Nevirapine
Nevirapine is an NNRTI antiviral taken with other medicines to treat HIV infection; PockDose stocks it as Viramune 200mg tablets for daily use.
How nevirapine works against HIV
Nevirapine is an antiviral for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the infection that attacks the immune system and can lead to AIDS without treatment. It belongs to the NNRTI group — non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. HIV reproduces by copying its genetic material with an enzyme called reverse transcriptase; nevirapine binds to that enzyme and stops it working, so the virus cannot build new copies of itself. Fewer copies means less virus in the blood, and keeping the virus suppressed protects the immune system over the long term. Nevirapine is not used on its own: it is one component of a combination HIV regimen, and it does not clear the virus from the body.
Taking the 200mg tablet
Rash is most likely in the first weeks, and that is why Viramune is started low. Each 200mg tablet goes down with water: one a day for the first fortnight, then one in the morning and one in the evening from week three. If treatment is interrupted for a week or more, it begins again with the two-week lead-in instead of the full dose.
Side effects to know about
Rash, nausea, headache, tiredness, diarrhoea and aching muscles are the effects people report most often. Two reactions are serious. Nevirapine can damage the liver, sometimes severely, and it can set off severe skin and allergic reactions; both are most likely in the first weeks and months. A rash with fever, blisters or swelling of the face or throat, or yellowing of the skin or eyes with dark urine and pain under the right ribs, needs urgent treatment. Anyone who has had to stop nevirapine because of a reaction like this does not start it again.
Interactions and storage
St John's wort reduces the amount of nevirapine in the blood. Nevirapine also interacts with other medicines, including rifampicin for tuberculosis, the antifungal ketoconazole, methadone and some other HIV antivirals. Tablets keep well below 30°C in their original pack.
Nevirapine at PockDose
One nevirapine product is stocked: the 200mg tablet, in the HIV Management range. The same ingredient is sold under other brand names in other markets, but the 200mg tablet is the form available here.
Sources
- Nevirapine: MedlinePlus Drug Information — National Library of Medicine
- About HIV - CDC — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Where can I buy Nevirapine in Hong Kong?
Nevirapine can be ordered online with delivery to Hong Kong. The listed option is generic Viramune tablets in 200mg. If a parcel does not arrive within the delivery window or arrives damaged, it is sent again free, or the order is refunded if that is not possible.
What is the price of Nevirapine?
Viramune is priced per pack: its page lists every strength and pack size with the current price in HKD or your chosen currency.
Do I need a prescription to order Nevirapine?
PockDose does not ask you to upload a prescription when you order nevirapine. See the ordering FAQ for details.
What is another name for nevirapine?
Viramune is a brand name of nevirapine. Here, nevirapine can be bought online as generic Viramune. These are generics, not the original brand.
Is Viramune the same as nevirapine?
Viramune is a brand name for nevirapine, so the tablet contains the same active ingredient either way. Other companies sell nevirapine under different brand names in some countries, and plain nevirapine tablets exist too. The 200mg tablet here is the Viramune version.
Why does nevirapine start with one tablet a day?
The first two weeks are a trial run for the skin. Rash is the usual early problem, and a lower starting dose makes it less likely. From week three the dose goes up to two 200mg tablets a day, one in the morning and one in the evening.
Does nevirapine cause a rash?
It can, and that is the most common reason people ask about it. A mild rash in the first weeks is usual. A rash with fever, blisters, mouth sores or a swollen face is a different matter and points to one of the serious reactions.
What happens if I stop nevirapine for a few days?
HIV treatment depends on steady dosing, because gaps give the virus a chance to adapt to the drug and can make later treatment harder. After a break of a week or more, treatment starts again with the lead-in of one 200mg tablet daily for 14 days.
How long do I need to take nevirapine?
HIV treatment is long-term. Nevirapine keeps the virus suppressed only while it is taken every day, so most people stay on it as part of their regimen for years rather than weeks or months.