Precautions

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

It is very important that your doctor check your or your child's progress at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Do not use this medicine if you or your child are also taking adefovir, Atripla®, Biktarvy®, Complera®, Descovy®, Genvoya®, Hepsera®, Odefsey®, Stribild®, Truvada®, or Vemlidy®. Tell your doctor right away if you or your child are using any of these medicines. Do not start using tenofovir until your doctor tells you to.

Two rare but serious reactions to this medicine are lactic acidosis (build-up of acid in the blood) and liver toxicity. These are more common if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking antiviral medicines for a long time. Call your doctor right away if you or your child have stomach discomfort or cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, a decreased appetite, general feeling of discomfort, muscle cramping or pain, unusual tiredness or weakness, trouble breathing, or yellow skin or eyes.

Do not change your dose or stop using this medicine, even for a short time, without talking to your doctor.

This medicine may increase your risk of having broken bones (fractures). Ask your doctor if you or your child have any concerns about this.

This medicine may increase the risk for kidney problems, including kidney failure. To reduce this risk, be sure to follow up with all blood tests your doctor may order, and avoid other medications that may injure the kidneys, such as certain other antiviral medicines or NSAID pain medicines.

Your immune system may get stronger when you start using HIV medicines. Tell your doctor right away if you or your child notice any changes in your health. Sometimes the immune system will start to fight infections that were hidden in your body, such as pneumonia or tuberculosis. Autoimmune disorders (eg, Graves' disease, polymyositis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome) may also occur.

This medicine does not decrease the risk of transmitting the HIV infection to others through sexual contact or by contaminated blood. Make sure you understand and practice safe sex, even if your partner also has HIV. Avoid sharing needles with anyone.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.