How to Use Epzicom to Treat AIDS HIV

Belonging to a class of drugs used to treat HIV and AIDS known as "fixed dose combinations," Epzicom is the brand name for a combination mixture of abacavir and lamivudine. Both abacavir and lamivudine work to lower the prevalence of the HIV virus in your bloodstream by slowing down the rate at which the HIV virus replicates. It helps preserve and protect the precious CD+4 white blood cells your body's immune system needs to ward off illness and infections.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Physician or immunodeficiency specialist
• Epzicom (abacavir and lamivudine fixed dose combination) prescription

Use Epzicom to Treat HIV and AIDS

1. Talk to your doctor about how Epzicom can work to maintain healthy levels of CD+4 white blood cells, reduce your viral load and neutralize the action of the HIV virus on your body. Epzicom is particularly useful to patients whose normal treatment program already includes both the abacavir and lamivudine components.
2. Use Epzicom to treat HIV and AIDS-related complications and symptoms in tandem with at least one other class of HIV medicines, like protease inhibitors (PIs) or fusion inhibitors. This is known as "combination therapy," and has become the standard for helping people infected with HIV or suffering from AIDS improve their overall health.
3. Have your doctor perform some tests to determine how likely you are to have a hypersensitive or allergic reaction to Epzicom. While Epzicom has been shown to be safe for use in the vast majority of HIV or AIDS patients, there have been incidences of very serious and potentially fatal allergic reactions.
4. Learn to identify the signs of an impending allergic or hypersensitive reaction to Epzicom. These signs include the presence of at least 2 of the following: respiratory abnormalities, malaise or fatigue, stomach problems including nausea and vomiting, rash outbreaks and fever.
5. Stop taking Epzicom immediately if you exhibit dangerous hypersensitivity symptoms. Contact your doctor immediately. Do not begin taking the drug again, even if the symptoms abate. Death can occur within a few hours of an allergic reaction to the drug.
6. Take Epzicom as directed, once you are certain it is safe to do so. Do not stop taking Epzicom until you are instructed to by your doctor. Continue to see your doctor regularly so she can monitor your viral load and CD+4 white blood cell count.

Tips & Warnings

• Take Epzicom to simplify your drug treatment regimen. Abacavir and lamivudine are normally taken separately. By taking them in a combination form, you reduce the chances of missing a dose.
• If you suffer from both hepatitis B and HIV or AIDS, you might face some serious complications from the use of Epzicom. Epzicom is known to worsen hepatitis B in some patients, and you'll need to have the function of your liver monitored closely both during and after your Epzicom treatment.