Epivir
Epivir 150mg tablets contain lamivudine, an antiviral taken with other medicines for HIV infection and also used to treat chronic hepatitis B.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150mg | 30 tablets | $67.80 | $2.26 |
| 150mg | 60 tablets | $111.60 | $1.86 |
| 150mg | 90 tablets | $153.00 | $1.70 |
| 150mg | 120 tablets | $192.00 | $1.60 |
| 150mg | 180 tablets | $284.40 | $1.58 |
| 150mg | 240 tablets | $367.20 | $1.53 |
- Category
- Antivirals · HIV Management
- Active ingredient
- Lamivudine
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet, Oral solution
- Strengths
- 150mg
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- HIV infection · Chronic Hepatitis B
- Therapeutic Class
- Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor
- Pharmacological Class
- Antiviral
- Minor Side Effects
- Nausea, fatigue
- Moderate Side Effects
- Headache, malaise
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet, Oral solution
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- ViiV Healthcare
- Onset Time
- 1 hour
- Duration
- 12 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store in a cool, dry place.
- Drug Interactions
- Emtricitabine, Trimethoprim
What you will receive
Epivir is the originator brand name, made by ViiV Healthcare. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Epivir.
- The same active ingredient (Lamivudine) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
What Epivir strengths and pack sizes are available?
Epivir comes as 150mg tablets in packs of 30 to 240. The pack contains generic lamivudine, not the original Epivir. Larger packs cost less per tablet.
How is Epivir delivered for a long course?
For a long course of Epivir, tracked courier takes 5 to 9 business days with online tracking. Standard airmail takes 14 to 21 business days, or 30 at most, and is untracked. Very large orders over 120 units may be split into several parcels.
What is another name for lamivudine?
Epivir is a brand name of lamivudine, which is also sold as Zeffix. Here, lamivudine can be bought online as generic Epivir. These are generics, not the original brand.
Can Epivir be taken on its own for HIV?
No. Lamivudine works as one part of a combination, usually with two or more other antiretrovirals that attack HIV at different stages of its life cycle. Used by itself it loses its grip quickly, because the virus can change shape and carry on copying itself despite the drug.
Can I drink alcohol while taking Epivir?
Alcohol is not known to interfere with lamivudine itself. The caution is about the liver: heavy drinking does it no favours, and that matters more if the tablets are being taken for hepatitis B, where the liver is already inflamed. Moderate drinking is not expected to change how the medicine works.
Can I take Epivir with or without food?
Either is fine. Food does not change how much lamivudine the body absorbs, so the tablet can go with breakfast, with dinner or between meals. Plenty of people tie each dose to a meal simply because it makes the timing easier to remember.
How long do you take Epivir for?
For HIV, treatment is long-term: the virus stays in the body, so the tablets keep working for as long as they are taken. Hepatitis B treatment usually runs for years rather than weeks, and the liver can flare if it is stopped abruptly.
About Epivir
What Epivir is used for
Epivir is a branded lamivudine tablet taken by mouth. It has two jobs. In HIV it is one component of a combination of antiretroviral medicines, not a treatment taken alone. Within a full combination, lamivudine helps hold HIV down so the immune system can recover and the infection stays under control.
The second use is chronic hepatitis B, where the virus keeps the liver inflamed over years. Lamivudine slows that virus too. The tablets sold here are 150mg, the strength that appears in HIV combinations.
How lamivudine stops the virus copying itself
HIV and hepatitis B both carry their instructions as RNA. To take over a cell, either virus has to copy that RNA into DNA, using an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. Lamivudine is shaped like one of the DNA building blocks, so the enzyme grabs it by mistake and the chain stops there. No new viral DNA, no fresh copies of the virus.
Taking Epivir
For HIV, adults usually take 150mg twice a day, alongside the other medicines in the combination. Because lamivudine leaves the body through the kidneys, the dose is reduced when kidney function is poor. Try to keep the two daily times steady, since the aim is a constant level in the blood. Store the carton somewhere dry, out of direct sun.
Side effects
Many people notice nothing much beyond a headache, some nausea or diarrhoea, tiredness, a cough or a rash, and these usually ease. Two rare effects are more serious. Pancreatitis, an inflamed pancreas, causes severe pain in the upper stomach that spreads to the back, often with vomiting. Lactic acidosis — too much acid in the blood — can bring fast breathing, aching muscles, drowsiness and a cold feeling. Both need urgent treatment, as does a severe allergic reaction. Stopping lamivudine suddenly in hepatitis B can make the liver inflammation flare.
Epivir 150mg or Epivir HBV 100mg?
The two lamivudine products differ in strength and in the condition they are used for. Epivir is the 150mg tablet that goes into HIV combinations; Epivir HBV is 100mg, the strength used for chronic hepatitis B. The ingredient page on lamivudine covers both.
Sources
- What Are HIV and AIDS? — U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- Lamivudine: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / National Library of Medicine