infections
Antiretroviral Treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection
Interactions with antiretroviral medications
 Drug Interactions between antiretroviral medications and other medications or between two antiretroviral medications can occur. Thus, people should make sure their doctor knows all the medications they are taking. Interactions between antiretroviral medications may increase or decrease the effectiveness of the medications. Also, other substances affect how the body uses some HIV medications. These substances include the following: Grapefruit juice increases the levels ofsaquinavir, increasing the risk of side effects. St. John’s Wort (a medicinal herb) causes the body to process protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors more quickly and thus makes them less effective. 