Pill Book

Generic Name Abacavir (uh-BAK-uh-veer) Brand Name Ziagen Combination Product Generic Ingredients: Abacavir + Lamivudine Epzicom Type of Drug Antiviral. Prescribed For Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. General Information Abacavir is a man-made nucleoside drug that inhibits the reproduction of the HIV virus. Once inside the HIV-infected cell, abacavir is transformed by enzymes into carbovir triphosphate. Carbovir triphosphate interferes with the activity of HIV reverse transcriptase, an enzyme essential to the virus' ability to reproduce. Abacavir is always given with another anti-HIV antiviralsuch as didanosine, lamivudine, stavudine or zalcitabineto achieve optimum effectiveness. Some of the drug is broken down in the liver, some passes out of the body unchanged in the urine, and some passes out of the body in the stool. Cautions and Warnings Stop taking this drug at the first sign of drug allergy or sensitivity (see "Special Information"). People have died from abacavir sensitivity. People with liver disease should be cautious about using this drug because of the possibility that it can aggravate the condition. Some people have died from liver damage associated with abacavir. The use of nucleoside drugs such as abacavir can very rarely cause lactic acidosis, a fatal metabolic disturbance. Resistance to abacavir has developed in laboratory versions of HIV also resistant to lamivudine, didanosine, and zalcitabine. HIV that is resistant to protease inhibitors is not likely to be resistant to abacavir. Redistribution or accumulation of body fat may occur in people taking antiviral medications including: central obesity; facial, arm, leg, and/or buttock wasting; breast enlargement; and fat accumulation at the base of the neck (buffalo hump). Abacavir cannot be used in infants under age 3 months. Drug Interactions Alcohol interferes with the elimination of abacavir through the liver and can lead to a 40% increase in the amount of drug in the blood. Abacavir can increase blood levels of acetaminophen, amitriptyline, bumetanide, chloral hydrate, chlorpheniramine, chlorpromazine, chlorzoxazone, dapsone, doxepin, fluconazole, imipramine, ketoconazole, labetalol, lamotrigine, miconazole, morphine, naloxone, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), oxazepam, promethazine, propofol, propranolol, and valproic acid. Cigarette smoking and clofibrate may reduce the amount of abacavir in the blood. Combining abacavir with isoniazid may decrease abacavir levels and increase isoniazid levels in the blood. Abacavir levels in the blood may be decreased if you are also taking phenobarbital, phenytoin, or T3 thyroid hormone replacement. Abacavir may increase the speed with which methadone is cleared from the body. Changes in methadone dose are usually not required. For further drug interactions for Epzicom, see Lamivudine, page 611. Food Interactions None known. Usual Dose Adult (age 17 and over): 300 mg 2 times a day. Child (age 3 months16 years): 3.6 mg per lb. of body weight twice a day, up to a maximum of 300 mg in each dose. Overdosage Little is known about the effects of abacavir overdose. Overdose victims should be taken to a hospital emergency room for treatment. ALWAYS bring the prescription bottle or container. Special Information Stop taking this drug and call your doctor at the first sign of allergy or sensitivity. Symptoms include fever, rash, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, sore throat, difficulty breathing, and coughing. Some patients who experienced a hypersensitivity reaction were initially thought to have a respiratory iSilverman, Harold M. is the author of 'Pill Book ', published 2006 under ISBN 9780553588927 and ISBN 0553588923.