Abacavir

Please read this factsheet carefully together with the patient information leaflet before taking your medicine. If you have any questions or are unsure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Abacavir, or ‘Ziagen’ belongs to a class of drugs called the nucleoside analogues or nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). NRTIs are used for the treatment of HIV infection, in combination with other anti-HIV drugs If you would like more information about how these drugs work in the body, a leaflet is available. Please ask the pharmacist for details.

Before taking abacavir
Tell your doctor about:

* All other drugs that you are taking, including any that you buy over the counter in a community pharmacy and herbal medicines;
* Any previous reaction to abacavir;
* Any previous allergy to any other medicines;
* If you have ever had any liver disease;
* If you have ever had any kidney disease;
* If you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant;

Taking your abacavir

* Abacavir is available as a yellow tablet engraved with GX623, containing 300mg of abacavir. There is also a liquid preparation available containing 20mg in 1ml.
* Kivexa and Trizivir are combined pill preparations that also contain abacavir. For more information please read the separate fact sheets.;
* The usual dose is 600mg daily administered either as 300mg twice daily (i.e. one tablet or 15mls twice daily) or 600mg daily (i.e two tablets or 30mls once a day).
* The doses if taken once daily should be taken at the same time each day, 24 hours apart. If taken twice daily should be divided equally throughout the day i.e. as close as possible to twelve hours apart, and at the same times each day.
* There is no significant effect of food upon the absorption of abacavir from the gut, therefore you can take the tablets before, with or after food.
* Abacavir works best if there is a constant amount in your bloodstream. It is therefore very important to take the tablets regularly. If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember.

Do not run out of abacavir. If you are going on holiday and need additional supplies - tell your doctor. Your pharmacist will check that you have enough to last until your next appointment.

Side effects
Abacavir, like all other medicines, has some side effects. The most frequent ones (incidence of greater than 1 per 100 patients) are:

* Anorexia;
* Diarrhoea;
* Nausea and vomiting;
* Lethargy and fatigue;
* Fever;
* Headache;
* Rash;

Though many of these side-effects are transient, if you experience any of these side effects or any other symptoms after you start abacavir, tell your doctor who will advise you what to do.

In the experience to date with abacavir approximately 5% of patients have developed an allergic reaction. This usually happens within the first six weeks of treatment, although these reactions may occur at any time during therapy. The HLA B5701 genetic test identifies patients most at risk for abacavir-related hypersensitivity reactions.

YOU SHOULD CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY for advice if:
1. You get a skin rash OR
2. You get one or more symptoms from at least two of the following groups:

* fever;
* shortness of breath, sore throat or cough;
* nausea or vomiting or diarrhoea or abdominal pain;
* severe tiredness or achiness or general ill feeling;

Remember to carry the alert card (from the medication package) around with you at all times.

You should NOT stop taking abacavir without first speaking to your doctor. If you do stop abacavir due to this reaction you must never take abacavir again. There have been reports of more serious reactions in people who have stopped abacavir and then restarted after the symptoms disappeared.

During working hours contact your doctor or the Kobler Pharmacy on 020 8746 5604 or after hours, Thomas Macaulay ward, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on 020 8746 8540.

Lactic acidosis has been reported with the use of nucleoside analogues. Your doctor will be monitoring your lactate levels, but inform your doctor if you experience the following symptoms:

* nausea and vomiting;
* abdominal pain;
* loss of appetite;
* weight loss;
* rapid, deep breathing or muscle weakness;

Admission to hospital
If you are admitted to hospital please bring all your medicines with you. This is especially important for anti-HIV drugs as they need to be taken regularly. Thomas Macaulay Ward now operates a self medication programme. Some patients are able to self administer their own medicines to enable them to stick to the routine they have been used to at home.

Storing your abacavir
Abacavir should be stored at room temperature.