indinavir

26 August 2012. Related: ARVs, PIs.

No longer recommended in the UK.

in-DIN-a-veer

• Indinavir (tradename Crixivan in Europe) is a protease inhibitor that was generally used with a boosting dose of ritonavir. Indinavir is now rarely used in any country.
• Standard adult dose: 2 x 400 mg capsules, twice daily. Each dose taken with a separate 100 mg dose of ritonavir. Other doses have been studied.
• Side effects: crystals in the urine, kidney stones, hair loss, dry skin, ingrowing toe nails, frozen shoulder, yellow eyes and skin (jaundice), changes in lipids (blood fat) which should be routinely monitored, lipodystrophy (fat accumulation) and diarrhoea.
• Other notes: this drug is now rarely used because alternative newer drugs have much fewer side effects. Do not take with atazanavir.

Further information

Information on indinavir side effects from the i-Base side effects guide.

Information on lipodystrophy from the i-Base side effects guide.

The European patient information and detailed Product Information for indinavir are available from this link on the European Medicines Agency (EMA) website.

The Patient Information is a simplified summary: what the drug is, why it is used, results from studies and cautions including side effects.

The Product Information is a detailed technical summary that you can access as a PDF file by clicking the ‘Product Information’ tab. It describes more precisely how the drug works and how it is processed by your body. This includes, for example, reported food interaction studies in terms of calories or fat content. It includes more details of the study results and a full list of side effects and drug interactions.