Genvoya interactions: Alcohol, medications, and other factors

Genvoya interactions with other medications  

Before you start treatment with Genvoya, tell your doctor and pharmacist which prescription, over-the-counter, and other medications you take. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Genvoya interacts with supplements, herbs, or vitamins, see the “Genvoya and other interactions” section.)

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Here’s a table of drugs that can interact with Genvoya. Keep in mind that this table doesn’t include all drugs that may interact with Genvoya. Some of these interactions are described in detail in “Drug interactions in depth.”

* For more information, see the “When to avoid Genvoya” section.

When to avoid Genvoya

In some cases, factors or conditions could prevent your doctor from prescribing Genvoya due to the risk of harm. These are known as contraindications. The Genvoya contraindications include:

Taking certain drugs that affect the breakdown of Genvoya

Doctors typically will not prescribe Genvoya in combination with certain drugs that affect the breakdown of Genvoya.

This is because certain medications speed up the activity of an enzyme (protein) that helps break down Genvoya in the body. By speeding up this enzyme, certain medications may cause Genvoya to leave your body more quickly than it should. This may lead to a low level of Genvoya in your system.

Having a low level of Genvoya in your body could make the drug less effective for treating HIV. This could also cause HIV to become resistant to Genvoya and similar medications. As a result, Genvoya and certain other HIV treatments may not work as well.

Below are examples of medications and supplements that can affect the breakdown of Genvoya:

• certain antiseizure drugs such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol, others), phenobarbital (Sezaby), and phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek)
• rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)
• St. John’s wort (see “Genvoya and other interactions”)

Keep in mind that the list above doesn’t include all medications that may affect Genvoya.

Before taking Genvoya, talk with your doctor about other medications you take. They can decide whether to prescribe Genvoya or an alternative treatment.

Taking certain drugs that Genvoya affects

Doctors typically avoid prescribing Genvoya with certain drugs if Genvoya may affect their breakdown.

This is because Genvoya slows down the activity of an enzyme that helps break down certain medications in the body. By slowing this enzyme, Genvoya may prevent certain drugs from leaving your body as well as they should. This may lead to high levels of these drugs in your system, which can increase your risk of side effects from them.

Below are examples of medications that Genvoya can affect:

• alfuzosin (Uroxatrol)
• lomitapide (Juxtapid)
• sildenafil (Revatio), when prescribed for pulmonary arterial hypertension
• ergot alkaloids, such as methylergonovine, ergotamine (Ergomar), and dihydroergotamine (Migranal, Trudehsa)
• certain antipsychotics, such as lurasidone (Latuda) and pimozide
• certain benzodiazepines, such as triazolam (Halcion) and oral midazolam
• certain statins, such as lovastatin (Altoprev) and simvastatin (FloLipid, Zocor)

Keep in mind that the list above doesn’t include all medications affected by Genvoya.

Before taking Genvoya, talk with your doctor about other medications you take. They can decide whether to prescribe Genvoya or an alternative treatment.

Note:Before you start treatment with Genvoya, it’s important to tell your doctor if these contraindications apply to you. They can determine whether to prescribe Genvoya.

Genvoya and alcohol

There aren’t any known interactions between Genvoya and alcohol. However, your doctor may advise you to avoid or limit alcohol consumption during Genvoya treatment.

This is because drinking alcohol while taking the drug may worsen some of Genvoya’s side effects. For example, you may have worsened diarrhea, fatigue, or headache.

In addition, consuming large amounts of alcohol can cause liver damage. Genvoya may also cause liver problems as a side effect. This means that drinking alcohol during Genvoya treatment may increase the risk of liver problems.

If you have questions about drinking alcohol while taking Genvoya, talk with your doctor.

Drug interactions in depth

Here’s a closer look at certain drug interactions of Genvoya.

Immunosuppressants

Immunosuppressants are prescribed for many purposes. Examples include preventing organ rejection after a transplant and treating certain cancers.

Interaction result: Taking Genvoya with immunosuppressants can increase the risk of side effects from either drug.

Interaction explained: Certain immunosuppressants may slow down the activity of proteins that help move Genvoya throughout your body. This can cause Genvoya to leave your system more slowly than it should, which may lead to high levels of the drug in your system. Having a high level of Genvoya could increase your risk of the drug’s side effects.

Genvoya may also slow the activity of an enzyme (protein) that breaks down certain immunosuppressants in your system. As a result, the level of the immunosuppressant may be high, which increases your risk of side effects from the drug.

Examples of immunosuppressant drugs: Here are some immunosuppressants that may interact with Genvoya:

• temsirolimus (Torisel)
• tacrolimus (Astagraf XL, Prograf, others)
• sirolimus (Fyarro, Rapamune, others)
• everolimus (Afinitor, Zortress)
• cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, others)

Steps you or your doctor may take: Before starting Genvoya treatment, tell your doctor if you’re taking an immunosuppressant. They can recommend whether it’s safe to take these medications together.

If your doctor prescribes these drugs together, they may lower your dosage of the immunosuppressant. This could help reduce your risk of side effects. Your doctor may also give you frequent blood tests to check the level of the immunosuppressant in your system and closely monitor for any side effects of Genvoya.

To learn more about Genvoya and immunosuppressants, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Statins

Statins are prescribed to treat high cholesterol and lower certain heart-related risks.

Interaction result: Taking Genvoya with a statin may increase your risk of side effects from the statin.

Interaction explained: Genvoya slows down the activity of an enzyme that helps break down statins in your body. By slowing this enzyme, Genvoya may cause a statin drug to leave your system more slowly than is typical. This could result in a high level of the statin in your body, increasing your risk of side effects.

Examples of statin drugs: Here are some statins that may interact with Genvoya:

• lovastatin (Altoprev)
• simvastatin (FloLipid, Zocor)
• pitavastatin (Livalo, Zypitamag)
• atorvastatin (Atorvaliq, Lipitor)
• rosuvastatin (Crestor)

Steps you or your doctor may take: Before starting Genvoya treatment, tell your doctor if you’re taking a statin. They can advise you on whether it’s safe for you to take these medications together.

Doctors typically will not prescribe Genvoya with lovastatin or simvastatin. However, they may prescribe Genvoya with a different statin drug. If so, they’ll likely prescribe the statin at a lower dosage than is typical. Doing so could help reduce your risk of side effects.

To learn more about Genvoya and statins, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Sildenafil

Sildenafil (Revatio, Viagra) is prescribed to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and erectile dysfunction (ED).

Interaction result: Taking Genvoya with sildenafil can increase the risk of side effects from sildenafil.

Interaction explained: Genvoya slows down the activity of an enzyme that breaks down sildenafil in your system. As a result, the level of sildenafil in your body may be high. This could increase your risk of side effects from sildenafil.

Steps you or your doctor may take: Doctors typically will not prescribe Genvoya with sildenafil when the drug is used for PAH. For this use, sildenafil is only given in a hospital. If you’re prescribed Genvoya, your doctor can recommend alternative treatment options for PAH.

However, doctors may still prescribe Genvoya with sildenafil to treat ED. In this case, they’ll typically prescribe a lower sildenafil dosage to help reduce the risk of side effects.

To learn more about Genvoya and sildenafil, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Genvoya and other interactions

Genvoya may have other interactions, such as with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. You’ll find details below. Keep in mind that the following information does not include all other possible interactions with Genvoya.

Genvoya interactions with supplements

Genvoya may interact with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) supplements and certain mineral supplements. These include aluminum, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. These supplements may attach to Genvoya and prevent your body from absorbing the drug. As a result, the level of Genvoya in your system may be too low for the drug to be effective.

Before taking Genvoya with any supplements, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can recommend options for preventing supplements from affecting the level of Genvoya in your system.

For example, they may advise you to take Genvoya at least 2 hours before or after sodium bicarbonate and mineral supplements. Doing so will help prevent the supplement from interfering with Genvoya.

Before you start treatment with Genvoya, tell your doctor and pharmacist which supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions.

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Genvoya interactions with herbs

Genvoya may interact with the herbs below:

• echinacea, which can boost your immune system
• St. John’s wort, which can ease symptoms of depression and other conditions

Taking either of these herbal products during Genvoya treatment could make Genvoya less effective. Your doctor or pharmacist can suggest alternatives to these herbs.

Genvoya interactions with vitamins or minerals

There are no specific reports of vitamins interacting with Genvoya. However, taking Genvoya with certain minerals, such as aluminum, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc, could make Genvoya less effective.

Before you start Genvoya treatment, tell your doctor and pharmacist which vitamins and minerals you take. They’ll advise you to take Genvoya at least 2 hours before or after any products that contain the minerals above. Doing so may help prevent these minerals from affecting the level of Genvoya in your system.

It’s also important to note that some multivitamins may also contain minerals. Talk with your doctor to determine which multivitamin is best for you.

Genvoya interactions with food

Genvoya may interact with grapefruit products. This is because grapefruit and grapefruit juice may slow the breakdown of Genvoya in your body. This could raise the level of Genvoya in your system, increasing your risk of side effects from Genvoya.

Due to this risk, your doctor may advise you to limit consumption or avoid grapefruit products while you’re taking Genvoya.

Although sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) supplements may interact with Genvoya, the quantity of baking soda in foods is much less than what’s in a supplement. For this reason, it should be safe to consume baking soda in foods during Genvoya treatment.

If you have additional questions or want more information about eating certain foods during Genvoya treatment, talk with your doctor.

Genvoya and vaccines

There aren’t any known interactions between Genvoya and vaccines. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist to see whether you’re due for any vaccines.

Genvoya and lab tests

Genvoya isn’t known to interact with any lab tests. If you have concerns about this medication interacting with lab tests, talk with your doctor.

For additional information, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

GENVOYA INTERACTION WITH CANNABIS OR CBD

Cannabis (often called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have been specifically reported to interact with Genvoya. Taking Genvoya with cannabis or cannabis products may increase the risk of side effects of Genvoya.

Before you start treatment with Genvoya, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you use cannabis. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions.

Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many U.S. states to varying degrees.

Genvoya and health-related interactions

Certain medical conditions and other factors may increase the risk of interactions with Genvoya. Before you take this drug, be sure to talk with your doctor about your health history. Genvoya may not be the right treatment option if you have certain medical conditions or other factors affecting your health.

Health conditions or factors that might interact with Genvoya include:

• Severe kidney or liver conditions: Before taking Genvoya, tell your doctor if you have a severe kidney or liver condition. Examples include kidney failure and liver failure. These conditions may cause Genvoya to build up in your body, increasing the risk of the drug’s side effects. Your doctor may prescribe a different HIV treatment instead of Genvoya.
• Mental health conditions: If you’ve ever had a mental health condition, such as depression, talk with your doctor before starting Genvoya. Having a mental health condition may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviors as a side effect of the drug. Your doctor can recommend whether Genvoya is a safe treatment option.
• Risk of worsening hepatitis B: Genvoya has a boxed warning about the risk of worsening hepatitis B. This is a serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A boxed warning alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous. For details, see the boxed warning at the top of this article.
• Allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Genvoya or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Genvoya. Taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask them about other treatments that may be better choices for you.
• Breastfeeding: Genvoya passes into breast milk, but the effects Genvoya may have on a child who is breastfed are unknown. In general, it’s recommended that people with HIV avoid breastfeeding to help prevent HIV from spreading to the breastfed child. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to, talk with your doctor before starting Genvoya. They can advise you on treatment options and ways to feed a child.
• Pregnancy: There haven’t been enough clinical trials to determine whether Genvoya is safe to take during pregnancy. Still, Genvoya is not recommended for HIV treatment during pregnancy. This is because the level of Genvoya in the body during pregnancy may not be high enough to treat HIV. If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, tell your doctor before starting Genvoya. They can advise you on the right treatment plan for you.

Note: If you’re prescribed Genvoya while pregnant, you may wish to consider enrolling in the drug’s pregnancy registry. This registry collects information about any pregnancy-related issues that occur when Genvoya is taken during pregnancy. To learn more, call 800-258-4263 or visit the registry website. You can also talk with your doctor.

Preventing interactions

You can take certain steps to help prevent interactions with Genvoya. Your doctor and pharmacist are key resources, so reach out to them before starting treatment. For example, you should plan to do the following:

• Let them know if you drink alcohol or use cannabis.
• Tell them about any other medications you take, as well as any supplements, herbs, and vitamins.
• Create a medication listTrusted Source, which your doctor and pharmacist can help you fill out.

It’s also important to read the Genvoya label and other paperworkTrusted Source that may come with the drug. The label may have colored stickers that mention an interaction. And the paperwork, sometimes called the medication guide or patient package insert, may contain details about interactions.

If Genvoya doesn’t come with paperwork, you can ask your pharmacist to print a copy. If you need help reading or understanding this information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

You can also help prevent interactions with Genvoya by taking it exactly as your doctor prescribes.

Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.