{"id":7017,"date":"2021-02-10T13:18:40","date_gmt":"2021-02-10T13:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/?p=7017"},"modified":"2021-06-02T08:26:44","modified_gmt":"2021-06-02T08:26:44","slug":"combivir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/medicines\/combivir\/","title":{"rendered":"Combivir &#8211; Lamivudine and Zidovudine uses, dose and side effects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\n\n150 mg \/ 300 mg&nbsp;film-coated tablets&nbsp;<br><a href=\"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/medicines\/triumeq\/\">lamivudine<\/a> \/ zidovudine<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. What Combivir is and what it is used for<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Combivir is used to treat HIV infection (&nbsp;human immunodeficiency virus&nbsp;infection&nbsp;) in adults and children.<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Combivir contains two active substances, lamivudine and zidovudine, which are used to treat HIV infection.&nbsp;Both of these belong to a group of antiretroviral drugs called&nbsp;nucleoside&nbsp;reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs).<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Combivir does not completely cure HIV infection.&nbsp;It reduces the number of&nbsp;viruses&nbsp;in the body and keeps it at a low level.&nbsp;It also increases the number of CD4 cells in the blood.&nbsp;CD4 cells are a type of&nbsp;white blood cell&nbsp;that is important for the body to fight&nbsp;infections.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not all patients respond to Combivir in the same way.&nbsp;Your doctor will check the treatment effect you are getting.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What you need to know before you take Combivir<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do not take Combivir:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>if you are&nbsp;<strong>allergic<\/strong>&nbsp;to lamivudine or zidovudine or to any of the other ingredients of this medicine&nbsp;<em>(see section 6)<\/em><\/li><li>if you have&nbsp;<strong>a very low number of&nbsp;red blood cells<\/strong><em>&nbsp;(&nbsp;anemia&nbsp;)<\/em>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<strong>a very low number of&nbsp;white blood cells<\/strong><em>&nbsp;(&nbsp;neutropenia&nbsp;)<\/em>.&nbsp;<strong>Check with your doctor<\/strong>&nbsp;if you think any of these apply to you.<strong>&nbsp;<br><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take special care with Combivir<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some patients taking Combivir or other combination therapies for&nbsp;HIV are&nbsp;at greater risk of serious&nbsp;side effects.&nbsp;You need to be aware of the extra risks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>if you have a&nbsp;<strong>history of liver disease<\/strong>, including&nbsp;hepatitis&nbsp;B or&nbsp;hepatitis&nbsp;C (if you have&nbsp;hepatitis&nbsp;B&nbsp;infection, do not stop taking Combivir without talking to your doctor as your&nbsp;hepatitis&nbsp;may return)<\/li><li>if you have any&nbsp;<strong>kidney disease<\/strong><\/li><li>if you are severely&nbsp;<strong>overweight<\/strong>&nbsp;(especially if you are a woman).<br><strong>Talk to your doctor if any of these apply to you.&nbsp;<\/strong>Your doctor will determine if the active substances are suitable for you.&nbsp;You may need extra checks, including blood tests, while you are taking medication.&nbsp;See section 4 for more information.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pay attention to important symptoms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some patients taking anti-HIV drugs develop other conditions that can be serious.&nbsp;You need to know important signs and symptoms to notice while taking Combivir<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read the information \u201cOther possible&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;of combination therapy for HIV\u201d in section 4 of this leaflet.<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Protect other people<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>HIV infection is spread through sexual contact with someone who has an&nbsp;infection&nbsp;or through infected blood (eg by splitting injection needles).&nbsp;You can still transmit&nbsp;HIV infection when you take this medicine, even though the risk of effective&nbsp;antiviral therapy is&nbsp;reduced.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Discuss with your doctor the necessary steps to avoid infecting others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other medicines and Combivir<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines,<\/strong>&nbsp;including&nbsp;<strong>medicines obtained<\/strong>&nbsp;without a prescription, herbal medicines, herbal medicines, or other natural products.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember to tell your doctor or pharmacist if you start taking a new medicine while taking Combivir.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>These medicines should not be taken with Combivir:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>other medicines containing lamivudine, for the treatment of&nbsp;<strong>HIV infection<\/strong>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<strong>hepatitis&nbsp;B&nbsp;infection<\/strong><\/li><li>emtricitabine, for the treatment of&nbsp;<strong>HIV infection<\/strong><\/li><li>stavudine for the treatment of&nbsp;HIV infection<\/li><li>ribavirin or&nbsp;injection&nbsp;of ganciclovir to treat&nbsp;viral infections<\/li><li>high&nbsp;doses&nbsp;of&nbsp;co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim + sulfamethoxazole), an&nbsp;antibiotic.<br><\/li><li>cladribine, which is used to treat&nbsp;hairy cell leukemia.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tell your doctor<\/strong>&nbsp;if you are being treated with any of these medicines.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Some medicines make you more likely to have&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;or make the&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;worse.&nbsp;<\/strong>These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>sodium valproate, for the treatment of&nbsp;<strong>epilepsy<\/strong><\/li><li>interferon<strong>, for the treatment of&nbsp;viral infections<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>pyrimethamine, for the treatment of&nbsp;malaria&nbsp;and other parasitic infections<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>dapsone, to prevent&nbsp;pneumonia&nbsp;and treat skin infections<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>fluconazole&nbsp;or flucytosine<\/strong>, for the treatment of&nbsp;<strong>fungal infections<\/strong>&nbsp;such as&nbsp;<strong>candida<\/strong><\/li><li>pentamidine or atovaquone, for the treatment of parasitic infections such as&nbsp;<em>Pneumocystis&nbsp;jirovecii<\/em>&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;pneumonia&nbsp;(often called&nbsp;<strong>PCP<\/strong>&nbsp;)&nbsp;<\/li><li>amphotericin or co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim + sulfamethoxazole), for the treatment of&nbsp;<strong>fungal and bacterial infections<\/strong><\/li><li>probenecid, for the treatment of&nbsp;<strong>gout<\/strong>&nbsp;and similar conditions, and given together with&nbsp;antibiotics&nbsp;to increase its effectiveness<\/li><li><strong>methadone<\/strong>, used as a&nbsp;heroin substitute<\/li><li>vincristine, vinblastine or doxorubicin, for the treatment of&nbsp;cancer.&nbsp;<br><strong>Tell your doctor<\/strong>&nbsp;if you are taking any of these medicines.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Some medicines affect and are affected by Combivir<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>clarithromycin,<\/strong>&nbsp;an&nbsp;antibiotic&nbsp;<br>If you are taking clarithromycin, take your&nbsp;dose&nbsp;at least 2 hours before or after taking Combivir.<\/li><li>phenytoin,&nbsp;for the treatment of&nbsp;epilepsy. Tell your doctor&nbsp;if you are taking&nbsp;phenytoin.&nbsp;Your doctor may need to check you while you are taking Combivir.<\/li><li>medicines (usual liquids) containing&nbsp;sorbitol and other sugar alcohols&nbsp;(such as xylitol, mannitol, lactitol, and maltitol), if taken regularly. <strong>Tell your doctor&nbsp;or pharmacist<\/strong>&nbsp;if you are being treated with any of these medicines.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pregnancy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are pregnant, become pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking Combivir during your pregnancy.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Combivir and similar medicines can cause&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;in the unborn baby.&nbsp;If you have taken Combivir during your pregnancy, your doctor may request regular blood tests and other diagnostic tests to check your baby&#8217;s development.&nbsp;For children with a&nbsp;mother&nbsp;who has taken NRTIs during pregnancy, the benefit of&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;protection outweighs the&nbsp;risk of&nbsp;side effects.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Breast-feeding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Women who are HIV-positive should not breast-feed<\/strong>&nbsp;because the HIV infection can be transmitted to the baby via breast milk.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A small amount of the ingredients in Combivir may also pass into breast milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are breast-feeding or considering breastfeeding:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Talk to your doctor immediately.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Driving and using machines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Combivir may make you dizzy and have other&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;that make you less alert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do not drive or use machines<\/strong>&nbsp;unless you are feeling well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Combivir contains sodium<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>This medicine contains less than 1 mmol (23 mg)&nbsp;sodium&nbsp;per tablet, ie it is essentially &#8216;sodium-free&#8217;.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to take Combivir<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you.&nbsp;<\/strong>If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Swallow the tablets with a little water.&nbsp;Combivir can be taken with or without food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you can not swallow the tablets whole, you can crush and mix them with a small amount of food or drink and take the whole&nbsp;dose&nbsp;immediately.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Keep in regular contact with your doctor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Combivir helps keep your disease under control.&nbsp;You must take it every day to prevent the disease from getting worse.&nbsp;You may still develop other&nbsp;infections&nbsp;or diseases associated with HIV infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Keep in touch with your doctor and do not stop taking Combivir&nbsp;without&nbsp;your doctor&#8217;s<\/strong> advice.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How much to take<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Adults and children weighing 30 kg or more:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The usual&nbsp;dose&nbsp;of Combivir is one tablet twice a day.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take the tablets at regular intervals of about 12 hours.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Children weighing between 21 kg and 30 kg:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The usual starting dose for Combivir is one half (\u00bd) tablet in the morning and one whole tablet in the evening.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Children weighing between 14 kg and 21 kg:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The usual starting dose for Combivir is half a tablet (\u00bd) in the morning and a half (\u00bd) a tablet in the evening.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Children weighing less than 14 kg should take lamivudine and zidovudine (the active substances of Combivir) as separate medicines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you take more Combivir than you should<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you accidentally take too much Combivir, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, or contact the emergency department of your nearest hospital for further advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you forget to take Combivir<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you forget to take a&nbsp;dose, take it as soon as you remember.&nbsp;Then continue with the treatment as before.&nbsp;Do not take a double&nbsp;dose&nbsp;to make up for a forgotten&nbsp;dose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Possible side effects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>During&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;treatment, weight gain and increased levels of&nbsp;lipids&nbsp;and&nbsp;glucose&nbsp;in the blood may occur.&nbsp;This is partly related to restored health and lifestyle, but when it comes to blood lipids, there can sometimes be a connection with&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;drugs.&nbsp;Your doctor will perform tests to find such changes.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Combivir treatment often causes loss of fat on the legs, arms, and face (lipoatrophy).&nbsp;It has been shown that such loss of body fat may not go away completely once treatment with zidovudine has been stopped.&nbsp;Your doctor will look for signs of lipoatrophy.&nbsp;Tell your doctor if you notice that the amount of fat decreases on your legs, arms, and face.&nbsp;When such signs occur, stop taking Combivir and receive other&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;treatment.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like all medicines, this medicine can cause&nbsp;side effects,&nbsp;although not everybody gets them.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the treatment of an HIV infection, it is not always possible to distinguish disease symptoms from adverse drug reactions caused by Combivir or by other concomitant drugs.&nbsp;<strong>For this reason, you must talk to your doctor about any changes in your state of health.<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Like the&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;mentioned below for Combivir<\/strong>, other conditions can develop during combination therapy for&nbsp;HIV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is important to read the information in the following sections under &#8220;Other possible&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;of combination therapy for HIV&#8221;.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Very common&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;are<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These can occur in&nbsp;<strong>more than 1 in 10<\/strong>&nbsp;users:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>headache<\/li><li>nausea.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Common&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;are<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These can occur in&nbsp;<strong>up to 1 in 10<\/strong>&nbsp;users:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>vomiting<\/li><li>diarrhea<\/li><li>abdominal pain<\/li><li>loss of appetite<\/li><li>dizziness<\/li><li>fatigue, weakness<\/li><li>fever (high temperature)<\/li><li>the general (general) feeling of illness<\/li><li>difficulty sleeping&nbsp;<em>(insomnia)<\/em><\/li><li>muscle pain and discomfort<\/li><li>joint pain<\/li><li>cough<\/li><li>irritated or runny nose<\/li><li>rash<\/li><li>hair loss&nbsp;<em>(&nbsp;alopecia&nbsp;)<\/em>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Common&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;that can be detected in blood samples are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>low&nbsp;red blood cell count&nbsp;<em>(&nbsp;anemia&nbsp;)<\/em>&nbsp;or low&nbsp;white blood cell count&nbsp;(&nbsp;<em>neutropenia<\/em>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<em>leukopenia<\/em>&nbsp;)<\/li><li>increase in liver enzyme levels<\/li><li>increase in the&nbsp;<em>level<\/em>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<em>bilirubin<\/em>&nbsp;(a substance produced by the liver) in the blood, which can yellow your skin.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Uncommon&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;are<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These can occur in&nbsp;<strong>up to 1 in 100<\/strong>&nbsp;users:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>shortness of breath<\/li><li>gas in the stomach&nbsp;<em>(&nbsp;flatulence&nbsp;)<\/em><\/li><li>itching<\/li><li>muscle weakness.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A less common&nbsp;side effect&nbsp;that can be detected in blood tests is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>a decrease in the number of blood cells involved in blood coagulation&nbsp;<em>(&nbsp;thrombocytopenia&nbsp;)<\/em>&nbsp;or all types of blood cells&nbsp;<em>(pancytopenia)<\/em>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rare&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;are<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These can occur in&nbsp;<strong>up to 1 in 1000<\/strong>&nbsp;users:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>the severe&nbsp;allergic reaction&nbsp;which causes swelling of the face, tongue, or throat and which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing<\/li><li>liver diseases, such as jaundice, enlarged liver or&nbsp;fatty liver,&nbsp;inflammation&nbsp;<em>(&nbsp;hepatitis&nbsp;)<\/em><\/li><li>lactic acidosis&nbsp;<em>(excess&nbsp;lactic acid&nbsp;in the blood, see next section &#8220;Other possible&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;of combination therapy for HIV&#8221;)<\/em><\/li><li>inflammation&nbsp;of the pancreas&nbsp;<em>(&nbsp;pancreatitis&nbsp;)<\/em><\/li><li>chest pain;&nbsp;heart muscle disease&nbsp;<em>(&nbsp;cardiomyopathy&nbsp;)<\/em><\/li><li>seizures<\/li><li>depression or anxiety, difficulty concentrating, drowsiness<\/li><li>poor digestion, taste changes<\/li><li>discoloration of the nails, skin, or mucous membranes on the inside of the mouth<\/li><li>flu-like symptoms&nbsp;&#8211; chills and sweating<\/li><li>numbness and tingling in the skin<\/li><li>the feeling of weakness in arms and legs<\/li><li>degradation of muscle tissue<\/li><li>numbness<\/li><li>increased urination frequency<\/li><li>breast augmentation in men.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Rare&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;that can be detected by blood tests are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>increase in an&nbsp;enzyme&nbsp;called amylase<\/li><li>failure of the bone marrow&#8217;s ability to form new&nbsp;red blood cells(erythroblastopenia).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Very rare&nbsp;side effect&nbsp;s<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These can occur in&nbsp;<strong>up to 1 in 10,000<\/strong>&nbsp;users:<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A very rare&nbsp;side effect&nbsp;that can be detected in blood tests is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>failure of the bone marrow&#8217;s ability to form new red or&nbsp;white blood cells&nbsp;(&nbsp;aplastic anemia&nbsp;).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you get&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;ar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tell your doctor or pharmacist<\/strong>&nbsp;if any of these&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;gets serious or bothersome, or if you notice any&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;not listed in this leaflet.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Other possible&nbsp;side effects&nbsp;are with combination therapy for&nbsp;HIV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Combination therapy such as Combivir may cause other conditions to develop during HIV treatment.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Old&nbsp;infection&nbsp;can flare up<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Patients with advanced HIV infection (&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;) have a weakened immune system and are more likely to develop serious&nbsp;infections&nbsp;(opportunistic&nbsp;infections&nbsp;).&nbsp;When these patients start treatment, it happens that old, hidden&nbsp;infections&nbsp;can flare up and cause signs and symptoms of&nbsp;inflammation.&nbsp;These symptoms are probably caused by the body&#8217;s immune system getting better and the body starts to fight these&nbsp;infections.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to these opportunistic&nbsp;infections, autoimmune diseases (conditions that occur when the immune system attacks healthy body tissue) can also occur after you start medication for your HIV infection.&nbsp;Autoimmune diseases can develop several months after the start of treatment.&nbsp;If you notice any symptoms of&nbsp;infection&nbsp;or other symptoms such as muscle weakness, a weakness that starts in the hands and feet and moves towards the torso, palpitations, tremors, or hyperactivity, contact a doctor immediately for the necessary treatment.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you notice any symptoms of&nbsp;infection&nbsp;while taking Combivir:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Talk to your doctor immediately.&nbsp;<\/strong>Do not take any other anti-infective&nbsp;medication&nbsp;without consulting your doctor.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lactic acidosis is a rare but serious&nbsp;side effect<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some patients taking Combivir to develop a condition called lactic acidosis, in combination with an enlarged liver.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lactic acidosis is caused by an accumulation of&nbsp;lactic acid&nbsp;in the body.&nbsp;This condition is rare and if it does occur, it usually develops after a few months of treatment.&nbsp;It can be life-threatening and cause the failure of internal organs.&nbsp;The risk of developing lactic acidosis is greater in patients who have liver disease, or in severe obesity, especially in women.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Characteristics of lactic acidosis include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>deep, fast, strained breathing<\/li><li>drowsiness<\/li><li>numbness or feeling of weakness in arms and legs<\/li><li>nausea, vomiting<\/li><li>abdominal pain.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>During your treatment, your doctor will closely monitor for signs of lactic acidosis.&nbsp;If you have any of the symptoms mentioned above, or any other symptoms that concern you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>See your doctor as soon as possible.<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You may have a skeletal problem<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some patients treated with combination therapy for&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;develop a condition called&nbsp;osteonecrosis.&nbsp;In this condition, parts of the bone tissue die due to reduced blood supply.&nbsp;Patients may be at greater risk of getting this condition:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>if they have been treated with combination therapy for a long time<\/li><li>if they are also taking anti-inflammatory medicines called&nbsp;corticosteroids&nbsp;s<\/li><li>if they drink alcohol<\/li><li>if their immune system is very weak<\/li><li>if they are overweight.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Characteristics of&nbsp;osteonecrosis&nbsp;include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>stiffness in the joints<\/li><li>aches and pains (especially in the hips, knees, or shoulders)<\/li><li>mobility impairment.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you notice any of these symptoms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tell your doctor.<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Other effects that can be detected in blood samples<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Combination therapy for&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;can also cause:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>elevated levels of&nbsp;lactic acid&nbsp;in the blood, which in rare cases can lead to lactic acidosis.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Reporting of side effects<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse.&nbsp;This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.&nbsp;You can also report side effects directly to the Medical Products Agency,&nbsp;www.lakemedelsverket.se.&nbsp;By reporting side effects, you can help increase drug safety information.&nbsp;Postal address<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. How to store Combivir<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do not store above 30 \u00b0 C.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste.&nbsp;Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required.&nbsp;These measures will help to protect the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Contents of the packaging and other information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content declaration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The active substances are lamivudine and zidovudine.&nbsp;Other ingredients are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>tablet core<\/em>: microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycolate (gluten-free), magnesium stearate,&nbsp;colloidal&nbsp;silica<\/li><li>film coating: hypromellose, titanium dioxide, macrogol 400, and polysorbate 80.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What it looks like and the contents of the pack:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Combivir film-coated tablets are supplied in cartons containing blister packs or cans with child-resistant lids.&nbsp;Each pack type contains 60 film-coated tablets.&nbsp;They are white to &#8220;off-white&#8221;, capsule-shaped with a break notch, and are marked with the code GXFC3 on both sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Marketing Authorization Holder and Manufacturer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Show larger<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Marketing Authorisation Holder<\/strong><br><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Glaxo Operations UK Limited(trading as Glaxo Wellcome Operations)Priory StreetWareHerts SG12 0DJUK<br>or<br>GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals SAul.&nbsp;Grunwaldzka 18960-322 Poznan Poland<\/td><td>ViiV Healthcare BVVan Asch van Wijckstraat 55H3811 LP Amersfoort Netherlands<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Contact the representative of the marketing authorization holder to find out more about this medicine: Show larger<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Belgi\u00eb \/ Belgique \/<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>Belgien ViiV Healthcare SRL \/ bvTel: + 32 (0) 10 85 65 00<br><\/td><td><strong>Lithuania<\/strong>GlaxoSmithKline Lithuania UABTel: + 370 5 264 90 00info.lt@gsk.com<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Bulgaria<\/strong>The GlaxoSmithKlein \u0415\u041e\u041e\u0414Tel .: + 359 2 953 10 34<br><\/td><td><strong>Luxembourg \/ Luxemburg<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>ViiV Healthcare Srl \/ bv&nbsp;<br>Belgique \/&nbsp;<br>Belgien T\u00e9l \/ Tel: + 32 (0) 10 85 65 00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Czech Republic<\/strong>GlaxoSmithKline sroTel: + 420 222 001 111cz.info@gsk.com<br><\/td><td><strong>Hungary<\/strong>GlaxoSmithKline Kft.Tel .: + 36 1 225 5300<br><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Denmark<\/strong>GlaxoSmithKline Pharma A \/ STel: + 45 36 35 91 00dk-info@gsk.com<br><\/td><td><strong>Malta<\/strong>GlaxoSmithKline (Malta) LimitedTel: + 356 21 238131<br><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Germany<\/strong>ViiV Healthcare GmbHTel .: + 49 (0) 89 203 0038\u201310viiv.med.info@viivhealthcare.com<br><\/td><td><strong>Netherlands<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>ViiV Healthcare BV&nbsp;<br>Tel: + 31 (0) 33 2081199<br><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Eesti<\/strong>GlaxoSmithKline Eesti O\u00dcTel: + 372 6676 900estonia@gsk.com<br><\/td><td><strong>Norway<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>GlaxoSmithKline AS&nbsp;<br>Tel: + 47 22 70 20 00<br><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Greece<\/strong>GlaxoSmithKline A\u03bf\u03bd\u03bf\u03c0\u03c1\u03cc\u03c3\u03c9\u03c0\u03b7 AEBE:\u0397\u03bb: + 30 210 68 82 100<br><\/td><td><strong>Austria<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>GlaxoSmithKline Pharma GmbH&nbsp;<br>Tel: + 43 (0) 1 97075 0at.info@gsk.com<br><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Spain<\/strong>Laboratories ViiV Healthcare, SLTel: + 34 900 923 501es-ci@viivhealthcare.com<br><\/td><td><strong>Poland<\/strong>GSK Services Sp.&nbsp;z ooTel .: + 48 (0) 22 576 9000<br><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>France<\/strong>ViiV Healthcare SASTel: + 33 (0) 1 39 17 6969Infomed@viivhealthcare.co<br><\/td><td><strong>Portugal<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>VIIV HEALTHCARE, UNIPESSOAL, LDA&nbsp;<br>Tel: + 351 21 094 08 01viiv.fi.pt@viivhealthcare.com<br><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Croatia<\/strong>GlaxoSmithKline dooTel: + 385 1 6051 999<br><\/td><td><strong>Romania<\/strong>GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) SRLTel: + 4021 3028 208<br><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Ireland<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>GlaxoSmithKline (Ireland) Limited&nbsp;<br>Tel: + 353 (0) 1 4955000<br><\/td><td><strong>Slovenia<\/strong>GlaxoSmithKline dooTel: + 386 (0) 1 280 25 00gqq41253@glaxowellcome.co.uk<br><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Iceland<\/strong>Vistor hf.Phone: + 354 535 7000<\/td><td><strong>Slovak Republic<\/strong>GlaxoSmithKline Slovakia sroTel: + 421 (0) 2 48 26 11 11recepcia.sk@gsk.com<br><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Italy<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>ViiV Healthcare SrlTel: + 39 (0) 45 9212611<br><\/td><td><strong>Finland \/ Finland<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>GlaxoSmithKline Oy&nbsp;<br>Puh \/ Tel: + 358 (0) 10 30 30 30Finland.tuoteinfo@gsk.com<br><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Latvia<\/strong>GlaxoSmithKline Latvia SIATel: + 371 67312687lv-epasts@gsk.com<\/td><td><strong>United Kingdom<\/strong>ViiV Healthcare UK LimitedTel: + 44 (0) 800 221441customercontactuk@gsk.com<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Combivir is used to treat HIV infection ( human immunodeficiency virus infection ) in adults and children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2203,2200],"tags":[6723,6725,6726,4015,4017,5225,6727,5991,6724,4016],"class_list":["post-7017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-c","category-medicines","tag-combivir","tag-combivir-side-effects","tag-combivir-tablet","tag-lamivudine","tag-lamivudine-side-effects","tag-lamivudine-tablet","tag-side-effects-of-combivir","tag-side-effects-of-lamivudine","tag-what-is-combivir","tag-what-is-lamivudine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7017"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7017\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11298,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7017\/revisions\/11298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}