Efavirenz: A review of the epidemiology, severity and management of neuropsychiatric side-effects
South African Journal of Psychiatry
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Efavirenz: A review of the epidemiology, severity and management of neuropsychiatric side-effects | |
| Creator | Gaida, Razia Truter, Ilse Grobler, Christoffel | |
| Description | South Africa has the highest proportion of HIV-positive people in the world. HIV cannot be cured; however, there are several major classes of drugs used in its management. Efavirenz is one such agent of the class non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors which inhibits the replication of the virus. Efavirenz is associated with causing neuropsychiatric side-effects (NPSEs), with almost 50% of patients experiencing at least one NPSE while on treatment. The NPSEs tend to occur within the first few days of initiation of therapy and resolve spontaneously within the first 4 - 6 weeks, with the most commonly reported being dizziness, insomnia, headache, abnormal dreams and impaired concentration. The plasma level of efavirenz and genetic polymorphisms are thought to play a role in the development of such NPSEs. NPSEs need to be treated according to severity. If necessary, efavirenz may be replaced with nevirapine or lopinavir/ritonavir. It should be remembered that nevirapine may also produce some severe side-effects such as skin abnormalities and hepatotoxicity. The monitoring of patients receiving efavirenz therapy should be ongoing, with those with a history of mental illness requiring closer monitoring than others. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2015-08-01 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v21i3.783 | |
| Source | South African Journal of Psychiatry; Vol 21, No 3 (2015); 4 pages 2078-6786 1608-9685 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/783/520
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