What is Sustiva? How to Treat with Generic Efavirenz.

Generic Sustiva (Efavirenz 200 mg) Medication guide:

More facts about Generic Sustiva (Efavirenz 200 mg):

What is the medication marketed as Generic Sustiva? Why is it cheaper?

Sustiva is a brand of the antiretroviral (anti-HIV) medication owned by Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company. However, the active substance of the medication, Efavirenz, and the formula of the medication is known also by other drug manufacturers. It means that they can produce the same medications (what they actually do) but they cannot use the registered trademark Sustiva.

All of these medications are named differently but all of them have the name of the active substance Efavirenz indicated on the boxes of pills. These medications are collectively called Generic Sustiva or Generic Efavirenz. These aren’t registered names. In fact, they cannot even to be registered. These terms were introduced by the World Health Organization to identify the medications based on the known active substances and formulas but which are marketed not by the original drug developer. These are not knock off medications. They can be called replicas of the original medications but unlike replicas of the branded watches or other fashion or electronics items, they are no way inferior to the branded product because they are made using exactly the same materials. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any point in generic medications.

But how they are made then, why are they cheaper? Generic medications are a part of the WHO’s program on the better accessibility of the most effective medicines for all people around the world. For instance, the breakthrough medications are most likely to be discovered in the developed countries where people on average have higher incomes than people from the developing world. The manufacturers of these medications set quite high prices on their drugs which make them impossible to be used in the developing world. Considering this factors, the WHO obliges the developers of the original drugs to share their formulas with other pharmaceutical companies.

Obviously, there are some limitations. For instance, sometimes the generic drug makers have to wait till the exclusive patent expires. In other cases, they have the right to make the medication identical to the branded medicine right away but cannot market it in the countries where the branded medication is marketed. However, if you want to buy Generic Sustiva and it’s not available in your country, you can order it from our online pharmacy.

The production and marketing of the generics are cheaper for simple reasons: their manufacturers do not develop the formula, they do not advertise their medicines, and locate their facilities in the countries where it is cheaper to make preparations.

Why should buy Generic Sustiva?

The medication is prescribed for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus and prevention of the virus development. However, the medication is not used as a single-medicine treatment. It is combined with other antiretroviral drugs. But the combination therapies vary based on the accompanying conditions, the susceptibility of the strain of the virus to one or another medicine, and so on. Therefore, you should buy Generic Efavirenz only when your doctor precisely tells you to use Sustiva or its generic.

Human immunodeficiency virus is a serious condition which if left untreated or inappropriately treated can develop into AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome which in its turn leads to a total failure of the immune system and treat to the life of even the most harmless and mild infection. AIDS can also contribute to the development of various forms of cancers which is why it is crucial to diagnose and start the treatment of HIV as soon as you suspected that you have been in a contact with a person who is supposedly infected.

If you are HIV-positive, you must also make your sexual partner get checked for the virus and inform your doctors, including dentists that you are a carrier of the virus because they can get infected through your body fluids. The ways of the virus to spread are an unprotected sexual contact, any contact of wounds, scratches, and other skin or mucosa damages with the body fluids of the infected person, and from mother to the baby in the womb.

For whom Generic Efavirenz is contraindicated?

The only contraindication for the medication use is hypersensitivity, i.e. allergic reactions to the drug. However, the medication is also contraindicated to be used along with some other medicines. In order to know with what medicines you must not combine Efavirenz, read the respective section below.

Can the medication be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding?

The medication is considered to be safe for use in women who are expecting a baby but the medication penetrates the breast milk. Although it can be used while you breastfeed, it is important to check that the baby doesn’t have any contraindications for the medication use.

How to use the preparation?

When you order Generic Sustiva, you may wonder whether the medication is used in the same way as the branded medicine or not. The answer is – the drugs are used in absolutely the same way.

Considering that the condition which the medication treats is a life-threatening one, you must follow your doctor’s recommendations on the pills use. However, in this article we still provide the generally recommended dosages from the official instruction.

Generic Efavirenz is taken along with the inhibitors of proteases and/or nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). The pills are advised to be taken on an empty stomach because the probability and severity of side effects increases when the preparation is taken with food. It is advised to take the pills before sleep in order to reduce the adverse effects manifestation from the side of the central nervous system. The recommended daily dosage for adults is 600 mg a day.

In the combination of the preparation use with Voriconazole (Vfend), the dosage is cut in 2 (the daily dose would be 300 mg), and the maintenance dose of Voriconazole is increased to 400 mg taken every 12 hours. If after the combined therapy the cessation of Voriconazole is chosen, the initial dosage of 600 mg of Sustiva is restored.

The therapy with Rifampicin requires the increase of Generic Sustiva daily dosage to 800 mg.

Dosages for children

The recommended dosage of the preparation for children from 3 to 17 years of age is calculated based on the body weight. The capsules are given to children who are able to swallow the capsules entirely. For toddlers, the content of the capsules can be mixed with small portions of food.

- Children with the body weight over 40 kg are advised to take 600 mg a day.
- Children with the body weight from 32.5 kg to 40 kg are advised to take 400 mg a day.
- Children with the body weight from 25 kg to 32.5 kg are advised to take 350 mg a day.
- Children with the body weight from 20 kg to 25 kg are advised to be administered 300 mg a day.
- Children with the body weight from 15 kg to 20 kg are advised to be administered 250 mg a day.
- Children with the body weight from 13 kg to 15 kg are advised to be administered 200 mg a day.

Possible adverse reactions the therapy with the preparation can cause

As any other medication, Generic Sustiva can cause certain negative reactions and it doesn’t matter whether you order Sustiva or generic drug based on Efavirenz the likelihood is the same. The most common side effects include rash, nausea, headache, and feeling of tiredness.

Other negative effects include dizziness, insomnia or sleepiness, seizures, tremor, inability to concentrate, and others. These symptoms typically occur during the first or second day of the therapy and usually disappear within 2-4 weeks of the uninterrupted medication use. It is observed that these symptoms are more likely to occur if the preparation is taken with the food possibly due to the increased concentration of the substance in the blood.

The medication can also cause serious mental disorders such as depressive states, suicidal tendencies, delirium, aggressive behavior, paranoid and manic reactions. In the majority of cases, these conditions develop in people who had depression or any deviations of the mental state before.

Interactions with other medicines

We have already mentioned, the preparation needs to be combined with certain medications such as the inhibitors of proteases and/or nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) for the best antiretroviral effect. However, with some medications Efavirenz can be incompatible. For instance, the medication must not be used at the same time with terfenadine, astemizole, cisapride, midazolam or triazolam, and ergot alkaloids because the combination can cause serious and/or life-threatening adverse effects, including cardiac arrhythmias, prolongation of sedative effect or respiratory depression.

Overdose signs and therapy

In an overdose, the enhancement of neurological adverse reactions is observed. In order to wash out the excess of the medication from the body, you can take activated carbon. If the side effects are severe, you should seek medical assistance as symptomatic treatment and monitoring of the vital functions is needed.

Where to buy Sustiva?

If you have a prescription, you can purchase the medication at almost any drugstore. However, in order to save on the treatment without compromising the efficacy, you can order Efavirenz from our online drugstore.

Sustiva Shipping

We will ship your pills wherever you live. However, please note that the price on this page doesn’t include the shipping cost or custom duties of your country.