Epivir (Lamivudine) Patient Information: Missed a Dose and What Should I Avoid at RxList

Pill Identifier Search

May 27, 2012

Epivir

Hepatitis B »

What is hepatitis?

The term 'hepatitis' simply means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis may be caused by a virus or a toxin such as alcohol. Other viruses that can cause injury to liver cells include the hepatitis A and hepatitis C viruses. These viruses are not related to each other or to hepatitis B virus and differ in their structure, the ways they are spread among individuals, the severity of symptoms they can cause, the way they are treated, and the outcome of the infection.

What is the scope of the problem?

Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It is estimated that 350 million individuals worldwide are infected with the virus, which causes 620,000 deaths worldwide each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 46,000 new cases of hepatitis B occurred in the United States in 2006.

In the United States, rates of new infection were highest ...

Read the Hepatitis B article »

« Previous
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Next »

Epivir

HIV AIDS Myths and Facts Slideshow Pictures

Take the HIV/AIDS Quiz

AIDS Retrospective Slideshow Pictures

font size

Epivir Patient Information including If I Miss a Dose

What happens if I miss a dose (Epivir)?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose (Epivir)?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Symptoms of a lamivudine overdose are not known.

What should I avoid while taking lamivudine (Epivir)?

Avoid drinking alcohol while taking lamivudine. Alcohol may increase the risk of damage to the pancreas and/or liver.

Taking lamivudine will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people through unprotected sex or sharing of needles. Talk with your doctor about safe methods of preventing HIV transmission during sex, such as using a condom and spermicide. Sharing drug or medicine needles is never safe, even for a healthy person.

What other drugs will affect lamivudine (Epivir)?

Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

interferon-alfa (Roferon, Intron, Rebetron);
trimethoprim (Bactrim, Proloprim, Septra, Trimpex); or
ribavirin (Rebetol, Ribasphere, Copegus Virazole).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with lamivudine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about lamivudine.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2010 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 7.07. Revision date: 4/12/2009.

Your use of the content provided in this service indicates that you have read,understood and agree to the End-User License Agreement,which can be accessed by clicking on this link.