Fortunately, taking these two medications simultaneously has no adverse effect on a user. However, this does not necessarily mean that they should be taken without proper consultation. It is always advisable to consult a doctor or a general health care provider before combining any ARVs.
Isentress is a medication that belongs to the class of antiretroviral drugs known as integrase inhibitors. It was actually the first medicine in this class to gain approval from the Food and Drug Administration of the United States [1]. This drug is mainly used to reduce the viral load of HIV patients and prevent the virus from spreading in the human body. It is important to note that Isentress is not a cure for HIV or AIDS. Rather, it merely helps manage the infection.
The active component in Isentress is raltegravir that is responsible for the main action of the drug. This medication should be used only in adults or children who weigh at least 2 kilograms.
Before using Isentress, it is important to consult a doctor, especially if a patient has any allergies. This would enable an individual to know if they should commence the medication. Patients who have kidney or liver diseases should inform their doctor of their medical history.
Isentress should be taken according to the exact dosage prescribed by a doctor. Failure to adhere to the recommended dosage could result in complications or severe reactions.
Just like Isentress, Descovy is an antiretroviral medication used to combat HIV. This med is a balanced combination of emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide. These components work hand in hand to inhibit the duplication of the virus in the human body. When taken with some specific medications, Descovy can be used to treat children who weigh 25 kg at least. It can also be used by patients who weigh 35 kg and more when taken alongside other medications [2].
Although Descovy is a highly effective HIV medication, it ought to be taken with extreme care. Before commencing this med, it is important to ensure that one is not allergic to any of its active components.
One should also let a doctor know if they have any history of chronic diseases.
In a nutshell, Isentress (raltegravir) has no known interference with Descovy and vice versa. As such, these two medications work well together and can be taken simultaneously.
When Isentress (raltegravir) is administered with Descovy, the dose of the latter is usually 200/25 mg to be taken once quotidianly [3]. Though there is presently no concrete study regarding the interaction of the components contained in Descovy, there is no expected negative interaction between tenofovir alafenamide and raltegravir. What’s more, TAF does not affect the pathways for raltegravir metabolism and excretion. No major studies have been done on the consequences of mixing emtricitabine and raltegravir, but they are not expected to clash.
However, it is important to always consult a doctor before commencing any of these drugs. This would help avert any reactions or complications arising from misguided use.