Epivir (150 mg)
Epivir is sold under the brand name of lamivudine. Lamivudine is a manmade nucleoside analogue with actions against HIV-1. It is a antiviral drug that stops the multiplication of the HIV cells in the body.
Composition
The empirical formula is C8H11N3O3S with the molecular weight of 229.3 g per mol. Lamivudine is a white crystalline solid. Epivir Tablets are meant for oral use. Each scored film-coated, 150 mg tablets contain 150 mg of lamivudine. The inactive ingredients present in epivir tablets are magnesium stearate, hypromellose, titanium dioxide, polyethylene glycol and sodium starch glycolate.
Uses
Epivir is combined with other antiretroviral drugs and used for the treatment of the HIV-1 (Human immunodeficiency virus type 1) infection. It does not cure AIDS or HIV infections.
How to Use
Epivir tablets should be taken exactly as instructed by the doctor. Don’t take this drug in irregular (smaller or larger) amounts for longer period of time. Epivir can be consumed with or without meals.
Contraindications
Epivir should not be administered together with any other drug which has emtricitabine or lamivudine as its components. These drugs include: combivir, emtriva, atripla, stribild, truvada, complera, epzicom and trizivir. This medicine is contraindicated in patients who are suffering from diabetes. This is because epivir contains 3-4 gm of sugar in each dose. Caution is recommended while administering this medicine to patient having liver disease. You should not consume epivir tablets if you are hypersensitive to lamivudine. To ensure that lamivudine is safe for your health, let your doctor know if you have:
- Kidney disease
- Liver disorder
- A history of pancreatitis
- If you have taken drugs similar to lamivudine in past, like ziagen, hivid, retrovir, complera, videx, emtricitabine, tenofovir, stavudine and stribild.
Side Effects
Epivir may cause an adverse condition known as lactic acidosis. Get immediate medical aid if you observe even mild symptoms like: weakness or muscle pain, cold feeling or numbness in arms or legs, stomach pain, trouble breathing, malaise, cough, diarrhea, headache, nasal symptoms, anorexia, arthralgia, dyspepsia, myalgia, musculoskeletal pain, fever, chills, neuropathy, abdominal cramps, nausea, uneven or fast heart beat, vomiting, dizziness, skin rashes, tiredness and fatigue. Epivir may also be responsible for some life-threatening or severe side effects on the pancreas and liver. Inform your doctor immediately if you have: jaundice, severe pain in upper abdomen extending to back, fast heart beat, dark urine, and loss of appetite, itching, vomiting, clay-colored stools or nausea.
Pregnancy and Epivir
It is uncertain whether this medicine causes any harm to the unborn baby. HIV can be passed to the fetus if you are not treated properly during pregnancy. Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to conceive. Take all your HIV drugs as instructed to control your disease. Lamivudine can be excreted into the maternal milk and may cause harmful effects to the nursing baby. Women with AIDS should not breast feed. Even if the baby doesn’t have HIV, the virus may be passed to the nursing baby through breast milk.