Description

Indinavir is an antiviral medication. It is in a category of HIV medicines called protease (PRO-tee-ayz) inhibitors. Indinavir prevents HIV from multiplying in your body. Indinavir is used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Manufacturer:		Average Delivery Time: 12 Days
Brand Name: Indinavir		Exp. Date: Approx. March 2009

What Is Indinavir?
Indinavir sulfate (Crixivan®) is a prescription medicine used as a treatment for HIV and AIDS.

(Click What Is Indinavir Used For? for more information on what indinavir is used for, including possible off-label uses.)

Indinavir Side Effects
As with any medicine, side effects are possible with indinavir. However, not everyone who takes the drug will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider. Serious side effects are less common.

Common side effects of indinavir include, but are not limited to:

Abdominal pain (stomach pain)
Nausea
Kidney stones
Vomiting.

(Click Side Effects of Indinavir to learn more, including potentially serious side effects that you should report immediately to your healthcare provider.)

Indinavir: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?
You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking indinavir if you have:

A history of kidney stones
Liver disease, such as liver failure, cirrhosis, or hepatitis
Diabetes
Hemophilia
Kidney disease, such as kidney failure (renal failure)
Any allergies, including allergies to food, dyes, or preservatives.

Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:

Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant (see Crixivan and Pregnancy)
Breastfeeding (see Crixivan and Breastfeeding).

Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about all other medicines you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.



How Does Indinavir Work?
Indinavir is part of a group of HIV medications known as protease inhibitors. These medicines work by blocking a process that the HIV virus needs in order to multiply.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS. Like other viruses, HIV must use a person's own cells to reproduce. Once inside an infected cell, the HIV virus uses the cell to make DNA (to make new HIV viruses that can spread to other cells). The DNA is made in long strands that must be clipped into shorter, usable strands using enzymes called proteases.

Indinavir is a protease inhibitor, which means that it stops protease enzymes from clipping DNA into short strands. Since the long, unclipped DNA strands cannot be used to make new viruses, this helps stop the spread of HIV to other uninfected cells.

Indinavir is not a cure for HIV or AIDS. It can help stop HIV from infecting uninfected cells in the body, but it does not help cells that have already been infected with the virus.