Key takeaways
- Descovy can interact with several types of drugs, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), some antiviral medications, seizure drugs, and some antibiotics, potentially leading to increased side effects or reduced effectiveness of Descovy.
- Because grapefruit can increase the risk of side effects, it’s best to avoid grapefruit and St. John’s wort while taking Descovy. St. John’s wort may also make the medication less effective.
- Some health conditions, such as kidney or liver problems, may increase the risk of interactions with Descovy. So, it’s important to discuss your health history with your doctor before starting the medication.
Descovy is used in adults and some children to:
- treat HIV
- help prevent HIV, which is also called preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.
Keep reading to learn about Descovy’s possible interactions. And for more information about Descovy, including details about its uses, see this detailed Descovy overview.
Some health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Descovy. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Descovy. These are known as contraindications. The following list describes a contraindication of Descovy.
If you have HIV or do not know your HIV status, you should not take Descovy for PrEP: Descovy should not be taken for PrEP if you already have HIV or do not know your HIV status. Using Descovy for PrEP when you already have HIV could cause HIV to become resistant to Descovy. This means Descovy would no longer work to treat your condition.
While you’re taking Descovy for HIV PrEP, your doctor will likely test you for HIV at least once every 3 months. If the test is positive at any point, your doctor will have you stop taking Descovy and will discuss HIV treatment options with you.
Note: In addition to PrEP, Descovy can be used to treat HIV in adults and some children. But when used for this purpose, Descovy is taken with other HIV medications. Descovy is not used by itself to treat HIV.
Before you start taking Descovy, talk with your doctor if any of these factors apply to you. Your doctor can determine whether Descovy is safe for you.
There’s no known interaction between Descovy and alcohol.
If you drink alcohol and have questions about drinking it during your Descovy treatment, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Before you start taking Descovy, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Descovy interacts with supplements, herbs, and vitamins, see the “Are there other interactions with Descovy?” section.)
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
The following table lists drugs that may interact with Descovy. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Descovy. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section.
| Drug type or drug name | Drug examples | What can happen |
|---|---|---|
| nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs | • aspirin • ibuprofen (Advil) | can increase the risk of Descovy side effects |
| some antiviral drugs | • acyclovir (Sitavig, Zovirax) • valacyclovir (Valtrex) • valganciclovir (Valcyte) | can raise the risk of side effects of Descovy and some antiviral drugs |
| some seizure drugs | • carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, others) • phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek) • oxcarbazepine (Trileptal, Oxtellar XR) | can make Descovy less effective |
| some antibiotic drugs | • rifabutin (Mycobutin) • rifampin (Rifadin) • rifapentine (Priftin) | can make Descovy less effective |
| the HIV drug combination tipranavir/ritonavir | — | can make Descovy less effective |
| some drugs that affect how your body breaks down Descovy | • amiodarone (Nexterone, Pacerone) • carvedilol (Coreg, Coreg CR) • clarithromycin • cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune) • verapamil (Verelan, Verelan PM, Calan SR) | can increase the risk of Descovy’s side effects |
Learn more about drug interactions that can occur with Descovy.
Interaction with drugs that affect how your body breaks down Descovy
Medications that block a protein called P-glycoprotein (P-gp) can interact with Descovy.
P-gp is a protein that helps your body transport and break down drugs. TAF, one of the drugs in Descovy, is broken down by P-gp.
Examples of medications that block P-gp include:
- amiodarone (Nexterone, Pacerone)
- carvedilol (Coreg, Coreg CR)
- clarithromycin
- cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
- verapamil (Verelan, Verelan PM, Calan SR)
What could happen
Some medications block P-gp, which makes it harder for your body to break down drugs such as Descovy. This can cause Descovy levels to build up in your body, which raises your risk of side effects.
What you can do
Before you start taking Descovy, tell your doctor or pharmacist about all medications you take. They can check whether any block P-gp.
These medications may be safe to take with Descovy, but your doctor may want to monitor you for side effects during your treatment.
Interaction with certain seizure medications
Some seizure medications can interact with Descovy if these medications are taken together.
Some seizure medications that interact with Descovy include:
- carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, others)
- phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek)
- oxcarbazepine (Trileptal, Oxtellar XR)
What could happen
Taking one of these seizure drugs with Descovy causes your body not to absorb Descovy as much as usual. This means Descovy may be less effective.
What you can do
Because of this risk, it’s usually recommended that you do not take Descovy with any seizure drug previously listed. Instead, your doctor will likely suggest either taking an alternative to Descovy or using a seizure drug that doesn’t interact with Descovy.
Interaction with certain antiviral drugs
Some antiviral drugs interact with Descovy if these medications are taken together. (Antivirals are drugs prescribed to treat viral infections.)
Some antiviral medications that interact with Descovy include:
- acyclovir (Sitavig, Zovirax)
- valacyclovir (Valtrex)
- valganciclovir (Valcyte)
What could happen
These medications can prevent your body from clearing Descovy properly after you take a dose. This could cause the drug to build up in your body, which raises your risk of side effects from Descovy.
In addition, Descovy can prevent your body from clearing antiviral drugs properly. This could cause the antiviral drug to build up in your body, which raises your risk of side effects from the antiviral.
What you can do
Before taking Descovy, tell your doctor if you take an antiviral drug. These medications may be safe to take with Descovy, but your doctor may want to monitor you for side effects of either drug during treatment.
Descovy may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. Keep reading for details. Note that the following information does not include all other possible interactions with Descovy.
Does Descovy interact with supplements?
Before taking Descovy, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.
If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Descovy interactions with herbs
It’s recommended that you do not use the herbal supplement St. John’s wort with Descovy. Taking this supplement with Descovy prevents your body from absorbing Descovy properly. This may make Descovy less effective.
St. John’s wort can be used to help with mood. If you’re prescribed Descovy and take St. John’s wort, talk with your doctor about alternatives to this supplement.
Descovy interactions with vitamins
There are currently no reports of Descovy interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future.
For this reason, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while taking Descovy.
Does Descovy interact with food?
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice interact with Descovy. Grapefruit products block P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a protein that helps your body transport and break down drugs after you take a dose.
TAF, one of the drugs in Descovy, is broken down by P-gp. When P-gp is blocked, Descovy may build up in your body, raising the risk of side effects.
Before you begin Descovy treatment, let your doctor know if you regularly consume grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Your doctor may recommend cutting back on grapefruit.
If you do consume grapefruit or grapefruit juice while taking Descovy, your doctor will watch you for side effects of the drug. To learn more about Descovy’s side effects, see this article.
Does Descovy interact with vaccines?
There are no known interactions between Descovy and any vaccines. If you have questions about receiving vaccines during your Descovy treatment, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Does Descovy interact with lab tests?
Descovy is not known to affect the results of lab tests. If you have questions about having lab tests done during your Descovy treatment, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Does Descovy interact with cannabis or CBD?Cannabis (commonly called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have been specifically reported to interact with Descovy. In particular, CBD has been reported to block your body from breaking down TAF, one of two active drugs in Descovy. This could increase your risk of side effects from taking 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 states to varying degrees.
Some medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Descovy. Before taking Descovy, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Descovy is right for you.
Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Descovy include:
Kidney problem: Your kidneys clear Descovy from your body after you take a dose. Having a kidney problem, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), may make it harder for your body to clear Descovy. This could cause the drug to build up in your body, which could lead to side effects from the drug. If you have a kidney problem, talk with your doctor about whether Descovy is safe for you to take.
Liver problem: In rare cases, there have been reports of serious liver-related side effects in people taking emtricitabine, one of the active drugs in Descovy. You may have a higher risk of liver-related side effects from taking Descovy if you already have a liver problem, such as alcohol-related liver disease. If you have a liver problem, ask your doctor if Descovy is safe for you to take.
Pregnancy: Descovy may be taken during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, talk with your doctor about whether Descovy is right for you.
If you do take Descovy while pregnant, consider enrolling in the drug’s pregnancy registry. This registry keeps track of pregnancy issues reported with Descovy. To sign up or learn more, call 800-258-4263.
Breastfeeding: It’s not known whether Descovy passes into breast milk or the effects the drug could have on a child who is breastfed. But U.S. healthcare professionals recommend not breastfeeding if you have HIV. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor about your options.
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 your doctor about other treatments that may be better choices for you.
You can take steps to help you avoid interactions with Descovy. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Here are some important topics to discuss:
- Whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis.
- Other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you fill out a
medication list . - What to do if you start taking a new drug during your Descovy treatment.
It’s also important to understand Descovy’s
If you need help reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.
Taking Descovy exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.
If you have other questions about Descovy and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.
Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:
- Do I need to tell you if I start taking another medication or supplement during my Descovy treatment?
- If I develop a viral infection during treatment, are there antivirals that won’t interact with Descovy that I can use?
- Do other drugs that could treat my condition have similar interactions?
To learn more about Descovy, see these articles:
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Disclaimer: Healthline 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.