Lamivudine

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Brand Names: Epivir

Recommended for: Lamivudine is used in combination with other medications to treat human immunodeficiency virus in parents with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is also used to treat hepatitis B infection. It is in a class of medications called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.

Special Precautions: When used alone or in combination with other antiviral medications, Lamivudine can cause serious liver damage and acid acidosis. The prescribing physicial should be aware of concurrent use of certain nonprescription medications such as trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and vitamins. Pregnant women and women who are breast-feeding should not take lamivudine.

Side Effects: Common side effects include diarrhea, headache, fatigue, chills, upset stomach, vomiting, anorexia, dizziness, trouble sleeping, depression, stuffy nose, and cough. More rare, but possibly more serious, effects include rash, stomach pain, vomiting (in children), upset stomach (in children), fever, muscle pain, and numbess, tingling, or burning in the fingers and toes. Long term use of lamivudine unfortunately leads to emergence of a resistant hepatitis B virus mutant. Despite this, this drug is used widely as it is relatively well tolerated.

Source:

“Lamivudine.” <http://www.lamivudine.com/product_info.htm>
MedlinePlus. “Lamivudine.” <www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a696011.html>