This product contains 3 different medications: emtricitabine, rilpivirine, and tenofovir. It is used to help control HIV infection. It helps to decrease the amount of HIV in your body so your immune system can work better. This lowers your chance of getting HIV complications (such as new infections, cancer) and improves your quality of life. Emtricitabine and tenofovir belong to a class of drugs known as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). Rilpivirine belongs to a class of drugs known as non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). Emtricitabine/rilpivirine/tenofovir is not a cure for HIV infection. To decrease your risk of spreading HIV disease to others, do all of the following: (1) continue to take all HIV medications exactly as prescribed by your doctor, (2) always use an effective barrier method (latex or polyurethane condoms/dental dams) during all sexual activity, and (3) do not share personal items (such as needles/syringes, toothbrushes, and razors) that may have contacted blood or other body fluids. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
Read the Patient Information Leaflet if available from your pharmacist before you start taking this medication and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Take this medication by mouth with food as directed by your doctor, usually once daily. Medications which reduce or block stomach acid (such as proton pump inhibitors/PPIs, H2 blockers, antacids) may reduce the absorption of rilpivirine, making it work less well. Do not take PPIs (such as omeprazole, lansoprazole) while using this medication. If you take antacids, take the antacids at least 2 hours before or at least 4 hours after this medication. If you take H2 blockers (such as famotidine, ranitidine), take them at least 12 hours before or at least 4 hours after this medication. It is very important to continue taking this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take less of this drug than prescribed or stop taking it even for a short time unless directed to do so by your doctor. Doing so may cause the amount of virus to increase and/or make the infection more difficult to treat (resistant). Do not increase your dose or take this medication more often than prescribed. Your condition will not improve any faster, and your risk of side effects may increase. For the best effect, take this medication at evenly spaced times. To help you remember, take this medication at the same time every day.
Headache, trouble sleeping, diarrhea, tiredness, dizziness, and skin discoloration (such as small spots/freckles, darkening of the palms of the hands/soles of the feet) may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. As your immune system gets stronger, it can begin to fight off infections you already had, possibly causing disease symptoms to come back. You could also have symptoms if your immune system becomes overactive. This reaction may happen at any time (soon after starting HIV treatment or many months later). Get medical help right away if you have any serious symptoms, including: unexplained weight loss, severe tiredness, muscle aches/weakness that doesn't go away, headaches that are severe or don't go away, joint pain, numbness/tingling of the hands/feet/arms/legs, vision changes, signs of infection (such as fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, trouble breathing, cough, non-healing skin sores), signs of an overactive thyroid (such as irritability, nervousness, heat intolerance, fast/pounding/irregular heartbeat, bulging eyes, unusual growth in the neck/thyroid known as a goiter), signs of a certain nerve problem known as Guillain-Barre syndrome (such as trouble breathing/swallowing/moving your eyes, drooping face, paralysis, trouble speaking), signs of liver disease (such as nausea/vomiting that doesn't stop, loss of appetite, stomach/abdominal pain, yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine). Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including: signs of kidney problems (such as change in the amount of urine, pink/bloody urine), mental/mood changes (such as depression, thoughts of suicide). Rarely, this medication can cause a severe (sometimes fatal) blood problem (lactic acidosis). Tell your doctor right away if you develop symptoms of lactic acidosis (such as deep/rapid breathing, drowsiness, nausea/vomiting, unusual weakness). Get medical help right away if you have any very serious side effects, including: fast/irregular heartbeat, severe dizziness, fainting. Changes in body fat may occur while you are taking this medication (such as increased fat in the upper back and stomach areas, decreased fat in the arms and legs). The cause and long-term effects of these changes are unknown. Discuss the risks and benefits of treatment with your doctor, as well as the possible use of exercise to reduce this side effect. Tenofovir may increase the risk of bone loss. Discuss the risks and benefits of treatment with your doctor, as well as the possible use of calcium and vitamin D to reduce this side effect. If you are at risk for bone loss, your doctor may monitor your bone mineral density. Tell your doctor right away if any of the following serious side effects occur: bone pain, easily broken bones. This medication can commonly cause a rash that is usually not serious. However, you may not be able to tell it apart from a rare rash that could be a sign of a severe reaction. Therefore, get medical help right away if you develop any rash. A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing. This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist. In the US - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch. In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Store this drug in its original bottle. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medications away from children and pets. Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company.
See also How to Use section. Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor's approval. Some products that may interact with this drug include: adefovir, orlistat, other drugs that may be harmful to the kidneys (including aminoglycosides such as amikacin/gentamicin), proton pump inhibitors (PPIs such as dexlansoprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole, omeprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole). Do not take this medication with other products that treat HIV infection, especially products that contain didanosine, emtricitabine, tenofovir, or lamivudine. In addition, do not take this medication with other products that contain rilpivirine, unless you are also taking rifabutin. Other medications can affect the removal of rilpivirine from your body, which may affect how this medication works. Examples include dexamethasone, macrolide antibiotics (such as erythromycin), rifamycins (such as rifampin, rifapentine), St. John's wort, certain drugs used to treat seizures (such as carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone), telithromycin, among others.
If someone has overdosed and has serious symptoms such as passing out or trouble breathing, call 911. Otherwise, call a poison control center right away. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include: fast/irregular heartbeat, severe dizziness, fainting.