What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking this medicine?
Some drugs should not be used with cobicistat, elvitegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir. Your treatment plan may change if you also use:
- alfuzosin;
- cisapride;
- oral midazolam, or triazolam;
- rifampin;
- sildenafil (Revatio, for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension);
- St. John's wort;
- antipsychotic medicine --lurasidone, pimozide;
- cholesterol medication --lomitapide, lovastatin, simvastatin;
- ergot medicine --dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, methylergonovine; or
- seizure medicine --carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin.
Cobicistat, elvitegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir is a complete combination treatment and should not be used with other antiviral medications, especially those that contain adefovir, cobicistat, elvitegravir, emtricitabine, lamivudine, ritonavir, or tenofovir: Atripla, Biktarvy, Cimduo, Combivir, Complera, Descovy, Epivir, Epzicom, Evotaz, Hepsera, Kaletra, Norvir, Odefsey, Prezcobix, Symfi, Symtuza, Technivie, Triumeq, Trizivir, Tybost, Viekira, and others.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had:
- hepatitis B or other liver problems; or
- kidney disease.
You may develop lactic acidosis, a dangerous build-up of lactic acid in your blood. Ask your doctor about your risk.
This medicine may not work as well if you take it during pregnancy. Do not start taking the medicine if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant.
If you plan to get pregnant, ask your doctor for another antiviral medicine to use during pregnancy. To prevent HIV in a newborn baby, use all medications to control your infection during pregnancy. Your name may be listed on an antiviral pregnancy registry.
If you do not plan to get pregnant, ask your doctor about using a non-hormonal birth control (condom, diaphragm, cervical cap, or contraceptive sponge) to prevent pregnancy. Cobicistat, elvitegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir can increase certain side effects when taken with hormonal birth control (pills, injections, implants, skin patches, vaginal rings).
Women with HIV should not breastfeed. The virus can pass to your baby in your breast milk.