Descovy interactions: Alcohol, medications, and other factors

In some cases, factors or conditions could prevent your doctor from prescribing Descovy due to the risk of harm. These are known as contraindications. The contraindications of Descovy include:

Having HIV or unknown HIV status

Descovy should not be used for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in people with HIV or unknown HIV status. (PrEP refers to using HIV medications to help prevent HIV in people who do not have the virus but are at risk of contracting it.)

If a person with HIV uses Descovy for PrEP, the virus can become resistant to the drug. If this occurs, the drug may be less effective as a treatment for HIV.

Due to this risk, doctors will test for HIV before prescribing Descovy for PrEP. They’ll continue testing for HIV at least once every 3 months during treatment. If a positive HIV test occurs while taking Descovy for PrEP, a different medication will be prescribed for HIV treatment.

Note: Before you start treatment with Descovy, it’s important to tell your doctor if this contraindication applies to you. Keep in mind that Descovy can be used to treat HIV in certain situations. When used for this purpose, Descovy is taken in combination with other HIV medications. The drug is not used by itself to treat HIV. And the drug may not work as well for treating HIV in people who’ve already been taking the drug for PrEP. For details about Descovy’s use for HIV treatment, see this article.

There’s no known interaction between Descovy and alcohol.

If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor. They can recommend whether you should limit the amount of alcohol you consume while taking Descovy.

Before you start treatment with Descovy, tell your doctor and pharmacist which prescription, over-the-counter, and other medications you take. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Descovy interacts with supplements, herbs, or vitamins, see the “Descovy and other interactions” section below.)

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Here’s a table of drugs that can interact with Descovy. Keep in mind that this table doesn’t include all drugs that may interact with Descovy. Some of these interactions are described in detail just below in “Drug interactions in depth.”

* To learn more about Descovy’s side effects, see this article.

Here’s a closer look at certain drug interactions of Descovy.

Certain immunosuppressant drugs

Immunosuppressant drugs can be used for different purposes. Examples include the treatment of certain cancers and the prevention of organ rejection after a transplant.

Interaction result. Taking Descovy with certain immunosuppressants can increase the risk of side effects from Descovy.

Interaction explained. An enzyme called P-glycoprotein (P-gp) breaks down Descovy in the body. An enzyme is a type of protein. Your kidneys help remove Descovy from your body after it’s broken down.

Certain immunosuppressant drugs slow down the activity of P-gp and your kidneys. As a result, taking Descovy with these immunosuppressants could raise the level of Descovy in your body. And this could increase your risk of side effects with Descovy. (For details about Descovy’s side effects, see this article.)

Examples of immunosuppressant drugs. Below are immunosuppressants that may interact with Descovy:

• tacrolimus (Astagraf XL, Envarsus XR, Prograf)
• cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
• temsirolimus (Torisel)

Steps you or your doctor may take. If you take an immunosuppressant, be sure to tell your doctor before taking Descovy. They’ll advise you on whether these medications can be taken together.

If you do take Descovy with an immunosuppressant, your doctor may watch closely for side effects of Descovy.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used to reduce pain, inflammation, and fever.

Interaction result. Taking Descovy with NSAIDs can increase the risk of side effects from Descovy.

Interaction explained. Your kidneys help remove Descovy from your body after the drug is broken down. NSAIDs may slow down the activity of your kidneys, which could cause a high level of Descovy to remain in your system. Having a high level of the drug in your body could increase your risk of side effects with Descovy. (For details about Descovy’s side effects, see this article.)

Examples of NSAID drugs. Here are some NSAIDs that may interact with Descovy:

• aspirin
• ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
• naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn)

Steps you or your doctor may take. Before taking an NSAID with Descovy, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can recommend other options for treating pain, inflammation, or fever. An example is acetaminophen (Tylenol), which isn’t known to interact with Descovy.

Tipranavir when taken in combination with ritonavir

Tipranavir (Aptivus) is an HIV medication. It’s prescribed in combination with another HIV drug called ritonavir (Norvir).

Interaction result. Taking Descovy in combination with tipranavir and ritonavir can make Descovy less effective than usual.

Interaction explained. An enzyme called P-gp breaks down Descovy in your body. When tipranavir is taken with ritonavir, tipranavir can speed up the activity of P-gp. As a result, taking Descovy with tipranavir and ritonavir could lower the level of Descovy in your body. And having a low level of the drug could prevent Descovy from working as well as it should.

Steps you or your doctor may take. When used to treat HIV, Descovy is prescribed in combination with other HIV medications. However, due to the risk described above, doctors aren’t likely to prescribe Descovy with tipranavir and ritonavir. For this use, they’ll likely prescribe Descovy with other HIV medications instead.

Descovy may have other interactions, such as with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. You’ll find details below. Keep in mind that the following information does not include all other possible interactions with Descovy.

Descovy interactions with supplements

Before you start treatment with Descovy, tell your doctor and pharmacist which supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions.

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Descovy interactions with herbs

Taking Descovy with an herbal supplement called St. John’s wort could make Descovy less effective than usual. (St. John’s wort can be used to help treat depression and other conditions.)

Due to this risk, your doctor may advise you to avoid taking St. John’s wort with Descovy.

Descovy and vitamins

There are no specific reports of vitamins interacting with Descovy. However, that doesn’t mean vitamin interactions won’t occur or be recognized in the future. Because of this, you should talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any vitamin product with Descovy.

Descovy interactions with food

Eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking Descovy could raise the level of the drug in your body. Having a higher level of Descovy could increase your risk of side effects from the drug.* Your doctor may advise you to limit or avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking this drug.

If you have questions about what not to eat or drink while taking Descovy, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

* To learn more about Descovy’s side effects, see this article.

Descovy and vaccines

Descovy hasn’t been reported to interact with any vaccines. If you’d like to learn more about getting specific vaccines while taking Descovy, talk with your doctor.

Descovy and lab tests

Descovy hasn’t been reported to interact with any lab tests. If you’d like to learn more about getting certain lab tests while taking Descovy, talk with your doctor.

DESCOVY INTERACTION WITH CANNABIS OR CBD

Cannabis (often called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have been specifically reported to interact with Descovy. Taking Descovy with cannabis or cannabis products may increase the risk of side effects of Descovy.

Before you start treatment with Descovy, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you use cannabis. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions.

Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many U.S. states to varying degrees.

Certain medical conditions and other factors may increase the risk of interactions with Descovy. Before you take this drug, be sure to talk with your doctor about your health history. Descovy may not be the right treatment option if you have certain medical conditions or other factors affecting your health.

Health conditions or factors that might interact with Descovy include:

• Liver problems. Descovy may cause serious liver damage as a side effect. Your risk of this side effect may be higher if you already have a liver problem, such as fatty liver disease. Before taking Descovy, tell your doctor if you have a liver problem. They’ll help you decide whether Descovy is a safe treatment option.
• Kidney problems. Your kidneys help remove Descovy from your system. If you have a kidney problem, such as kidney failure, your body may not be able to get rid of Descovy as well as it should. This could cause the drug to build up in your system, which could raise your risk of side effects from the drug. Before taking Descovy, tell your doctor if you have a liver problem. They’ll recommend whether Descovy is a safe treatment option.
• Pregnancy. It’s unknown whether Descovy is safe to take during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor before you take Descovy. For details about the drug’s use during pregnancy, see this article.
• Breastfeeding. It’s recommended that you avoid breastfeeding while taking Descovy. The drug may pass into breast milk and cause side effects in a breastfed child. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to do so, talk with your doctor before starting Descovy treatment. To learn more about the drug’s use while breastfeeding, see this article.
• Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Descovy or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Descovy. Taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask them about other treatments that may be better choices for you.

Here are some frequently asked questions about Descovy and possible interactions.

Do other HIV medications, such as Truvada, have interactions that are similar to those of Descovy?

Yes, it’s possible for other HIV medications to have interactions that are similar to those of Descovy.

Descovy contains the active drugs emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide. Other HIV medications also contain one or both drugs. As a result, these medications may have similar interactions to Descovy. Examples include:

• emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (Truvada)
• bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (Biktarvy)
• elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (Genvoya)
• emtricitabine/rilpivirine/tenofovir alafenamide (Odefsey)
• cobicistat/elvitegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (Stribild)

To learn more about how interactions with Descovy compare with those of other HIV medications, talk with your doctor. You can also see these interaction articles for Biktarvy and Truvada.

You can take certain steps to help prevent interactions with Descovy. Your doctor and pharmacist are key resources, so reach out to them before starting treatment. For example, you should plan to do the following:

• Let them know if you use cannabis.
• Tell them about any other medications you take, as well as any supplements, herbs, and vitamins.
• Create a medication list, which your doctor and pharmacist can help you fill out.

It’s also important to read the Descovy label and other paperwork that may come with the drug. The label may have colored stickers that mention an interaction. And the paperwork, sometimes called the medication guide or patient package insert, may contain details about interactions. (If Descovy doesn’t come with paperwork, you can ask your pharmacist to print a copy.) If you need help reading or understanding this information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

You can also help prevent interactions with Descovy by taking it exactly as your doctor prescribes.

Besides learning about interactions, you may want to find out more about Descovy. These resources might help:

• Overview of Descovy. For a general overview of Descovy, you can see this article.
• Side effects. If you’re interested in the side effects of Descovy, see this article. Another option is to refer to the Descovy prescribing information.
• Descovy for PrEP. For information about how Descovy is used for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), see this article.
• Drug comparison. Explore how Descovy compares with Truvada and Biktarvy.
• Facts about your condition. To learn more about some of the conditions Descovy is used to treat, see our HIV and AIDs hub.

Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.