treat HIV, it may lessen your risk of getting AIDS and other diseases connected to HIV, such as cancer or serious infections. It is possible to reduce the risk of spreading the HIV virus to others by taking these medications, engaging in safer sexual practices, and changing other aspects of one’s lifestyle.

For oral consumption, fosamprenavir is available as a tablet and a suspension (liquid). Typically, it is taken once or twice a day. You can take the pills with or without food. The suspension is to be taken without food by patients who are at least 18 years old. The suspension needs to be given with meals if the patient is under the age of 18. Take fosamprenavir at about the same time(s) every day to help you remember to take it. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Exactly as prescribed, take fosamprenavir. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

If you’re using a suspension, give it a good shake before each dose to ensure that the drug is mixed evenly.

You should take another complete dose of fosamprenavir if you vomit within 30 minutes of taking it.

Although it does not treat HIV infection, fosamprenavir manages it. Even if you feel good, keep taking fosamprenavir. Without consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking fosamprenavir. It may be more challenging to treat your disease if you skip doses or stop taking fosamprenavir.

For a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking fosamprenavir,

• If you have any allergies to any of the substances in fosamprenavir tablets or suspension, including amprenavir (Agenerase; no longer available in the U.S.), sulfa drugs, other medications, or fosamprenavir, let your doctor and pharmacist know right once. Request a list of the ingredients from your pharmacist.
• Inform your physician if you are taking any of the following medications: delavirdine (Rescriptor); cisapride (Propulsid) (not available in the US); alfuzosin (Uroxatral); medicines containing ergot, such as methylergonovine (Methergine), ergoloid mesylates (Hydergine), ergomar, cafergot, and dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal); midazolam (Versed), pimozide (Orap), lomitapide (Juxtapid), lovastatin (Altoprev), rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifater, in Rifamate); St. John’s wort, triazolam (Halcion), sildenafil (the only brand of Revatio used for pulmonary disease), and simvastatin (Zocor, in Vytorin). If you are currently on any of these drugs, your doctor probably won’t recommend that you take fosamprenavir.
• Flecainide, lurasidone (Latuda), and propafenone (Rhythmol) should not be taken concurrently with fosamprenavir and ritonavir (Norvir).
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and dietary supplements you are taking. Incorporate any of the following: ‘Blood thinners’ or anticoagulants like warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven); Amitriptyline, imipramine (Surmontil), paroxetine (Brisdelle, Paxil, Pexeva), and trazodone are antidepressants. Atorvastatin (Lipitor, in Caduet), aluminum- and magnesium-containing antacids (Maalox, others); benzodiazepines like flurazepam (Diastat), clorazepate (Gen-Xene, Tranxene), and alprazolam (Xanax); bosentan (Tracleer), diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia, Tiazac, among others), felodipine, isradipine, and nicardipine (Cardene), calcium channel blockers such amlodipine (Norvasc, in Exforge, among others), isradipine, and nicardipine, colchicine (Colcrys, Mitigare), dasatinib (Sprycel), nifedipine (Adalat, Afeditab CR, Procardia), nimodipine (Nymalize), nisoldipine (Sular), and verapamil (Calan, Covera, Verelan, in Tarka); Fluticasone (Flonase, Flovent, in Advair); histamine H2-receptor blockers such cimetidine, famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid), and ranitidine (Zantac); ibrutinib (Imbruvica); itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox); dexamethasone; everolimus (Afinitor);drugs such as quinidine (in Nuedexta), amiodarone (Nexterone, Pacerone), disopyramide (Norpace), lidocaine (Lidoderm; in Xylocaine with Epinephrine), and ketoconazole (Nizoral); nilotinib (Tasigna); medications that suppress the immune system, such as cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune), sirolimus (Rapamune), or tacrolimus (Astagraf XL, Prograf); medications for seizures, such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, Tegretol, and others); phenobarbital; and phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek); methadone (Dolophine, Methadose); other HIV drugs such as lopinavir (Kaletra), indinavir (Crixivan), dolutegravir (Tivicay), and efavirenz (Sustiva, in Atripla); raltegravir (Isentress), ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra, in Viekira Pak), and saquinavir (Invirase); nelfinavir (Viracept), nevirapine (Viramune), maraviroc (Selzentry), and saquinavir (Invirase); some drugs to treat the hepatitis C virus, such as simeprevir (no longer available in the US; Olysio), boceprevir (no longer available in the US; Victrelis), and paritaprevir (in Viekira XR); certain phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDE-5 inhibitors) used for erectile dysfunction such as sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), and vardenafil (Levitra); quetiapine (Seroquel); rifabutin (Mycobutin); salmeterol (Serevent, in Advair); tadalafil (Adcirca); and vinblastine. Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects. Tell your doctor about all of the medications you are taking, even any not on this list, since many other drugs may also interact with fosamprenavir.
• Inform your doctor if you have or have ever had renal or liver illness, including hepatitis B or C, high cholesterol or triglycerides, hemophilia (a condition in which the blood does not clot normally), diabetes, hemophilia, high cholesterol, or high triglycerides.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, let your doctor know. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking fosamprenavir. If you take fosamprenavir or are HIV-positive, you shouldn’t breastfeed.
• Inform your doctor or dentist that you are taking fosamprenavir if you are having surgery, including dental surgery.
• You should be aware that the birth control pill fosamprenavir may lessen the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. While taking this medication, discuss with your doctor other birth control options.
• You should be aware that your body fat may grow or relocate to various parts of your body, including your breasts and upper back.
• You should be aware that even if you do not currently have diabetes, you could develop hyperglycemia (increases in blood sugar) while taking this drug. If you have any of the following side effects while taking fosamprenavir: severe thirst, frequent urination, intense hunger, blurred vision, or weakness, call your doctor right away. Calling your doctor as soon as you experience any of these symptoms is crucial because untreated high blood sugar can result in the deadly disease known as ketoacidosis. If ketoacidosis is not treated right away, it could become life-threatening. Dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, fruity-smelling breath, and diminished consciousness are all signs of ketoacidosis.
• You should be aware that when you take HIV medicine, your immune system could become stronger and start to fight other infections that were already present in your body. You might begin to exhibit signs of those infections as a result of this. Throughout your fosamprenavir treatment, be sure to let your doctor know if you experience any new or worsening symptoms.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Fosamprenavir might have negative effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, consult your doctor:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Extreme exhaustion

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away or seek emergency medical attention if you encounter any of these signs.

• Rash
• Itching
• Itchy skin, blisters, or hives
• Breathing or swallowing challenges
• Your face, eyes, lips, tongue, or throat swelling
• Infection-related symptoms such as a sore throat, fever, chills, and cough
• Side or back ache
• Urinary blood
• Difficulty urinating

Other negative effects of fosamprenavir are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch or by phone at 1-800-332-1088 if you have a serious side event.

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it at room temperature and out of the bathroom and other places with excessive heat and moisture. You can keep the suspension in the fridge as well, but don’t freeze it.

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning.http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilizing a medicine take-back program is the best way to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programs in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back program, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To ensure that taking fosamprenavir is safe for you and to monitor your body’s reaction to fosamprenavir, your doctor may order specific lab tests both before and throughout your treatment.

Avoid running out of medicine. Get extra fosamprenavir from your doctor or pharmacy if you run out of it.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.