Abacavir pour le VIH

About abacavir

Abacavir is an antiretroviral medicine. It is used for human immunodeficiency virus (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.

Before taking abacavir

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:

• Si vous êtes enceinte, si vous essayez d'avoir un enfant ou si vous allaitez.

• Si vous avez des problèmes de fonctionnement du foie ou des reins.

• Si vous consommez beaucoup d'alcool.

• Si vous prenez d'autres médicaments. Cela inclut tous les médicaments disponibles sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médicaments complémentaires.

• Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament.

How to take abacavir

• 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.

• Si vous oubliez de prendre une dose, prenez-la dès que vous vous en rendez compte (sauf s'il est presque temps de prendre la dose suivante, auquel cas ne prenez pas la dose oubliée et prenez la dose suivante normalement). Ne prenez pas deux doses en même temps pour compenser une dose oubliée.

Tirer le meilleur parti de votre traitement

• Respectez vos rendez-vous réguliers avec votre médecin afin qu'il puisse suivre votre évolution. Vous devrez subir des analyses de sang régulières.

• 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.

• Suivez attentivement les conseils de votre médecin concernant les changements à apporter à votre mode de vie afin de réduire le risque de dommages à votre cœur et à vos vaisseaux sanguins. Il peut s'agir d'arrêter de fumer, de manger sainement et de faire régulièrement de l'exercice.

• Certaines personnes prenant des médicaments antirétroviraux développent des changements dans la façon dont la graisse corporelle est répartie dans le corps. Cela peut entraîner des modifications de l'image corporelle. Votre médecin discutera avec vous de cette possibilité.

• Bien que le traitement par des médicaments antirétroviraux puisse réduire le risque que vous transmettiez le VIH à d'autres personnes par contact sexuel, il ne l'empêche pas. Il est important que vous utilisiez des préservatifs.

• Il n'est pas rare que les personnes séropositives se sentent déprimées, surtout peu de temps après le diagnostic et le début du traitement. Si vous vous sentez déprimé ou si vous avez l'impression de vous faire du mal, parlez-en immédiatement à votre médecin.

• Certaines personnes ayant pris des médicaments antirétroviraux (en particulier sur une longue période) ont développé une maladie appelée ostéonécrose. Il s'agit d'une maladie osseuse dans laquelle le tissu osseux meurt en raison d'une diminution de l'apport sanguin. Elle entraîne des douleurs et des raideurs articulaires et peut provoquer des difficultés de mouvement. Si vous remarquez l'un de ces symptômes, parlez-en à votre médecin.

• 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.

• Si vous devez subir une opération ou un traitement dentaire, indiquez à la personne chargée du traitement les médicaments que vous prenez.

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

Can abacavir cause problems?

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 straightaway, as they can worsen, and may even become life-threatening.

• 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 lactic acidosis are feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting), tummy (abdominal) pain, loss of appetite, loss of weight, feeling dizzy, and fast or gasping breathing.

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes qui pourraient être dus au médicament, demandez conseil à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien.

How to store abacavir

• Conservez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière directes.

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments