Combivir Lawyers

Combivir (lamivudine and zidovudine) is an antiviral drug used to treat HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Combivir is not an HIV or AIDS cure.

How Do HIV Patients Take Combivir?

Combivir is frequently used in combination with other antiretroviral medicines from various classes, such as protease inhibitors or non-nukes (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors). Antiretroviral therapy, or ART, refers to combinations like this.

Warnings

1. Anemia and toxicity of the bone marrow
The AZT in Combivir can harm the bone marrow, the soft tissue inside bones that produces blood cells. As a result, Combivir can result in anemia (low red blood cell counts) and neutropenia (lowered neutrophil or white blood cell counts). In severe situations, blood transfusions may be required, and Combivir must be discontinued.

People with abnormally low hemoglobin or neutrophil counts should avoid taking Combivir or other AZT-containing medications. People who start Combivir should have their blood cell levels constantly checked. If anemia does occur, it usually appears within the first four to six weeks of beginning Combivir.

Although it was previously assumed to be more prevalent, a recent large-scale assessment discovered that anemia affects only approximately 1% to 2% of patients using AZT. The prevalence of neutropenia ranges from 1.8% to 8%.

2. Lactic acidosis and steatosis of the liver
Lactic acidosis (a buildup of lactic acid in the blood) and hepatic steatosis (excess fat in the liver) have been reported in patients using nucleoside analogs. These conditions can be life-threatening. They have usually been encountered in women and persons who are overweight or have been on nucleosides for a long time.

They can induce the following symptoms:

• Unusual weariness or weakness.
• Vomiting or nausea
• Chronic abdominal pain
• Severe pancreatic inflammation (pancreatitis)

If any of these symptoms appear for no apparent reason, contact your nurse or doctor immediately.

Lactic acidosis is uncommon (less than one case per year for every thousand patients). If you experience any of these symptoms, it does not always mean you have lactic acidosis; you should notify your doctor immediately.

Hepatitis B
If a person with hepatitis B takes 3TC (a component of Combivir), hepatitis can “flare up” if the drug is discontinued. People with hepatitis B who use Combivir should be closely watched if they discontinue the medication.

What Are the Combivir Side Effects?

Common Combivir side effects include headache, dizziness, nausea, lack of appetite, diarrhea, difficulty sleeping, cold symptoms (stuffy nose, sneezing, sinus pain, cough), and changes in the shape or position of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and trunk).

Inform your doctor if you have any of the following unlikely but dangerous Combivir side effects: mental/mood changes (such as depression), signs of pancreatitis (such as vomiting, stomach/abdominal/back pain, fever), easy bruising or bleeding, or changes in skin or nail color.

Get medical attention immediately if you have any of the symptoms described above.

Severe eye symptoms include:

• Sudden vision loss.
• Impaired vision.
• Tunnel vision.
• Eye pain or swelling.
• Seeing halo effects around lights.

Serious heart symptoms include fast, irregular, or hammering heartbeats, chest fluttering, shortness of breath, sudden dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting out, severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, difficulty walking, loss of coordination, unsteadiness, extremely rigid muscles, high fever, copious perspiration, or tremors.

This document does not cover all of the potential adverse effects, and more may arise. For further information about side effects, consult your doctor.

What Other Medications, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Combivir?

Combivir may interact with chemotherapy, other HIV/AIDS medications, antiviral medications, interferon, or sulfa meds. Inform your doctor about all medications and supplements you consume.

Taking Combivir While Pregnant or Breastfeeding

Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or want to become pregnant while taking Combivir. To keep your HIV infection under control, take all of your HIV medications exactly as advised. It is unknown whether Combivir will harm an unborn child. If you are not adequately treated during your pregnancy, HIV can be passed on to your baby.

If you are pregnant, your name may be added to a pregnancy registry to track the pregnancy’s fate and assess Combivir’s effects on the infant. Combivir is excreted in breast milk. Do not breastfeed since breast milk can transmit HIV.

Further Information

Side Effects of Combivir (lamivudine and zidovudine) The Drug Center offers a complete perspective of available drug information on the potential adverse effects of this medication.

This is not an exhaustive list of possible adverse effects; more may arise. For medical advice on side effects, contact your doctor. You can contact the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 to report side effects.

If you see any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction, seek emergency medical attention: Hives; difficulty breathing; facial, lip, tongue, or throat swelling.

Mild lactic acidosis symptoms might increase with time, and the disease can be fatal. If you have unusual muscle pain, breathing problems, stomach pain, vomiting, an abnormal heart rate, dizziness, cold, or feeling very weak or exhausted, get emergency medical attention.

If you develop any of the following symptoms, contact your doctor right away:

• Swelling around your abdomen
• Right-sided upper stomach pain
• Loss of appetite
• Dark urine
• Clay-colored feces
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
• Low red blood cells (anemia)—pale complexion, unusual weariness, dizziness or shortness of breath, icy hands, and feet;
• Low white blood cell counts—fever, mouth sores, skin sores, sore throat, cough, difficulty breathing, or pancreatitis, which causes intense pain in your upper stomach that spreads to your back, nausea, and vomiting.

Lamivudine and zidovudine influence your immune system, which can lead to adverse effects (even weeks or months after you’ve started taking this medication). Inform your doctor if you have any of the following:

• Fever, night sweats, swollen glands, cold sores, cough, wheezing, diarrhea, or weight loss; or
• Difficulty speaking or swallowing, problems with balance or eye movement, weakness or prickly feeling

Swelling in your neck or throat (enlarged thyroid), menstrual changes, and impotence are all symptoms of a new infection.

Headache, nausea, diarrhea, weariness, general ill feeling; cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sinus pain, cough; or loss of body fat are common side effects (especially in your arms, legs, face, and buttocks).

This is not an exhaustive list of possible adverse effects; more may arise. For medical advice on side effects, contact your doctor. You can contact the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 to report side effects.

Cross-Resistance and Resistance

As new copies of HIV are produced in the body, the virus’s structure changes over time. These changes are known as mutations, which can cause HIV to become resistant to the effects of antiretroviral medications, which means they will no longer work for you. When Combivir is used with at least one other antiretroviral medicine, the development of drug resistance is delayed.

All antiretroviral medications should be taken as prescribed and instructed daily to limit the risk of developing drug resistance. If doses are missed, skipped, or not taken as directed, blood levels of AZT and 3TC may fall dangerously low. If this occurs, a resistant virus may evolve.

Talk to your doctor and nurse about it if you are experiencing difficulty taking your prescriptions as prescribed. They may be able to assist you.

Should I Hire a Lawyer?

If you experienced significant side effects after taking Combivir, you should speak with a product liability attorney. An expert class action lawyer can assist you in recovering compensation for your injuries.