Delavirdine; Nevirapine/St. John's Wort
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Severe. These medicines may interact and cause very harmful effects and are usually not taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
St. John's wort may cause your body to process your delavirdine or nevirapine more quickly.
What might happen:
St. John's wort may reduce the beneficial effects of your delavirdine or nevirapine and may cause your HIV to develop resistance to medicines like it.
What you should do about this interaction:
Let your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know right away that you are taking St. John's wort. You may need to have your NNRTI blood levels checked, and your CD4 count and viral load checked more often. Your doctor may want to change your NNRTI dose or you may need to stop taking St. John's wort. Let your healthcare providers know if you stop taking St. John's wort while you are taking your NNRTI.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
References:
1.Anonymous. From the Food and Drug Administration. JAMA 2000 Apr 5; 283(13):1679.
2.Rescriptor (delavirdine mesylate) US prescribing information. Pharmacia & Upjohn Company August, 2012.
3.Viramune (nevirapine) US prescribing information. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. November, 2011.
4.de Maat MM, Hoetelmans RM, Math t RA, van Gorp EC, Meenhorst PL, Mulder JW, Beijnen JH. Drug interaction between St John's wort and nevirapine. AIDS 2001 Feb 16;15(3):420-1.
