Emtricitabine / Rilpivirine / Tenofovir Side Effects
What should I watch for?
Visit your care team for regular checks on your progress. Discuss any new symptoms with your care team. You will need to have important blood work done while taking this medication.
This medication may cause serious skin reactions. They can happen weeks to months after starting the medication. Contact your care team right away if you notice fevers or flu-like symptoms with a rash. The rash may be red or purple and then turn into blisters or peeling of the skin. You may also notice a red rash with swelling of the face, lips, or lymph nodes in your neck or under your arms.
HIV is spread to others through sexual or blood contact. Talk to your care team about how to stop the spread of HIV.
If you have hepatitis B and HIV, talk to your care team if you plan to stop this medication. The symptoms of hepatitis B may get worse if you stop this medication.
What are the side effects?
Side effects that you should report to your care team as soon as possible:
- Allergic reactions—skin rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Bone pain
- High lactic acid level—muscle pain or cramps, stomach pain, trouble breathing, general discomfort and fatigue
- Kidney injury—decrease in the amount of urine, swelling of the ankles, hands, or feet
- Liver injury—right upper belly pain, loss of appetite, nausea, light-colored stool, dark yellow or brown urine, yellowing skin or eyes, unusual weakness or fatigue
- Muscle pain
- Muscle weakness
- Rash, fever, and swollen lymph nodes
- Thoughts of suicide or self-harm, worsening mood, feelings of depression
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your care team if they continue or are bothersome):
What may interact with this drug?
Do not take this medication with any of the following:
- Certain medications for seizures, such as carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin
- Certain medications for stomach problems, such as esomeprazole, pantoprazole, omeprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole
- Dexamethasone
- Lumacaftor; ivacaftor
- Rifampin
- Rifapentine
- St. John's Wort; Hypericum perforatum
This medication may also interact with the following:
- Certain antibiotics, such as clarithromycin, erythromycin, rifabutin, troleandomycin
- Certain medications for fungal infections, such as fluconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole
- Certain medications for stomach problems, such as aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, cimetidine, famotidine, nizatidine, ranitidine
- Certain medications for viral infections, such as cidofovir, acyclovir, adefovir dipivoxil, valacyclovir, ganciclovir, valganciclovir
- Methadone