ADAP drugs: atovaquone

atovaquone (Mepron)

Drug description
Atovaquone is approved for the treatment of mild to moderate PCP pneumonia in people who are intolerant to standard treatments. Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, commonly referred to as PCP, can affect the lungs as well as other parts of the body, including the skin and internal organs. People who are at the greatest risk of contracting this type of pneumonia are those who have less than 200 T4 cells. Symptoms of PCP include shortness of breath, dry cough, and fever. PCP seems to occur very frequently in women as a first or second AIDS-defining illness. Diagnosis in women is often delayed and the illness may be severe by the time it is detected. Atovaquone is being studied for prevention of PCP, and treatment of toxoplasmosis. Because it is not always well absorbed, a new suspension formulation has now been approved.

Side effects
Atovaquone is well tolerated and appears to be less toxic for treatment of PCP than standard therapies such as TMP/SMX, given orally or intravenously, and intravenous doses of pentamidine. The most common side effects are headache, nausea, diarrhea, rash and fever.

Dosage
Adults take 750 mg 3 times per day with meals to improve absorption. With the new suspension formulation it may not be necessary to take with food.

How long it may take to work
Treatment is for 3 weeks or until resolution of symptoms.

Managing side effects
Eating dry salty foods and not lying down right after you eat can help reduce nausea. Tylenol can help with fever.

This information is specific to the use of this medication for HIV-related conditions. For additional information about this drug for other conditions, refer to: www.nursespdr.com/ and www.healthanswers.com/Library/library_fset.asp

The drug descriptions on these pages are intended for informational purposes only. The Network does not promote or endorse the use of any specific treatment for any health-related condition. The medications described here can only be dispensed by a licensed health care professional. The information may have changed since these pages were updated, though every effort is made to keep these pages current. Please contact The Network at (800) 734-7104 to make sure you have the most up-to-date information

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