Drugs associated:

If you develop a rash during the first few weeks of using a combination that includes either abacavir (Ziagen) or nevirapine (Viramune) or efavirenz (Sustiva) report this immediately to your doctor as this can sometimes lead to very serious reactions.

Other rashes will be short lived and disappear without treatment, or can be easily treated with antihistamine drugs such as Zirtek and Clarityn.

Although antihistamines are available over the counter, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking them, as there can be interactions with HIV drugs.

Rashes can also occur as a photosensitisation reaction from exposure to the sun, and will normally resolve. Any rash that makes you feel sick may not be a side effect but a symptom of an underlying disease (such as scabies).

Up to 17% of people using nevirapine and 3-5% of people using efavirenz, will experience a mild to moderate rash in the first weeks of treatment. This usually disappears over the next few weeks without further side effects. Women may have a slightly higher risk of rash with nevirapine than men. Nevirapine needs to be dosed in two stages. For the first 14 days take one 200mg tablet, once a day. For the next 14 days take two 200mg tablets daily, (one tablet every 12 hours). If starting nevirapine visit the clinic regularly for the first two months to check for liver toxicity. About 5% of people discontinue nevirapine due to a rash.

A rash can sometimes be one of the symptoms of the hypersensitivity reaction associated with abacavir (Ziagen) that occurs in 4-5% of people using abacavir.