Combivir is a combination of lamivudine and zidovudine. Both zidovudine and lamivudine belong to a class of drugs known as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. It can be used alone or with other HIV medications to help control HIV infections.These drugs block the reverse transcriptase enzyme. This enzyme changes HIV’s genetic material (RNA) into the form of DNA.
It was approved for use on September 26, 1997 in the United States by the Food and Dug Administration and is manufactured and marketed by GlaxoSmithKline.
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Do not administer Combivir to children who weighs less than 66 pounds. HIV positive people are restricted from using Combivir if allergic to lamivudine and zidovudine.Combivir should be taken together with any medication that may contain any of the two: Epiver, Retrovir, Ezicom (Abacavir and Lamivudine) and Trizivir (Avacabir, Lamivudine, Zidovudine)
Common side effects such as: tingling, burning, numbness,or pain in the hands, arms or legs, chills,fever or sore throat, pale skin and unusual tiredness. Some people may experience side effects other than those listed. Inform your doctor if symptoms may appear persistent.
If you take Combivir with other ARVs, you can reduce your vi ral load to extremely low levels, and increase your CD4 cell counts. This should mean staying healthier longer. HIV AIDS is usually treated with a combination of different drugs. To address your condition, use all of your medications as recommended by your doctor. Be sure to read the medication guide or patient instructions provided with each of your medications . Do not change your doses or medication schedule without advice from your doctor.
Never discontinue lamivudine/zidovudine (Combivir) or any AARV therapy without direct advice from your doctor. If you do you could cause the virus to devleop resistance to your current HIV regimen and your cd4 count could drop to a dangerous level.
