Daklinza

Brand name:

Daklinza

Daclatasvir should be used concomitantly with sofosbuvir in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection.

It works by inhibiting the NS5A protein found in the hepatitis C virus.

You can only purchase daclatasvir with a doctor’s prescription. It is sold as a tablet. It can be used with or without ribavirin.

Before you start treatment with daclatasvir, you and your physician need to talk about the pros and cons of using this medication.

You need to work together to determine whether daclatasvir is the right drug for your condition.

Tell your doctor if you have allergies to food, animals, preservatives, and/or other medications.

You should also inform him/her if you’ve had allergic reactions to daclatasvir or similar medications.

Not enough research has been done on pediatric patients regarding the effects of daclatasvir. Safety and efficacy of this drug haven’t been established.

However, adequate research has shown that daclatasvir is safe and effective to use in geriatric patients.

Not enough research has been done regarding the effects of this medication on pregnant women and the fetus. However, daclatasvir and sofosbuvir administered with ribavirin should not be given to pregnant women. Consider the risks and benefits carefully.

Adequate studies have not been done in lactating women, so it is not concretely known if daclatasvir is passed in milk. Again, you should consider the risks and benefits.

There are also other medications that can affect how daclatasvir works in your body. You should give your healthcare provider a list of your current medications.

If you have the following medications, your doctor may not treat you with daclatasvir or change your other medicines:

• carbamazepine,
• fosphenytoin,
• phenytoin,
• rifampin,
• St John's Wort.

Concomitant use of

• amiodarone,
• apixaban,
• boceprevir,
• bosentan,
• clarithromycin,
• conivaptan,
• dexamethasone,
• digoxin,
• efavirenz,
• etravirine,
• indinavir,
• itraconazole,
• ketoconazole,
• lopinavir,
• modafinil,
• nafcillin,
• nefazodone,
• nelfinavir,
• nilotinib,
• posaconazole,
• rifapentine,
• ritonavir,
• saquinavir,
• simeprevir,
• telaprevir,
• telithromycin,
• voriconazole is not recommended but can be necessary.

Avoid eating grapefruits or drinking grapefruit juice while you are taking daclatasvir.

This medicine should be used with caution in patients with heart or liver disease.

You should take daclatasvir with sofosbuvir for the whole duration of treatment, so that the infection is completely managed.

It is recommended that you follow your regular schedule so there’s a steady level of this medication in your system.

You can take daclatasvir with or without food. The dosage and duration of treatment depends on your condition.

You, therefore, need to follow your physician’s instructions.

Normally, adults with chronic hepatitis C, receiving sofosbuvir, should take 60 mg once daily for 12 weeks.

The dosage for children needs to be determined by the treating doctor. Take a missed dose as soon as you remember.

However, you should skip it if it’s almost time for the next one.

Keep your medications in a sealed container at room temperature.

Make sure children won’t be able to access them. You should discard old or expired medications.

Go to your follow-up appointments so that your doctor can monitor your progress.

Your healthcare provider also needs to check if daclatasvir is working well.

When taking daclatasvir, you need to take a number of precautionary measures. As previously mentioned, concomitant use of Tegretol, Dilantin, Rifadin, or St. John's wort is not recommended because doing so could put you at risk of developing a number of unwanted effects.

You should use amiodarone when taking daclatasvir and sofosbuvir. If you do, you will be at risk of developing serious bradycardia.

Check with your doctor immediately if you experience symptoms of

• bradycardia, which include chest pain/discomfort,
• lightheadedness,
• dizziness,
• slow or irregular heartbeat,
• shortness of breath,
• unusual tiredness.

You shouldn’t take other over-the-counter medications without your doctor’s approval.

Aside from the desired effects, this medication can have unwanted ones.

Daclatasvir has several associated side effects although you may only experience some of them or none at all.

Again, you must follow your doctor’s instructions so that you won’t experience unwanted effects.

Get immediate medical attention if you have the following:

• chest pain/discomfort,
• dizziness,
• lightheadedness,
• shortness of breath,
• slow/irregular heart rate,
• unusual tiredness.

The incidence of these symptoms, however, is not known.

Common side effects that do not need medical treatment include headache and nausea. Diarrhea is not a common side effect but has been reported.

When daclatasvir is used with sofosbuvir and ribavirin, common side effects include

• headache,
• nausea,
• anemia,
• fatigue.

If you experience other side effects, call your physician.

Also, you need to see your doctor as soon as possible if your symptoms get worse or do not get better.