Kaletra

What is Kaletra

Kaletra is a combination of two antiviral medications. They are in a category of HIV medicines called protease inhibitors. Lopinavir and ritonavir prevents HIV from multiplying. This reduces the amount of infectious or active virus in the body.

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

Kaletra may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

General medical information about Kaletra

Some drugs are not recommended to be taken with Kaletra. Very high levels of these medications, which could occur during therapy with Kaletra, could be life threatening. Do not take Kaletra without first talking to your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs:
- cisapride (Propulsid);
- rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane) or rifabutin (Mycobutin);
- herbal or natural products containing St. John's wort;
- pimozide (Orap);
- ergotamine (Ergostat, Cafergot, Ercaf, Wigraine) or dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45);
- amiodarone (Cordarone), bepridil (Vascor), flecainide (Tambocor), propafenone (Rythmol), or quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, others);
- diazepam (Valium), clorazepate (Librium), estazolam (ProSom), flurazepam (Dalmane), midazolam (Versed), triazolam (Halcion), or zolpidem (Ambien);
- bupropion (Wellbutrin) or clozapine (Clozaril); or
- meperidine (Demerol), piroxicam (Feldene) or propoxyphene (Darvocet, Darvon, Wygesic).

Take Kaletra with food to increase the absorption of the drug by the body.

Kaletra may decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. To protect against pregnancy, use a second method of birth control while taking Kaletra.

What you should find out before taking Kaletra

Before taking Kaletra, tell your doctor if you have:
- any type of liver disease;
- a history of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas);
- diabetes; or
- hemophilia.

You may not be able to take lopinavir an ritonavir, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.

Kaletra is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether Kaletra will be harmful to an unborn baby. It is very important to treat HIV/AIDS during pregnancy to reduce the risk of infecting the unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about treatment options if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment. .

It is not known whether Kaletra passes into breast milk and

What effect it may have on a nursing baby. To prevent transmission of the virus to uninfected babies, it is recommended that HIV-positive mothers not breastfeed.

How should take Kaletra

Take Kaletra exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.

Take each dose with a full glass (8 ounces) of water.

Take Kaletra with food to increase the absorption of the drug by the body.

Kaletra along with didanosine (ddI, Videx) should be taken at least 2 and a half hours apart from one another to prevent an interaction.

To ensure that you get the correct dose, measure the liquid form of Kaletra with a dose-measuring spoon or cup, not a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

It is important to take Kaletra regularly to get the most benefit.

Treatment of HIV/AIDS almost always requires the use of two or more drugs. If you need to stop taking one of the medicines you are taking for HIV, you should stop all of them until you can talk to your doctor.

Your doctor may want you to have blood tests or other medical evaluations during treatment with Kaletra to monitor progress and side effects.

Keep this medication out of the reach of children. The Kaletra brand of lopinavir and ritonavir contains a large amount of alcohol. An overdose of Kaletra by a toddler or young child could be fatal.

Refrigerate the Kaletra capsules and solution if possible. Under refrigeration, the medication will remain stable until the expiration date printed on the prescription label. If you store Kaletra at room temperature, the medication should be used within 2 months and any medicine not used within this time should be thrown away.

If you miss a dose:

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and only take the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this medication unless your doctor directs otherwise.

What happens if you overdose:

Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected.

Symptoms of a Kaletra overdose are unknown.

Avoid while taking Kaletra

Follow your doctor's instructions with respect to high-risk activities such as unprotected sex and the sharing of needles. Kaletra is not a cure for HIV or AIDS, and you can still transmit the virus to others during therapy with this medication.

Possible side effects of Kaletra

Stop taking Kaletra and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately if you experience.
- an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives);
- pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) including symptoms of nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain;
- liver problems.

Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take Kaletra and talk to your doctor if you experience
- diarrhea or abnormal stools (bowel movements);
- nausea, tiredness, weakness, or dizziness;
- rash;
- changes in blood sugar levels or changes in blood triglyceride or cholesterol levels;
- changes in body fat (increased fat in the upper back and neck, breast, and abdomen and loss of fat from the face, legs, and arms).

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What other drugs will affect Kaletra

Some drugs are not recommended to be taken with Kaletra. Very high levels of these medications, which could occur during therapy with Kaletra, could be life threatening. See the "

What you should find out before taking Kaletra" section for a detailed list.

In addition, before taking Kaletra, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
- phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);
- sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra) or tadalafil (Cialis);
- a tricyclic antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil), desipramine (Norpramin), nortriptyline (Pamelor), imipramine (Tofranil), and others;
- warfarin (Coumadin);
- cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral), tacrolimus (Prograf), sirolimus (Rapamune);
- methadone (Dolophine, Methadose);
- a stomach or ulcer medication such as cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid), ranitidine (Zantac), esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), pantoprazole (Protonix), omeprazole (Prilosec), or rabeprazole (Aciphex);
- dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol, others);
- dapsone;
- disulfiram (Antabuse);
- a cholesterol medicine including atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), and simvastatin (Zocor);
- theophylline (Theo-Dur, Theo-Bid, Theolair, Theochron, others);
- metronidazole (Flagyl), erythromycin (Ery-Tab, E-Mycin, Eryc, E.E.S., PCE, others), clarithromycin (Biaxin) or clindamycin (Cleocin);
- a calcium channel blocker such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor XR, Tiazac, Diltia XT), felodipine (Plendil), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), or nimodipine (Nimotop), verapamil (Calan, Covers-HS ,Isoptin, Verelan), amlodipine (Norvasc, Lotrel); nisoldipine (Sular), isradipine (DynaCirc);
- itraconazole (Sporanox) or ketoconazole (Nizoral); or
- an HIV/AIDS medicine such as delavirdine (Rescriptor), efavirenz (Sustiva), or nevirapine (Viramune).

You may not be able to take Kaletra, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicines listed above.

Kaletra may decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. To protect against pregnancy, use a second method of birth control while taking Kaletra.

Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Kaletra. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.