Emtricitabine for HIV

About emtricitabine

Emtricitabine is an antiretroviral medicine. It is used for infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV). 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. Emtricitabine 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.

Emtricitabine 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. Taking a combination of different medicines also reduces the risk that the virus will become resistant to any individual medicine. Some brands of emtricitabine contain other antiretroviral medicines also (see the list in the table above). Taking one of these brands helps to reduce the number of tablets you need to take each day. Not all of the information in this leaflet applies to the combination brands - please refer to the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack for full details about these brands.

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 emtricitabine 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 emtricitabine, and it will also provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you could experience from taking it.

• Take emtricitabine exactly as your doctor tells you to. It is taken once daily. Adults will usually be prescribed capsules/tablets to take, whereas children are likely to be supplied with liquid medicine (Emtriva® Oral Solution). Your doctor will tell you how much you should take for each dose.

• Try to take emtricitabine at the same time of day each day, as this will help you to remember to take it regularly. You can take emtricitabine either with or without food.

• If for any reason you are sick (vomit) within one hour of taking emtricitabine, you should take another dose. This is because the medicine will not have been absorbed by your body. If, however, you are sick more than one hour after taking a dose, there is no need to repeat the dose, as the medicine will already have been absorbed.

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember, providing it is within 12 hours of the time you should have taken it. If when you remember, it is more than 12 hours late, do not take the dose you missed but do remember to take your next dose when it is due. Do not take two doses together to make up for a forgotten dose.

• Keep your regular appointments with your doctor so that your progress can be monitored. You are likely to need regular blood tests to check how well your medicines are working.

• It is important that you continue to take emtricitabine 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 emtricitabine, 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.

• Emtricitabine has been associated with a serious side-effect in some people who have taken it. This is known as lactic acidosis. It is a problem where there is too much lactic acid in the blood. The symptoms associated with it are listed in the next section 'Can emtricitabine cause problems?'. 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.

• If you buy any medicines, supplements or herbal remedies 'over the counter', check with a pharmacist that they are suitable to take with emtricitabine 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 emtricitabine 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 emtricitabine. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. You should, however, speak with your doctor if you develop any of the following side-effects. This is because some of the common side-effects of emtricitabine are similar to the symptoms of lactic acidosis - a less common but more serious problem.

Seu médico discutirá com você a possibilidade de ocorrência de acidose láctica. Informe seu médico imediatamente se você desenvolver algum dos seguintes sintomas:

• Sentindo-se mal (náusea) ou vomitando, dor de estômago, perda de apetite, perda de peso, sensação de fraqueza ou tontura, e respiração rápida ou ofegante.

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.

• Store unopened bottles of emtricitabine liquid medicine in a refrigerator. Once a bottle has been opened it can be stored out of the refrigerator, but it must be in a cool place. Opened bottles keep for 45 days - after this time, make sure you have a fresh supply.