Ziagen

What you should know before using

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatrics

This medicine has been tested in children 3 months of age and older and, in effective doses, has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems than it does in adults.

Geriatric

Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of abacavir in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Breast Feeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Ribavirin

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Allergy to abacavir or any ingredients in the medicine—You should tell your doctor immediately if you have signs of an allergic reaction. If you have ever taken abacavir in the past, you should tell your doctor right away.
• Infections—When you start taking HIV medicines, your immune system may get stronger. If you have certain infections, such as pneumonia, herpes virus, or tuberculosis, you may notice new symptoms when your body tries to fight them. If this occurs, be sure to tell your doctor.

• Liver problems, moderate or severe—Abacavir has not been studied in patients with moderate or severe liver problems, so it should not be used in patients with this condition.

• Risk factors for liver disease such as:
• Being overweight or
• Taking other HIV medicines for long periods of time—Serious side effects could occur; caution should be used