ABACAVIR, LAMIVUDINE, AND ZIDOVUDINE

(a BACK a veer, la MIV yoo deen, zye DOE vyoo deen) Brand: Trizivir

What is the most significant information I must know about abacavir, lamivudine, and zidovudine (Trizivir)?

• Stop using this medicine 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 this medicine, you should never use it again.

• Some people develop lactic acidosis while taking Trizivir. 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 tired.

• This medicine 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 Trizivir: pain in your upper stomach, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

• If you have hepatitis B you may develop liver symptoms after you stop taking Trizivir, even months after stopping. Your doctor may want to check your liver function for different months after you stop using the medicine. Visit your doctor regularly.

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

What is abacavir, lamivudine, and zidovudine (Trizivir)?

• Abacavir, lamivudine, and zidovudine are antiviral medications that prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cells from multiplying in your body.

• The combination of abacavir, lamivudine, and zidovudine is used to treat HIV, which causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This medicine is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.

• Abacavir, lamivudine, and zidovudine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking this medication?

• Do not take this medicine if you have ever had an allergic reaction to Trizivir or any medication that contains abacavir, lamivudine, or zidovudine, including: Combivir, Epivir, Epzicom, Retrovir, or Ziagen. 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 Trizivir. 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.

• This medicine can also reason severe or life-threatening effects on your liver. You must not take this medicine if you have liver malady, especially hepatitis B or C.

• Do not take Trizivir with any of the next HIV medications: Atripla, Combivir, Complera, Emtriva, Epivir, Epzicom, Retrovir, Truvada, Zerit, or Ziagen.

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

· bone marrow suppression;

· kidney disease;

· heart malady or tall blood pressure;

· 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 abacavir (Ziagen), didanosine (Videx), emtricitabine (Atripla, Complera, Emtriva, Truvada), lamivudine (Combivir, Epivir, Epzicom), stavudine (Zerit), tenofovir (Viread), zalcitabine (Hivid), or zidovudine (Retrovir).

• You may need a blood test till you start taking Trizivir 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 this medicine 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.

• 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.

• Trizivir must not be used to treat HIV in adolescents weighing smaller than 90 pounds.

How must I take this medication?

• 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.

• You may take Trizivir with or without food.

• Trizivir 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 this medicine 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.

• While using Trizivir, you may need blood trials at your doctor's office. If you have hepatitis B you may develop liver symptoms after you stop taking this medicine, even months after stopping. Your doctor may want to check your liver function for different months after you stop using the medicine. Visit your doctor regularly.

• Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

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 the medication 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. Overdose symptoms may include some of the serious side effects listed in this medicine guide.

What must I avoid while taking this medication?

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

• Taking Trizivir 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 this medication?

• Stop using Trizivir 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 this medicine, you should never use it again. If you stop taking Trizivir for any cause, conversation to your doctor till you start taking it again.

• Trizivir 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.

• Trizivir 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, light bruising or unusual bleeding, loss of appetite, mouth sores;

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

· pale skin, feeling light-headed, rapid heart course, trouble concentrating;

· 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 (goiter);

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

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

· chest pain or hard feeling, pain spreading to the hand or shoulder.

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· headache, joint pain, depression, nervousness;

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

· mild nausea or diarrhea; 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 this medication?

• Speak your doctor about all another medicines you use, especially:

· antiviral medicine such as ganciclovir (Cytovene) or ribavirin (Copegus, Rebetron, Virazole);

· methadone (Diskets, Dolophine, Methadose);

· a cancer medication such as doxorubicin (Adriamycn);

· interferon (Actimmune, Alferon, Avonex, Betaseron, Extavia, Infergen, Intron, Rebetron, Rebif); or

· a sulfa drug (Bactrim, Septra, SMX-TMP).

• This list is not complete and another drugs may interact with Trizivir. 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, lamivudine, and zidovudine.

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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