Lamivudine and Zidovudine are antiviral medications. This helps prevent HIV from increasing in your body. This prescription is FDA-approved that comes as a tablet for oral use.
What condition do Lamivudine and Zidovudine treat?
Lamivudine and Zidovudine are combined medicines used for the treatment of HIV. It is an infection that can cause AIDS. Lamivudine and Zidovudine are in the family of medicines called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). Also, taking this medication along with practicing safer sex and making other lifestyle changes might lessen the risk of transmitting the virus to other people.
How does Lamivudine and Zidovudine work?
The purpose of HIV treatment is to decrease the level of HIV in your body or also known as viral load. Preferably, your viral load must become so low that it is undetectable. Usually, it should be less than 50 copies of the virus per ml of blood. Taking HIV medication and having an unnoticeable viral load defends your immune system and avoids HIV from being passed on to somebody else especially during sex.
HIV medicines cannot fully cure your infection but taking HIV medications each day helps people with the infection live longer and have improved lives. HIV medications also lessen the risk of HIV transmission. If you are taking HIV drugs, do not cut them down, skip them, or stop taking them unless your health care provider tells you to do so.
What is the dosage of Lamivudine and Zidovudine?
- You must take Lamivudine and Zidovudine twice a day, with some water. You can take each dose with or without food.
- If you find it hard to swallow the medicine as a whole, you can crush them and take them with a small amount of drink or food. Be careful if you do this and make sure that you take the whole dose.
- Usually, you need to leave 12 hours between dosages and take each dose at even times every day.
- HIV treatment works at its finest if you take it every day. If you forget to take a dose of Lamivudine and Zidovudine, take it as soon as you remember. If it’s nearly time to take your following dose then do not take a twice dose, just avoid the dose you’ve forgotten.
- If you often forget to take your medication or you aren’t taking it for another reason, it’s important to talk to your doctor about this.
What are the precautions in using Lamivudine and Zidovudine?
- Your doctor must know about any other medicines you are taking. It includes medicine prescribed by another doctor, herbal and alternative treatments. Some of these medicines must not be taken together with Lamivudine and Zidovudine because they may cause serious side-effects. Also, it can stop one or both of the medications from working. If levels of one medicine are affected, you need to change the dose you take. You should not take Lamivudine and Zidovudine with high doses of Cotrimoxazole, Ribavirin, Cladribine, and other medicines containing lamivudine.
- If you think you might be pregnant or considering having a baby talk to your doctor as soon as possible about which combination of anti-HIV medications would be suitable for you. During pregnancy, it is important to take antiretroviral treatment to prevent passing HIV to the baby.
- Women living with HIV are recommended not to breastfeed. HIV can be passed on in breast milk. On the other hand, some women do choose to breastfeed. Lamivudine and Zidovudine must not be used during breastfeeding as at least one of the medicines has passed into breast milk.
- This prescription should not be used in adolescents weighing less than 66 pounds for the treatment of HIV.
- This medicine can also cause severe liver complications. It is important to let your doctor know that you have a liver disease especially hepatitis B.
- Your doctor should also know if ever you had pancreas disorder, kidney disease, or if you are taking Ribavirin for the treatment of hepatitis C.
- Take your HIV medications as directed by your doctor. Do not change the recommended dose or dosing schedule without the consent of your doctor. Each person with HIV must remain under the care of a doctor.
- HIV may get worse after you stop taking Lamivudine and Zidovudine if you’ve ever had hepatitis B. You might be needed recurrent liver function tests while using this medication and for some months after your last dose.