Maraviroc is an antiviral medicine that prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from multiplying in your body.

Maraviroc is used with other medications to treat CCR5-tropic HIV type 1, a virus that can cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Maraviroc is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.

Maraviroc is for use in adults and children who weigh at least 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms).

Maraviroc may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

If you have severe kidney disease, you may not be able to take maraviroc if you use certain other medications. Tell your doctor about all other medications you use.

Stop taking this medicine and seek medical treatment at once if you have a serious drug reaction that can harm your liver. Symptoms may include: itching or rash, vomiting, upper stomach pain, dark urine, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Maraviroc comes as a tablet and a solution (liquid) to take by mouth. It is usually taken with or without food twice a day. Take maraviroc at around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take maraviroc exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Swallow maraviroc tablets whole; do not split, chew, or crush them.

Use one of the oral syringes that came with the medication for measuring the solution. Use the small (3-mL) oral syringe if your dose is 2.5 mL or less and use the large (10-mL) oral syringe if your dose is greater than 2.5 mL. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about how to measure your dose with the syringe. Follow the manufacturer's instructions about how to use and clean the oral syringe.

If you are giving the solution to a child, place the tip of the oral syringe into the child's mouth against the inside of the cheek. Slowly push the plunger all the way down to give all of the medication in the oral syringe. Make sure that the child has enough time to swallow the solution.

Continue to take maraviroc even if you feel well. Do not stop taking maraviroc without talking to your doctor. If you miss doses, take less than the prescribed dose, or stop taking maraviroc, your condition may become more difficult to treat. When your supply of maraviroc starts to run low, get more from your doctor or pharmacist.

Before you are treated with maraviroc, your doctor may perform a blood test to make sure maraviroc is the right treatment for your type of HIV.

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Maraviroc must be given in combination with other antiviral medications and it should not be used alone.

You may take maraviroc with or without food.

Swallow the tablet whole and do not crush, chew, or break it.

Tell your doctor if the child taking maraviroc has trouble swallowing the tablet whole.

Measure liquid medicine carefully. Use the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device (not a kitchen spoon).

Maraviroc doses are based on weight in children. Your child's dose needs may change if the child gains or loses weight.

Use all HIV medications as directed and read all medication guides you receive. Do not change your dose or stop using a medicine without your doctor's advice. Every person with HIV should remain under the care of a doctor.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

If you have severe or end-stage kidney disease, you may not be able to take maraviroc if you use certain medications, including some antibiotics or antifungal medications, some heart or blood pressure medicines, St. John's wort, and certain drugs to treat hepatitis or tuberculosis. Tell your doctor about all other medications you use.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);

• liver disease, especially hepatitis B or C;

• heart disease; or

• low blood pressure.

Maraviroc affects your immune system and may possibly increase your risk of developing infections or cancer. Ask your doctor about this risk.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, and use your medications properly to control your infection. HIV can be passed to your baby if the virus is not controlled during pregnancy. Your name may be listed on a registry to track any effects of antiviral medicine on the baby.

Women with HIV or AIDS should not breastfeed a baby. Even if your baby is born without HIV, the virus may be passed to the baby in your breast milk.

Maraviroc is not approved for a premature baby, or a child who weighs less than 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms).

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Discard any unused oral solution 60 days after first opening the bottle.

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. http://www.upandaway.org

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA's Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p) for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

Do not take an herbal supplement containing St. John's wort.

Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how maraviroc will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.

Using this medicine may not prevent your disease from spreading. Do not have unprotected sex or share razors or toothbrushes. Talk with your doctor about safe ways to prevent HIV transmission during sex. Sharing drug or medicine needles is never safe, even for a healthy person.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction (hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning in your eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling).

Stop taking maraviroc and seek medical treatment at once if you have a serious drug reaction that can affect many parts of your body (especially your liver). Symptoms may include: itching or rash, fever, swollen glands, muscle or joint aches, severe weakness, unusual bruising, upper stomach pain, vomiting, dark urine, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Call your doctor at once if you have a side effect such as:

• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out; or

• chest pressure, tight feeling in your neck or jaw, sweating, pain spreading to your arm or shoulder.

Maraviroc affects your immune system, which may cause certain side effects (even weeks or months after you've taken maraviroc). Tell your doctor if you have:

• signs of a new infection--fever, night sweats, swollen glands, cold sores, cough, wheezing, diarrhea, weight loss;

• trouble speaking or swallowing, problems with balance or eye movement, weakness or prickly feeling; or

• swelling in your neck or throat (enlarged thyroid), menstrual changes, impotence.

Common side effects of maraviroc may include:

• fever, cold symptoms, cough;

• indigestion, gas, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation;

• rash;

• dizziness; or

• (in newborns) abnormal blood tests.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Sometimes it is not safe to use certain medications at the same time. Some drugs can affect your blood levels of other drugs you take, which may increase side effects or make the medications less effective.

Many drugs can affect maraviroc. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed here. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.