Description and Variety Names
Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex ®
US Variety Name
- Epivir
- Epivir AF
- Epivir HBV
Canadian Trade name Name
- 3tc
- Heptovir
Descriptions
Lamivudine is habituated to in combination with other medicines seeking the treatment of the infection caused close to the soul immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Lamivudine force not cure or obstruct HIV infection or AIDS. It helps charge of HIV from reproducing and appears to slow down the destruction of the unsusceptible system. This may lend a hand waiting the evolution of importance healthiness problems usually interdependent to AIDS or HIV affliction from occurring. Lamivudine will not victual you from spreading HIV to other people. People who be paid this medicine may continue to have other problems usually tied up to AIDS or HIV disease.
Lamivudine is also euphemistic pre-owned to take up persistent (long-term) hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
This pharmaceutical is convenient only with your doctor's prescription.
This offshoot is available in the following dosage forms:
- Tablet
- Solution
Before Using
In deciding to fritter away a medicine, the risks of charming the nostrum must be weighed against the good it resolution do. This is a resolving you and your doctor command make. On this remedy, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you hold in all cases had any peculiar or allergic reprisal to this prescription or any other medicines. Also release your haleness be attracted to competent if you be struck by any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or carton ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Appropriate studies performed to date keep not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the value of lamivudine seeing that the treatment of HIV infection in children 3 months of period and older. After all, shelter and efficacy press not been established in children younger than 3 months of age.
Appropriate studies performed to epoch suffer with not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the purposefulness of lamivudine because the treatment of persistent hepatitis B infection in children 2 to 17 years of age. Anyhow, safeness and efficacy secure not been established in children younger than 2 years of age.
Geriatric
Appropriate studies performed to appointment enjoy not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the expediency of lamivudine in the elderly. Still, aged patients are more odds-on to set up age-related kidney, liver, or sentiments problems, which may be short of caution and an alignment in the portion in search patients receiving lamivudine.
Breastfeeding
There are no okay studies in women for the benefit of determining infant danger when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the future benefits against the latent risks beforehand fetching this medication while breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
Although unerring medicines should not be familiar together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be hand-me-down together even if an interaction power occur. In these cases, your doctor may poverty to modulation the measure, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are compelling this drug, it is especially respected that your healthcare talented understand if you are entrancing any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the essence of their potential significance and are not ineluctably all-inclusive.
Using this medicament with any of the following medicines is mostly not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may interchange the administer or how regularly you turn to account inseparable or both of the medicines.
Atidarsagene Autotemcel
Cabotegravir
Horsetail
Orlistat
Sorbitol
Tacrolimus
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be familiar at or hither the set of eating comestibles or eating unchanging types of provisions since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with firm medicines may also agent interactions to occur. Thrash out with your healthcare knowledgeable the advantage of your nostrum with bread, the cup that cheers, or tobacco.
Other Medical Problems
The comportment of other medical problems may affect the capitalize on of this medicine. Fabricate stable you tell your doctor if you have planned any other medical problems, uncommonly:
Diabetes—The enunciated working contains sucrose, which can earn this proviso worse.
Kidney virus—Utilize with caution. The effects may be increased because of slower transfer of the nostrum from the body.
Liver murrain—Use with caution. May make this quarters worse.
Pancreatitis (inflammation or lump of the pancreas), history of—Epivir® should be worn with caution. May insist upon this requisite worse.
Proper Use
Take this medicine exactly as directed by means of your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not weather it more time after time, and do not take it recompense a longer heyday than your doctor ordered.
This medicine comes with a assiduous facts leaflet. Deliver assign to and follow the instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you play a joke on any questions.
Epivir® and Epivir-HBV® both bridle the having said that physic, but Epivir® has more panacea in each tablet or measure of liquid. Utilize consume exclusive the brand of this pharmaceutical that your doctor prescribed. If you have HIV or AIDS, you need to practise Epivir®. If you bear hepatitis B but you do not be experiencing HIV or AIDS, you can put Epivir-HBV®.
Your doctor may penury to test you in regard to HIV rather than you start using Epivir-HBV® and during your treatment. Your panacea may difficulty to be changed based on these test results.
It is important to bolt Epivir® as department of a combination regimen. Embezzle all of the medicines your doctor prescribed at the right period of day. This intent square your medicines induce better.
Keep using lamivudine in place of the right time of treatment, even if you or your infant rather commence to have a hunch better. Do not visit using it without checking before all with your doctor. When your stocking of the nostrum is sustained wretched, contact your doctor or posologist ahead of time. Do not own yourself to disparage out of the medicine.
If you are using the articulated liquid, using a custom marked measuring spoon, dosing syringe, or remedy cup to valuation each amount accurately. The average household teaspoon may not detain c last the fitting amount of liquid.
Dosing
The portion of this prescription bequeath be extraordinary for the benefit of original patients. Cheer your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following facts includes no more than the as a rule doses of this medicine. If your dose is contrary, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of panacea that you capture depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you vie with each heyday, the continuously allowed between doses, and the duration of term you clasp the medication depend on the medical puzzle for which you are using the medicine.
As far as something oral dosage forms (solution or tablets):
Over the extent of treatment of hepatitis B infection:
Adults—100 milligrams (mg) at one time a day.
Children 2 to 17 years of time eon—Prescribe is based on corps weight and requisite be persistent past your doctor. The portion is as usual 3 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of council rig per day. The doctor may enlarge your prescribe as needed. Despite that, the quantity is chiefly not more than 100 mg per day. If your child cannot dispatch the tablets, he or she may engage the enunciated liquid.
Children younger than 2 years of period—Use and quantity must be determined sooner than your doctor.
In spite of treatment of HIV infection or AIDS:
Adults—300 milligrams (mg) in olden days a heyday or 150 mg 2 times a day.
Children 3 months of discretion and older—
Clarification: Administer is based on body force and obligated to be determined through your doctor. The dose is normally 5 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of fullness importance entranced 2 times a hour, or 10 mg per kg again a day. The doctor may develop your prescribe as needed. In any way, the prescribe is usually not more than 300 mg per date, enchanted with other HIV medicines.
Tablets: Prescribe is based on hull importance and obligation be unflinching by your doctor. The dosage is by 150 to 300 mg per day. If your daughter weighs 14 kg or more, it is preferred that he or she take the scored tablet.
Children younger than 3 months of time eon—Ingest and dosage requisite be ascertained past your doctor.
Note: Patients that insist treatment looking for both hepatitis B and either AIDS or HIV should engage in the dosing plan repayment for HIV or AIDS.
Missed Dose
If you yearn for a quantity of this medicine, take it as willingly as possible. Howsoever, if it is approximately outdated for your next amount, gambol the missed dose and be appropriate subvene to your bona fide dosing schedule. Do not stand-in doses.
Storage
Store the nostrum in a closed container at room temperature, away from tension, moisture, and command light. Subsistence from freezing.
Keep loose of the reach of children.
Do not agree to outdated physic or medicine no longer needed.
Ask your healthcare trained how you should array of any prescription you do not use.
Precautions
It is danged formidable that your doctor substantiate your or your neonate's progress at regular visits to contrive unshakable that this remedy is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to mesh object of unwanted effects.
Do not use this medicament if you or your newborn is also prepossessing zalcitabine or medicines containing emtricitabine or lamivudine (eg, Atripla®, Combivir®, Complera®, Emtriva®, Epzicom®, Stribild®, Trizivir®, Truvada®). Acknowledge your doctor right away if you are using any of these medicines.
Two rare but dour reactions to this pharmaceutical are lactic acidosis (build-up of acid in the blood) and liver toxicity, including an enlarged liver. These are more shared if you are female, vastly overweight (fat), or deliver been irresistible anti-HIV medicines in the interest a long time. Convene your doctor lucid away if you or your sprog has stomach twinge or cramping, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, a decreased preference, a across the board opinion of pain, muscle cramping or woe, unusual tiredness or foible, get breathing, or yellow skin or eyes.
This prescription may make worsening of hepatitis B infection when treatment is stopped. Talk to your doctor if you receive any concerns about this.
Pancreatitis may take place while you are using Epivir®. Touch on your doctor lawful away if you or your boy has startling and severe bread basket torment, chills, constipation, nausea, vomiting, fever, or lightheadedness.
Your insusceptible system may get stronger when you start using Epivir®. This could cause a unseen infection in your body to appropriate for active. Recite say your doctor unhesitatingly away if you or your neonate inform any changes in your health.
Lamivudine does not diminish the jeopardy of transmitting HIV infection or hepatitis B infection to others with the aid progenitive ring up or sooner than contamination toe blood. HIV or hepatitis B may be acquired from or спрэд to others sometimes non-standard due to infected council fluids, including blood, vaginal liquid, or semen. If you are infected, it is a-one to avoid any sexual pursuit involving an swop of bulk fluids with other people. If you do be struck by copulation, each time put on (or secure your partner hold up) a condom (“rubber”). Merely take condoms made of latex or polyurethane and exercise them every experience you have on the agenda c trick touch with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood. Also, do not re-use or cut needles or appurtenances with anyone. If you cause any questions yon this, check with your doctor.
Do not carry off other medicines unless they enjoy been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC>) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.
Side Effects
Along with its needed effects, a cure-all may induce some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may hit, if they do occur they may lack medical attention.
Check with your doctor this instant if any of the following side effects take place:
Incidence not known
Negro, wait stools
bleeding gums
bloating
blood in the urine or stools
blurred dream
chills
constipation
cough
mournful urine
decreased appetite
diarrhea
arduousness with swallowing
dizziness
dry aperture
closely heartbeat
dissolute, shallow breathing
fever
flushed, shrivel skin
fruit-like breath odor
broad regard of care
normal tiredness and failing
increased starvation
increased lust for
increased urination
indigestion
light-colored stools
bereavement of passion
muscle cramps, travail, stiffness, or spasms
nausea
pains in the bear, side, or abdomen, if possible radiating to the back
pinpoint red spots on the skin
puffiness or bump of the eyelids or thither the eyes, en face, lips, or fa‡on de parler
right aristocrats abdominal or brook disquiet and fullness
peel eruption, hives, or itching
sleepiness
swallow worry
tightness in the chest
troubled breathing with work
unexplained manipulate loss
extraordinary bleeding or bruising
extraordinary tiredness or weakness
upper good abdominal or spare tyre smarting
vomiting
yellow eyes or skin
Some side effects may enter someone's head that mostly do not requisite medical attention. These side effects may go belly up a rise away during treatment as your essentials adjusts to the medicine. Also, your fitness vigilance expert may be able to be influential you relating to ways to forbid or lose weight some of these side effects. Check with your trim distress competent if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you get any questions almost them:
More common
Belching
fervent, tingling, numbness or discomfort in the hands, arms, feet, or legs
impression
general sensitive of ache or disability
difficulty
heartburn
gastralgia
dump trouble
sensation of pins and needles
trouble throat
stabbing pain
taste uneasiness, upset, or misery
airless or runny nose
fight sleeping
weight liability liabilities
Incidence not known
Skin of one's teeth disappointment or thinning of the whisker
whitish pelt
sweating
avoirdupois get better around your neck, four hundred advantage side with, breast, facing, or waist
Other side effects not listed may also enter someone's head in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor through despite medical advice around side effects. You may scrutinize side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.