Information specific to: Abacavir 600mg / Lamivudine 300mg tablets when used in HIV infection.
Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine (Ab-ak-a-veer sul-fate/Lam-iv-you-deen) is a medicine which is used in HIV infection.The information in this Medicine Guide for Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine varies according to the condition being treated and the particular preparation used.
Your medicine
Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine is an anti-HIV medicine that is used in the treatment of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It contains two medicines - abacavir sulphate and lamivudine. Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine is used in combination with other anti-HIV medicines.HIV weakens the body's immune system and reduces the body's ability to fight infections. Anti-HIV medicines do not kill the virus but they slow down or stop the HIV virus from making copies of itself. This allows the body's immune system to keep working and gives the body a chance to fight other infections. Anti-HIV medicines do not cure HIV infections or prevent you from getting other infections.
Anti-HIV medicines are most effective when taken in combination with other anti-HIV-medicines. Combination therapy reduces the chances of the virus becoming resistant to a single medicine. Resistance to medicines makes HIV treatment more difficult. For HIV therapy to be effective and to reduce the chances of developing resistance to your medicine, it is important you take the full daily dose and take your medicines exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
Some people who take the medicine abacavir may develop hypersensitivity reactions which can be fatal. These reactions usually occur within the first six weeks of taking abacavir but can happen anytime during treatment. Make sure you tell your prescriber if you have previously had a reaction to abacavir as it is important you do not take Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine or any preparation that contains the medicine abacavir. Re-starting treatment with abacavir may lead to a more serious reaction.
Your prescriber will advise you which signs and symptoms you need to look out for and what to do if they occur. They will also monitor you for these problems during treatment. If you develop any signs and symptoms of a hypersensitivity reaction you must immediately contact your prescriber.
It is important you take Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine regularly. If you repeatedly stop treatment with Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine, you increase the chances of having a hypersensitivity reaction. If you have stopped taking Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine for any reason, seek advice from your prescriber before you start taking Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine again.
Some people with hepatitis B infection may find that their infection becomes worse when they stop taking the medicine lamivudine. Your prescriber may arrange for you to have tests to monitor your hepatitis for several months after stopping treatment with Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine.
It is extremely important to continue taking precautions against passing HIV to other people while having treatment with anti-HIV medicines.
Women who are infected with HIV should not breast-feed their babies as the virus may be passed to the baby.
Other information about Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine:
- people taking this medicine should be given an alert card. You should keep it with you at all times as it can alert anyone involved in your medical care that you are taking Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine. If you have any concerns or questions about taking Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine you should discuss them with your prescriber
- information on hypersensitivity reactions can also be found in the Patient Information Leaflet that comes with this medicine
The pharmacy label on your medicine tells you how much medicine you should take. It also tells you how often you should take your medicine. This is the dose that you and your prescriber have agreed you should take. You should not change the dose of your medicine unless you are told to do so by your prescriber.
If you feel that the medicine is making you unwell or you do not think it is working, then talk to your prescriber.
Whether this medicine is suitable for you
Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine is not suitable for everyone and some people should never use it. Other people should only use it with special care. It is important that the person prescribing this medicine knows your full medical history.Your prescriber may only prescribe this medicine with special care or may not prescribe it at all if you:
- are aged over 65 years
- are allergic or sensitive to or have had a reaction to any of the ingredients in the medicine
- have kidney problems
- have liver problems or have risk factors for developing liver problems such as if you have hepatitis B or C infection, if you drink alcohol heavily or if you are a female and are overweight
- have metabolic problems
- have risk factors for developing lipodystrophy syndrome
- have risk factors for heart problems such as raised blood pressure, hyperlipidaemia or smoking
As part of the process of assessing suitability to take this medicine a prescriber may also arrange tests:
- to determine whether or not the medicine is suitable and whether it must be prescribed with extra care
- to check that this medicine is not having any undesired effects
Alcohol
Alcohol can interact with certain medicines.In the case of Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine:
- this medicine interacts with alcohol
Diet
Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your prescriber may advise you to avoid certain foods.In the case of Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine:
- there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when taking Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine
Driving and operating machinery
When taking any medicine you should be aware that it might interfere with your ability to drive or operate machinery safely.Like all medicines Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine can cause side effects. You should see how this medicine affects you and then judge if you are safe to drive or operate machinery. If you are in any doubt, talk to your prescriber.
Family planning and pregnancy
Most medicines, in some way, can affect the development of a baby in the womb. The effect on the baby differs between medicines and also depends on the stage of pregnancy that you have reached when you take the medicine.In the case of Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine:
- children born to mothers who took Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine during pregnancy may need regular check-ups
- you should only take this medicine during pregnancy if your doctor thinks that you need it
You should discuss whether there are any other medicines which you could take during pregnancy which would treat your condition.
Breast-feeding
Certain medicines can pass into breast milk and may reach your baby through breast-feeding.In the case of Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine:
- women who are infected with HIV should not breast-feed their babies as the virus may be passed to the baby
Taking other medicines
If you are taking more than one medicine they may interact with each other. At times your prescriber may decide to use medicines that interact, in other cases this may not be appropriate.The decision to use medicines that interact depends on your specific circumstances. Your prescriber may decide to use medicines that interact, if it is believed that the benefits of taking the medicines together outweigh the risks. In such cases, it may be necessary to alter your dose or monitor you more closely.
Tell your prescriber the names of all the medicines that you are taking so that they can consider all possible interactions. This includes all the medicines which have been prescribed by your GP, hospital doctor, dentist, nurse, health visitor, midwife or pharmacist. You must also tell your prescriber about medicines which you have bought over the counter without prescriptions.
The following medicines may interact with Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine:
- cimetidine
- cladribine
- didanosine
- emtricitabine
- isotretinoin
- lamivudine
- methadone
- phenobarbital
- phenytoin
- ranitidine
- ribavirin
- rifampicin
- sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim
- zidovudine
- cytotoxics
- liver enzyme inducers
- medicines that are metabolised by the cytochrome P450 system
- non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
- other cytidine analogues
- protease inhibitors
- retinoids
Complementary preparations and vitamins
Medicines can interact with complementary preparations and vitamins. In general, there is not much information available about interactions between medicines and complementary preparations or vitamins.If you are planning to take or are already taking any complementary preparations and vitamins you should ask your prescriber whether there are any known interactions with Abacavir sulphate/Lamivudine.
Your prescriber can advise whether it is appropriate for you to take combinations that are known to interact. They can also discuss with you the possible effect that the complementary preparations and vitamins may have on your condition.
If you experience any unusual effects while taking this medicine in combination with complementary preparations and vitamins, you should tell your prescriber.
