Abacavir para HIV

About abacavir

Abacavir is an antiretroviral medicine. It is used for vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV) infection. It slows the progress of HIV infection, but it is not a cure. HIV destroys cells in the body, called CD4 T cells. These cells are a type of white blood cell and are important because they are involved in protecting your body from infection. If left untreated, the HIV infection weakens your immune system so that your body cannot defend itself against bacteria, viruses and other germs. Abacavir slows down the progress of HIV infection by reducing the amount of virus in your body. It does this by stopping the virus from copying (replicating) itself.

Abacavir will be prescribed for you by a doctor who is a specialist. It belongs to a group of antiretroviral medicines known as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). It is given alongside a number of other antiretroviral medicines, as part of a combination therapy. Taking three or more antiretroviral medicines at the same time is more effective than taking one alone. Some brands of abacavir contain one or more other antiretroviral medicine - these combination brands help to reduce the total number of tablets you need to take each day. Taking a combination of different medicines reduces the risk that the virus will become resistant to any individual medicine. It is vital to take your antiretroviral medicines exactly as prescribed to maintain success and to help to prevent the virus from becoming resistant to the medicines. These medicines are usually taken for life.

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine can only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking abacavir it is important that your doctor knows:

• Se você está grávida, tentando ter um bebê ou amamentando.

• Se você tiver algum problema com o funcionamento do seu fígado, ou se tiver problemas com o funcionamento dos seus rins.

• Se você beber muito álcool.

• Se você estiver tomando outros medicamentos. Isso inclui quaisquer medicamentos que estejam disponíveis para compra sem receita médica, bem como medicamentos fitoterápicos e complementares.

• Se você já teve uma reação alérgica a um medicamento.

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside your pack. It will give you more information about abacavir, and it will also provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you could experience from taking it. There will also be an Alert Card inside your pack. You should keep this with you at all times.

• Take abacavir exactly as your doctor tells you to. The usual dose for adults and older children is 600 mg (two tablets) daily, taken either as a single dose, or divided into two doses, taken morning and evening. Your doctor will tell you how you should take the tablets.

• For younger children, the dose prescribed will depend upon their age. An oral liquid medicine is often prescribed for younger children - check the label on the bottle carefully to make sure that you give the correct dose.

• It is recommended that you swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water. If you have difficulty swallowing tablets, Ziagen® brand tablets can be crushed and added to a drink or a small amount of soft food, providing that you then swallow it straightaway. Alternatively, let your doctor know you have difficulty swallowing the tablets, as the liquid medicine may be more suitable for you.

• Try to take abacavir at the same times of day each day, as this will help you to remember to take your doses regularly. You can take abacavir either with or without food.

• Se você esquecer de tomar uma dose, tome-a assim que se lembrar (a menos que esteja quase na hora da próxima dose, nesse caso, pule a dose esquecida e tome a próxima dose normalmente). Não tome duas doses juntas para compensar uma dose esquecida.

• Keep your regular appointments with your doctor so that your progress can be monitored. You will need to have regular blood tests.

• It is important that you continue to take abacavir and your other antiretroviral treatment regularly. This will help to prevent the HIV from becoming resistant to the medicines you are taking. Even if you miss only a small number of doses, the virus can become resistant to treatment.

• If you develop an infection soon after you start the treatment, let your doctor know. As a result of taking abacavir, your immune system may start fighting an infection which was present before you started the treatment, but which you may not have been aware of.

• Siga cuidadosamente qualquer conselho que seu médico lhe der sobre fazer mudanças no estilo de vida para reduzir qualquer risco de danos ao seu coração e vasos sanguíneos. Isso pode incluir parar de fumar, comer de forma saudável e fazer exercícios regularmente.

• Algumas pessoas que tomam medicamentos antirretrovirais desenvolvem alterações na forma como a gordura corporal é distribuída no corpo. Isso pode resultar em mudanças na imagem corporal. Seu médico discutirá a possibilidade disso com você.

• Embora o tratamento com medicamentos antirretrovirais possa reduzir o risco de você transmitir o HIV a outras pessoas através do contato sexual, ele não o elimina. É importante que você use preservativos.

• Não é incomum que pessoas com HIV se sintam desanimadas ou até deprimidas, especialmente logo após o diagnóstico ter sido feito e o tratamento ter começado. Se você tiver qualquer sentimento de depressão, ou pensamentos angustiantes sobre se machucar, você deve falar com seu médico imediatamente.

• Algumas pessoas que tomaram medicamentos antirretrovirais (particularmente por um longo período) desenvolveram uma condição chamada osteonecrose. Esta é uma doença óssea em que o tecido ósseo morre devido à redução do suprimento de sangue. Isso leva a dores nas articulações e rigidez, e pode causar dificuldades de movimento. Se você notar algum desses sintomas, fale com seu médico.

• If you buy any medicines, supplements or herbal remedies 'over the counter', check with a pharmacist that they are suitable to take with abacavir and your other medicines. This is because some medicines interfere with antiretrovirals and can stop them from working properly.

• Se você for se submeter a uma operação ou tratamento dentário, informe à pessoa que está realizando o tratamento quais medicamentos você está tomando.

• Treatment for HIV is usually lifelong. Continue to take abacavir regularly, even if you feel well. This is to keep your immune system healthy.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with abacavir. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Abacavir has also been associated with severe allergic reactions (hypersensitivity) and also with a condition called lactic acidosis. Hypersensitivity usually happens within the first six weeks of treatment, although it can occur at any time. Your doctor will screen you before you start treatment, to make sure you are not at high risk of allergic reactions occurring. Lactic acidosis is a condition where a substance called lactic acid builds up in your blood. If you develop any of the symptoms listed below, you must let your doctor know imediatamente, pois podem piorar e até se tornar uma ameaça à vida.

• The most common signs of a serious allergic reaction are fever and a skin rash. Other common symptoms are feeling sick (nausea), diarrhoea, tummy (abdominal) pain, cough or breathing difficulties, feeling weak, sore throat or mouth, headache, and muscle aches and pains.

• The most common signs of acidose láctica are feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting), tummy (abdominal) pain, loss of appetite, loss of weight, feeling dizzy, and fast or gasping breathing.

Se você sentir quaisquer outros sintomas que acha que podem ser devido ao medicamento, fale com seu médico ou farmacêutico para mais conselhos.

• Mantenha todos os medicamentos fora do alcance e da vista das crianças.

• Armazene em local fresco e seco, longe de calor e luz diretos.