Efavir : Efavirenz 200 mg Capsules

What is Efavir 200 mg Capsule ?

Efavir 200 mg is prescription medicine that is manufactured by Cipla Ltd. It contains “Efavirenz” as an active ingredient. Efavir comes in capsule form and its each pack contains 30 capsules. This medicine can be purchased by a patient only against a valid prescription of a healthcare professional. Do not share this HIV medicine with others because it can cause serious side effects to people until the condition is not monitored by a pharmacist.

When is Efavir 200 mg Capsule prescribed ?

Efavir (Efavirenz) is an antiretroviral medicine used for treating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, which causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

How Does Efavir (Efavirenz) Capsule Work ?

Efavirenz belongs to a class of drugs known as non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). Reverse transcriptase is a part of HIV virus required to infect cells and make more virus. Efavirenz prevents reverse transcriptase from working properly.

Efavir also helps to decrease the amount of HIV in your body so your immune system can work better. This lowers your chance of getting HIV complications (such as new infections, cancer) and improves your quality of life.

What are the adverse effects of Efavir 200 mg Capsules ?

Side effects are unwanted effects of a medicine. Efavir may cause some serious, life-threatening side-effects. It’s important to know the side effects of your medicines so that you know what to do if you get them. Side-effects may vary for each individual depending on the person’s disease state, age, weight, gender, ethnicity and general health. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with Efavirenz :

Common Side Effects of Efavir Capsules : Headache ; Dizziness ; Anxiety ; Insomnia ; Muscle or joint pain ; Vomiting ; Cough ; Stomach pain ; Loss of appetite ; Fever, wind, Swelling in your face or tongue ; Sores in your mouth etc.

Serious Side Effects of Efavir Capsules : Feel hopeless ; Feel fearful ; Dark-colored urine ; Light-colored bowel movements ; Increases in the levels of certain lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) in the blood ; Changes in body fat (including gain or loss of fat) ; Peeling of your skin etc.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. If you notice any of these or other problems before or after you have started to take Efavirenz 200 mg, talk to your doctor right away.

What are the safety measures of Efavir 200 mg ?

Before Taking Efavir HIV drug, it is important to understand all precautions or safety information associated with it. You need to remember certain points such as –

	If you are a woman who is pregnant or wants to have a baby and you are taking Efavir, let your doctor know right away. This medicine may cause harm to the unborn baby. Use a birth control method while you are taking this HIV medicine. Ask your doctor to help you choose a method of birth control that will work for you.
	Women with HIV/AIDS should not breast-feed a baby. Even if your baby is born without HIV, the virus may be passed to the baby in your breast milk. To get more information, you should discuss this with your doctor.
	You will need to have regular blood tests and check-ups during your treatment with Efavir. Blood tests help doctors check for certain diseases and conditions. They also help check the function of your organs and show how well treatment is working.
	Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. This HIV medicine is not recommended for use in patients with a known allergy to Efavirenz 200 mg.
	In general, drinking alcoholic beverages should be kept to a minimum or avoided completely. If you are dependent on alcohol and want to stop drinking, your doctor can recommend a therapy that’s tailored for your needs.
	Always consult your doctor and pharmacist about taking any other prescription or non-prescription medication, including herbs, supplements and street drugs. Some drugs can interact with Efavirenz, increasing or decreasing its levels in your body. Increased drug levels can cause you to experience side effects or make pre-existing side effects worse. On the other hand, if drug levels become too low, HIV can develop resistance and your future treatment options may be reduced.
	If you miss a dose of Efavir 200 mg, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. If it is close to the time of your next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your dosing schedule. Do not use extra dose to make up for a missed dose. Please consult your doctor to discuss changes in your dosing schedule or a new schedule to make up for missed doses, if you have missed too many doses recently.
	Taking a single dose of expired medicine is unlikely to produce an adverse event. Expired drug may become ineffective in treating your prescribed conditions. To be on the safe side, it is important not to use expired drug. If you’ve had a medicine for a while, check the expiry date before using it. If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal.
	Before using Efavir, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially if you have liver problems (including hepatitis B or C infection), diabetes, kidney problems, heart or pancreas problems, or low blood potassium levels etc.

What are the storage instructions for Efavir 200 mg ?

Patients must properly store the drug to retain its quality and efficacy. Following storage instructions will be helpful in storing the drug in the best of manner.

• Store Efavirenz at 25°C (77°F); excursion permitted to 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F).
• Consider storing your medications separately from your other family members. This will make it less likely that you take the wrong ones by mistake.
• Make sure to always keep your medicine in an area of your home that is out of the reach of children and pets.
• Store in the original container. Do not use it if the original seal over the container opening is broken or missing.
• Store Efavir in a dry place (Not in bathroom). Improper storage can affect the effectiveness and shelf life of your medicine.

Prescription Required:

In order to legally purchase this medicine from DrugsSquare, you’ll require a prescription from your Registered Medical Practitioner.

Note:

The information provided here is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or pharmaceutical advice which should be sought from qualified medical and pharmaceutical advisers.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children and away from pets, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
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.