Tenvir is an antiretroviral treatment for HIV-1 in adults when used alongside other anti-HIV medications. Each pill contains 300 mg of Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate. It is very effective; however, Tenvir needs to be included in a regimen of multiple antiretrovirals to prevent HIV-1 from advancing to AIDS.
One Tenvir tablet should be taken orally once a day, with or without food. Since Tenvir has been shown to impact kidney function, patients with a creatinine clearance of 30-49 mL/min should only take one dose every 48 hours. Those with a creatinine clearance of 10-29 mL/min can take one Tenvir pill twice a week, while patients undergoing hemodialysis should limit themselves to one pill every seven days or 12 hours post-dialysis. Patients known to be hypersensitive to Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate should avoid taking Tenvir.
Some mild side effects have been frequently reported by individuals using Tenvir, such as: nausea, rash, diarrhea, asthenia, vomiting, and flatulence. There are also some less common but serious side effects that have been recorded, including: renal impairment or failure, interstitial nephritis, Fanconi syndrome, hepatomegaly with steatosis, lactic acidosis, tubular necrosis, and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Patients taking Tenvir should inform their doctor if they notice any changes in their physical or mental health after starting the medication.
Some patients may exhibit symptoms of immune reconstitution syndrome upon initiating Tenvir. Those with hepatitis B might experience acute worsening of their hepatitis symptoms after stopping Tenvir. The safety and effectiveness of using Tenvir in patients infected with both hepatitis B and HIV have not yet been determined, and hepatitis patients should be monitored closely for several months following the cessation of Tenvir. Additionally, patients on Tenvir have reported a decrease in bone mineral density and osteomalacia. Using nephrotoxic drugs in conjunction with Tenvir may heighten the risk of kidney-related issues.
Tenvir should not be taken alongside didanosine, lamivudine, or abacavir, as these medications can sometimes compromise the effectiveness of Tenvir. Co-administering atazanavir or lopinavir/ritonavir with Tenvir may exacerbate its side effects, leading to the need to discontinue Tenvir if this occurs. Tenvir can reduce the AUC and Cmin of atazanavir; therefore, atazanavir should not be taken with Tenvir unless ritonavir is also used.
Laboratory studies have indicated no increased risk of birth defects when administering Tenvir to pregnant animals, and there are no documented cases of birth defects in humans linked to Tenvir; however, breastfeeding is discouraged for new mothers due to the potential risk of transmitting HIV to their infant.
Patients who exceed their prescribed dosage of Tenvir should be monitored for signs of toxicity and may need to undergo hemodialysis to eliminate the excess medication from their system.