Hepatitis B virus infection should not be treated with lamivudine and tenofovir. If you suspect you may have HBV, let your doctor know. Before you start your lamivudine and tenofovir medication, your doctor may do a test to determine whether you have HBV. When you quit taking lamivudine and tenofovir while taking lamivudine and tenofovir for HBV, your condition could abruptly get worse. If you stop taking lamivudine and tenofovir, your doctor will check on you and place lab test orders on a regular basis for several months to see if your HBV has gotten worse.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To determine how well your body is responding to lamivudine and tenofovir, your doctor will prescribe a few tests.

For the treatment of HIV in both adults and children, lamivudine and tenofovir are combined with additional drugs. A class of drugs known as nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors includes lamivudine and tenofovir. They function by reducing the progression of HIV within the body. Although lamivudine and tenofovir cannot treat HIV, they may lessen your risk of getting AIDS and other diseases linked to HIV, such as serious infections or cancer. Using these drugs, engaging in safer sexual behavior, and altering other aspects of one’s lifestyle may reduce one’s chance of contracting HIV or spreading it to others.

Lamivudine and tenofovir are available as an oral tablet for consumption. It is typically taken once day, with or without food. Take tenofovir and lamivudine at roughly the same time each day. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Use tenofovir and lamivudine exactly as prescribed. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Even if you feel well, keep taking lamivudine and tenofovir. Without first consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking lamivudine and tenofovir. If you skip doses or stop taking lamivudine and tenofovir even temporarily, the virus could develop drug resistance and become more difficult to cure.

For a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

Lamivudine and tenofovir are also occasionally used in conjunction with other drugs to treat healthcare professionals or other people who have been exposed to HIV following unintentional contact with HIV-contaminated blood, tissues, or other bodily fluids. The dangers of using this drug for your illness should be discussed with your doctor.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking lamivudine and tenofovir,

• If you have an allergy to lamivudine, tenofovir, any other drugs, or any of the ingredients in lamivudine and tenofovir tablets, let your doctor and pharmacist know right away. Get a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• You should be aware that lamivudine and tenofovir can be purchased separately under the brand names Epivir, Epivir-HBV (used to treat hepatitis B), Vemlidy (used to treat hepatitis B), and Viread. They can also be combined with additional drugs under the brand names Atripla, Biktarvy, Combivir, Complera, Descovy, Epzicom, Genvoya, Odefsey, Stribild, Symfi, Triumeq, Trizivir, and Truvada are examples of similar medications. In order to avoid receiving the same prescription twice, let your doctor know if you are taking any of these drugs.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use. Incorporate any of the following: aminoglycosides as amikacin, gentamicin, streptomycin, and tobramycin; the antiviral drug acyclovir (Sitavig, Zovirax); aspirin and other NSAIDs such ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), atazanavir (Reyataz, in Evotaz), cidofovir, darunavir and ritonavir (Prezista and Norvir), didanosine (Videx), ganciclovir (Cytovene), and interferon alfa (Intron A, Roferon-A); sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (Epculsa); sorbitol or drugs that are sweetened with sorbitol; ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (Harvoni); lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra); ribavirin (Copegus, Rebetol, Ribasphere); trimethoprim (Primsol, in Bactrim, Septra); valacycl Your doctor might need to adjust your medication doses or keep a close eye out for any negative side effects. Lamivudine and tenofovir may also interact with many other drugs, so be sure to let your doctor know about all the drugs you’re taking, even if they don’t appear on this list.
• Inform your doctor if you suffer from any of the conditions listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, have bone fractures, hepatitis C or another liver disease, or have kidney disease, as well as any of the conditions listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section. If your child is taking this medicine, let your doctor know whether they have ever experienced pancreatitis or have previously been treated with a nucleoside analog drug like a NRTI.
• Inform your physician if you are nursing a baby, intend to get pregnant, or are already pregnant. Call your doctor if you conceive while taking lamivudine and tenofovir. If you have HIV or are taking lamivudine and tenofovir, you shouldn’t breastfeed.
• You need to be aware that your body fat may expand or shift to several regions, including your upper back, neck (the “buffalo hump”), breasts, and the area surrounding your abdomen. Your face, legs, and arms may show a reduction of body fat.
• You should be aware that while you use medications to treat your HIV infection, your immune system could become stronger and start to fight other infections you previously have in your body or trigger the development of other illnesses. You might start to exhibit signs of certain illnesses as a result of this. Tell your doctor if you experience any new or worsening symptoms while taking lamivudine and tenofovir.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Tenofovir with lamivudine could have negative side effects. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Headache
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Heartburn
• Not enough energy
• Back ache
• Joint or muscle ache
• Depressed mood
• Anxiety
• Difficulty sleeping or staying asleep
• Dizziness
• Feeling of stinging, burning, or discomfort in the arms or legs
• Rashes or itching

Some adverse effects may be severe. Call your doctor right away or seek emergency medical attention if you have any of these symptoms:

• Hives, hoarseness, swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, or eyes, difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Unusual chest pain, difficulty breathing, stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting, as well as feeling chilly, especially in your arms or legs, being extremely exhausted or weak, and a rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes, black urine, pale feces, vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, or a sharp pain or tenderness in the upper right portion of the stomach
• Reduced urination and leg edema
• Joint pain, muscle pain, bone pain, pain in the arms or legs, and bone fracture
• Continuous stomach or back ache that starts in the upper left or middle, but sometimes spreads to the back, nausea and vomit

Further adverse effects from lamivudine and tenofovir are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online or by phone if you have a serious side event.

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature.

Although many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilizing a medicine take-back program is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programs in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back program, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medications website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Moreover, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

Tenofovir and lamivudine should always be available. Do not put off getting a refill on your prescription until you are out of medicine.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.