Manufacturer: Glaxo SmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Salt Composition : Lamivudine(150mg), Zidovudine(300mg)
Combivir 150 mg/300 mg Tablet is not a cure for HIV or AIDS and only helps to decrease the amount of HIV in your body. This helps to lower your risk of getting HIV-related complications and improves your lifespan. It is prescribed in combination with other HIV medicines. Your doctor will recommend the best medicines for you and will decide the doses that you need. Follow carefully the instructions for all the medicines that you are given. It can be taken with or without food. Taking all these medicines regularly at the right times greatly increases their effectiveness and reduces the chances of HIV becoming resistant to them. It is important not to miss doses and to keep taking them until your doctor tells you it is safe to stop.
Lamivudine must be converted intracellularly to its triphosphate form, which then competes with cytosine triphosphate for incorporation into the developing viral DNA strand. This results in chain termination and ceases viral DNA replication
AZT works by selectively inhibiting HIV's reverse transcriptase, the enzyme that the virus uses to make a DNA copy of its RNA.
The pharmacokinetics of lamivudine are similar in patients with HIV-1 or HBV infection, and healthy volunteers. The drug is rapidly absorbed after oral administration, with maximum serum concentrations usually attained 0.5 to 1.5 hours after the dose.
Zidovudine is rapidly and extensively absorbed following oral administration. The mean half-life is approximately ih. The drug is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier resulting in antiviral concentrations within the cerebrospinal fluid
Headache
Fever
Cough
Fatigue
Joint pain
Insomnia (difficulty in sleeping)
Gastrointestinal disturbance
Rash
Hair loss
Muscle disorders
General discomfort
increased blood acidity due to high levels of lactic acid.
acute inflammation of the pancreas.
chronic inflammation of the pancreas.
a patient who is producing milk and breastfeeding.
chronic kidney disease stage 3A
chronic kidney disease stage 3B
increased blood acidity due to high levels of lactic acid.
anemia.
low levels of a type of white blood cell called neutrophils.
a disease with shrinking and weaker muscles called myopathy.
toxic amblyopia, a loss of vision.
liver problems.
severe liver disease.
muscle inflammation
Combivir 150 mg/300 mg Tablet may be unsafe to use during pregnancy. Although there are limited studies in humans, animal studies have shown harmful effects on the developing baby. Your doctor will weigh the benefits and any potential risks before prescribing it to you. Please consult your doctor.
Caution is advised when consuming alcohol with Combivir 150 mg/300 mg Tablet. Please consult your doctor.
Combivir 150 mg/300 mg Tablet is probably safe to use during breastfeeding. Limited human data suggests that the drug does not represent any significant risk to the baby.
Lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) is used to treat hepatitis B infection. Lamivudine is in a class of medications called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). It works by decreasing the amount of HIV and hepatitis B in the blood
HIV-1 infection, in combination with other antiretroviral agents. Prevention of maternal-fetal HIV-1 transmission.
Emtricitabine. Don't take emtricitabine if you're also taking lamivudine. ...
Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. This combination antibiotic is used to treat various infections, including urinary tract infection and traveler's diarrhea. ...
Drugs that contain sorbitol.
Some products that may interact with this drug include: orlistat, probenecid, ribavirin, stavudine, drugs that may suppress bone marrow function (such as ganciclovir, dapsone, trimethoprim, chemotherapy including doxorubicin, vincristine), drugs that may affect the kidneys
It is better to take Combivir 150 mg/300 mg Tablet at a fixed time of the day to avoid the chances of missing a dose
Store below 30°C
If you miss a dose of Combivir 150 mg/300 mg Tablet, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular schedule. Do not double the dose.
Consult a doctor before taking any medicines
Lamivudine
You have been prescribed Lamivudine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
In combination with other medicines, it is used for the treatment of HIV infections.
Take it with food, as this increases the absorption of the medicine into the body.
Lamivudine may cause dizziness or sleepiness. Do not drive or do anything requiring concentration until you know how it affects you.
You may still develop infections or other illnesses associated with viral infection while taking this medication.
You can also pass on HIV or HBV to others. Don't share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.
During treatment and for at least six months after stopping this medicine, regular blood tests are needed to monitor your liver function, level of hepatitis B virus and blood cells in your blood.
Zidovudine
In combination with other medicines, it is used for the treatment of HIV infections.
Take it with food, as this increases the absorption of the medicine into the body.
Zidovudine may cause dizziness or sleepiness. Do not drive or do anything requiring concentration until you know how it affects you.
You may still develop infections or other illnesses associated with viral infection while taking this medication.
You can also pass on HIV or HBV to others. Don't share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.
During treatment and for at least six months after stopping this medicine, regular blood tests are needed to monitor your liver function, level of hepatitis B virus and blood cells in your blood.
Combivir 150 mg/300 mg Tablet should be taken in the dose and duration advised by the doctor. This medicine is to be taken on an empty stomach to get maximum benefit. It is better to take Combivir 150 mg/300 mg Tablet at a fixed time of the day to avoid the chances of missing a dose
Q. How should I take Lamivudine?
Lamivudine should be taken in the dose and duration advised by the doctor. This medicine can be taken with or without food. However, it is better to take it at a fixed time of the day to avoid the chances of missing a dose.
Q. Is Lamivudine effective?
Lamivudine is effective if used in the dose and duration advised by your doctor. Do not stop taking it even if you see improvement in your condition. If you stop using Lamivudine too early, the symptoms may return or worsen.
Q. What is drug resistance? Can I develop drug resistance with Lamivudine?
Drug resistance is a state where the medicine which was once effective in treating an infection becomes ineffective. This mainly happens due to the ability acquired by the virus or bacteria to get modified inside the body which affects the overall working of the medicine. Hence, the medicine is no longer able to fight against the virus or bacteria. Generally, drug resistance with Lamivudine is more likely to happen if you take less dose than what is recommended.
Q. How long should I take Lamivudine?
Do not stop taking entecavir without consulting your doctor. Stopping entecavir before treatment may worsen your hepatitis. This can happen during the first several months after you stop taking entecavir. Take the medicine strictly as advised and do not miss any dose.
Q. What is Zidovudine? What is it used for?
Zidovudine belongs to a group of medicines called antiretrovirals. It is used to treat HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the virus that can cause AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). It helps to control HIV infection so your immune system can work better.
Q. Is Zidovudine safe?
Zidovudine is safe if used in the dose and duration advised by your doctor. Take it exactly as directed and do not skip any dose. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully and let your doctor know if any of the side effects bother you.
Q. How does Zidovudine work?
Zidovudine works by blocking the function of an enzyme, called reverse transcriptase, which is responsible for the HIV replication process. This helps to reduce the level of HIV in the blood.
Q. How should I take Zidovudine?
Zidovudine should be taken in the dose and duration advised by the doctor. This medicine may be taken with or without food but it is better to be taken at a fixed time of the day to avoid the chances of missing a dose.
