ABACAVIR

(a BAK a veer) Brand: Ziagen

What is the most significant information I must know about abacavir?

• Stop using abacavir and call your doctor at once if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: fever; rash; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain; common ill feeling, extreme tiredness, body aches; shortness of breath, cough, sore throat.

• Once you have had an allergic reaction to abacavir, you should never use it again.

• Read the Warning Card that comes with this medicine, and carry it with you at all times so you will know the symptoms of allergic reaction to watch for.

• Some people develop lactic acidosis while taking abacavir. Early symptoms may get worse over time and this condition can be fatal. Get abnormal medical help if you have even mild symptoms such as: muscle pain or weakness, numb or cool feeling in your arms and legs, trouble breathing, stomach pain, nausea with vomiting, quick or uneven heart course, dizziness, or feeling very weak or weary.

• Abacavir can also reason severe or life-threatening effects on your liver. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these symptoms while taking abacavir: pain in your upper stomach, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

• Do not let this medication to run out completely till you get your prescription refilled. It is significant that you not stop taking abacavir once you have started. If you miss different doses in a row, you may have a dangerous or even fatal allergic reaction once you start taking abacavir again. If you stop taking abacavir for any cause, conversation to your doctor till you start taking the medicine again.

What is abacavir?

• Abacavir is an antiviral medicine that prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cells from multiplying in your body.

• Abacavir is used to treat HIV, which causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Abacavir is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.

• Abacavir may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking abacavir?

• Do not take this medicine if you have ever had an allergic reaction to any medication that contains abacavir, including Ziagen, Epzicom, or Trizivir. Once you have had an allergic reaction to abacavir, you should never use it again.

• Some people develop a life-threatening condition called lactic acidosis while taking abacavir. You may be more likely to develop lactic acidosis if you are overweight or have liver malady, if you are a woman, or if you have taken HIV or AIDS medications for a long time. Conversation with your doctor about your individual risk.

• Abacavir can also reason severe or life-threatening effects on your liver. You must not take abacavir if you have temperate or severe liver disease.

• Do not take abacavir with any another medicine that contains abacavir, such as Epzicom or Trizivir.

• To create certain you can safely take abacavir, speak your doctor if you have any of these another conditions:

· heart malady, tall blood pressure;

· liver malady;

· a risk factor for heart malady such as smoking, diabetes, or tall cholesterol; or

· if you have used an HIV medicine in the past, such as didanosine (Videx), emtricitabine (Atripla, Complera, Emtriva, Truvada), lamivudine (Combivir, Epivir, Epzicom, Trizivir), stavudine (Zerit), tenofovir (Viread), zalcitabine (Hivid), or zidovudine (Retrovir).

• You may need a blood test till you start taking abacavir for the first time, or if you are restarting the medicine after stopping for reasons not related to an allergic reaction.

• FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether abacavir will harm an unborn child. HIV can be passed to your child if you are not properly treated during pregnancy. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Take all of your HIV medicines as directed to control your infection.

• If you are pregnant, your name may be listed on a pregnancy registry. This is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and to estimate any effects of abacavir on the baby.

• Women with HIV or AIDS must not breast feed a child. Even if your child is born without HIV, the virus may be passed to the child in your breast milk.

How must I take abacavir?

• Take exactly as predesigned by your doctor. Do not take in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

• This medicine comes with patient instructions for safety and effective use. Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

• Abacavir can be taken with or without food.

• Measure liquid medication with a particular dose-measuring spoon or medication cup, not with a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

• Abacavir comes with a Medicine Manual and a Warning Card that lists the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Read this information carefully and carry the Warning Card with you at all times so you will know what symptoms to watch for.

• Use abacavir regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled till you run out of medication completely.

• HIV/AIDS is generally treated with a combination of drugs. Use all medications as directed by your doctor. Read the medicine manual or patient instructions provided with every medicine. Do not change your doses or medicine schedule without your doctor's advice. Each face with HIV or AIDS must stay under the care of a doctor.

• To be certain this medication is helping your condition and is not causing deleterious effects, your blood will need to be tested often. Your liver function may also need to be tested. Visit your doctor regularly.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

• You may store the oral solution (liquid) in the refrigerator but do not allow it freeze.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Skip the missed doze if it is nearly time for your following scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

• Do not let your medication to run out completely till you get your prescription refilled. It is significant that you not stop taking abacavir once you have started. If you miss different doses, you may have a dangerous or even fatal allergic reaction once you start taking this medicine again.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What must I avoid while taking abacavir?

• Avoid drinking alcohol. It may magnify your risk of liver damage.

• Taking this medicine will not prevent you from passing HIV to another people. Avoid having unprotected sex or sharing razors or toothbrushes. Conversation with your doctor about safety ways to prevent HIV transmission during sex. Sharing drug or medication needles is never safety, even for a healthy person.

What are the possible side effects of abacavir?

• Stop using abacavir and call your doctor at once if you have symptoms of an allergic reaction from two or more of these specific side effect groups:

· Group 1 - fever;

· Group 2 - rash;

· Group 3 - nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain;

· Group 4 - common ill feeling, extreme tiredness, body aches;

· Group 5 - shortness of breath, cough, sore throat.

• Once you have had an allergic reaction to abacavir, you should never use it again. If you stop taking abacavir for any cause, conversation to your doctor till you start taking the medicine again.

• Abacavir may reason lactic acidosis (a build-up of lactic acid in the body, which can be fatal). Lactic acidosis can start slowly and get worse over time. Get abnormal medical help if you have even mild symptoms of lactic acidosis, such as: muscle pain or weakness, numb or cool feeling in your arms and legs, trouble breathing, stomach pain, nausea with vomiting, quick or uneven heart course, dizziness, or feeling very weak or tired.

• Abacavir can reason another serious side effects that may not be signs of an allergic reaction. Call your doctor at once if you have:

· the first sign of any skin rash, no matter how mild;

· signs of a new infection such as flu symptoms, chills, light bruising or unusual bleeding, loss of appetite, mouth sores;

· severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back;

· itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);

· heighten sweating, tremors in your hands, anxiety, feeling irritable, sleep problems (insomnia);

· diarrhea, unexplained weight loss, menstrual changes, impotence, loss of interest in sex;

· swelling in your neck or throat (enlarged thyroid);

· weakness or prickly feeling in your fingers or toes;

· problems with walking, breathing, speech, swallowing, or eye movement; or

· severe lower back pain, loss of bladder or bowel control.

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· strange dreams;

· headache, ear pain;

· cool symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sinus pain; or

· changes in the shape or location of body thick (especially in your arms, legs, person, neck, breasts, and trunk).

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect abacavir?

• Speak your doctor about all another medicines you use, especially methadone (Diskets, Dolophine, Methadose).

• There may be another drugs that can interact with abacavir. Speak your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about abacavir.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

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