Emtricitabine for HIV

About emtricitabine

Emtricitabine is an antiretroviral medicine. It is used for عدوى فيروس نقص المناعة البشرية (HIV). It slows the progress of HIV infection, but it is not a cure. HIV destroys cells in the body, called CD4 T cells. These cells are a type of white blood cell and are important because they are involved in protecting your body from infection. If left untreated, the HIV infection weakens your immune system so that your body cannot defend itself against bacteria, viruses and other germs. Emtricitabine slows down the progress of HIV infection by reducing the amount of virus in your body. It does this by stopping the virus from copying (replicating) itself.

Emtricitabine will be prescribed for you by a doctor who is a specialist. It belongs to a group of antiretroviral medicines known as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). It is given alongside a number of other antiretroviral medicines, as part of a combination therapy. Taking three or more antiretroviral medicines at the same time is more effective than taking one alone. Taking a combination of different medicines also reduces the risk that the virus will become resistant to any individual medicine. Some brands of emtricitabine contain other antiretroviral medicines also (see the list in the table above). Taking one of these brands helps to reduce the number of tablets you need to take each day. Not all of the information in this leaflet applies to the combination brands - please refer to the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack for full details about these brands.

من الضروري تناول الأدوية المضادة للفيروسات القهقرية تمامًا كما هو موصوف للحفاظ على النجاح والمساعدة في منع الفيروس من تطوير مقاومة للأدوية. عادةً ما يتم تناول هذه الأدوية مدى الحياة.

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine can only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking emtricitabine it is important that your doctor knows:

• إذا كنتِ حاملاً، تحاولين الإنجاب أو تقومين بالرضاعة الطبيعية.

• إذا كان لديك أي مشاكل في طريقة عمل الكبد لديك، أو إذا كان لديك مشاكل في طريقة عمل الكلى لديك.

• إذا كنت تشرب الكثير من الكحول.

• إذا كنت تتناول أي أدوية أخرى. يشمل ذلك أي أدوية يمكن شراؤها بدون وصفة طبية، بالإضافة إلى الأدوية العشبية والمكملات الغذائية.

• إذا كنت قد تعرضت في أي وقت مضى لرد فعل تحسسي تجاه دواء.

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside your pack. It will give you more information about emtricitabine, and it will also provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you could experience from taking it.

• Take emtricitabine exactly as your doctor tells you to. It is taken once daily. Adults will usually be prescribed capsules/tablets to take, whereas children are likely to be supplied with liquid medicine (Emtriva® Oral Solution). Your doctor will tell you how much you should take for each dose.

• Try to take emtricitabine at the same time of day each day, as this will help you to remember to take it regularly. You can take emtricitabine either with or without food.

• If for any reason you are sick (vomit) within one hour of taking emtricitabine, you should take another dose. This is because the medicine will not have been absorbed by your body. If, however, you are sick more than one hour after taking a dose, there is no need to repeat the dose, as the medicine will already have been absorbed.

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember, providing it is within 12 hours of the time you should have taken it. If when you remember, it is more than 12 hours late, do not take the dose you missed but do remember to take your next dose when it is due. Do not take two doses together to make up for a forgotten dose.

• Keep your regular appointments with your doctor so that your progress can be monitored. You are likely to need regular blood tests to check how well your medicines are working.

• It is important that you continue to take emtricitabine and your other antiretroviral treatment regularly. This will help to prevent the HIV from becoming resistant to the medicines you are taking. Even if you miss only a small number of doses, the virus can become resistant to treatment.

• If you develop an infection soon after you start the treatment, let your doctor know. As a result of taking emtricitabine, your immune system may start fighting an infection which was present before you started the treatment, but which you may not have been aware of.

• اتبع بعناية أي نصيحة يقدمها لك طبيبك بشأن إجراء تغييرات في نمط الحياة لتقليل أي خطر على قلبك والأوعية الدموية. يمكن أن تشمل هذه التغييرات الإقلاع عن التدخين، وتناول الطعام الصحي، وممارسة التمارين الرياضية بانتظام.

• بعض الأشخاص الذين يتناولون الأدوية المضادة للفيروسات القهقرية يطورون تغييرات في طريقة توزيع الدهون في الجسم. يمكن أن يؤدي ذلك إلى تغييرات في صورة الجسم. سيناقش طبيبك إمكانية حدوث ذلك معك.

• على الرغم من أن العلاج بالأدوية المضادة للفيروسات القهقرية قد يقلل من خطر نقل فيروس نقص المناعة البشرية للآخرين من خلال الاتصال الجنسي، إلا أنه لا يوقفه تمامًا. من المهم أن تستخدم الواقيات الذكرية.

• It is not uncommon for people with HIV to feel low or even depressed, especially soon after the diagnosis has been made and treatment has been started. If you have any feelings of depression, or any distressing thoughts about harming yourself then you should speak with your doctor على الفور.

• بعض الأشخاص الذين تناولوا الأدوية المضادة للفيروسات القهقرية (خاصة لفترة طويلة) قد أصيبوا بحالة تسمى نخر العظام. هذه حالة مرضية تصيب العظام حيث تموت الأنسجة العظمية بسبب انخفاض تدفق الدم إليها. يؤدي ذلك إلى آلام في المفاصل وتيبس، ويمكن أن يسبب صعوبات في الحركة. إذا لاحظت أيًا من هذه الأعراض، تحدث مع طبيبك.

• Emtricitabine has been associated with a serious side-effect in some people who have taken it. This is known as lactic acidosis. It is a problem where there is too much lactic acid in the blood. The symptoms associated with it are listed in the next section 'Can emtricitabine cause problems?'. If you develop any of the symptoms listed below, you must let your doctor know على الفور ,، لأنها يمكن أن تتفاقم، وقد تصبح مهددة للحياة.

• If you buy any medicines, supplements or herbal remedies 'over the counter', check with a pharmacist that they are suitable to take with emtricitabine and your other medicines. This is because some medicines interfere with antiretrovirals and can stop them from working properly.

• إذا كنت ستخضع لعملية جراحية أو علاج أسنان، أخبر الشخص الذي يقوم بالعلاج بالأدوية التي تتناولها.

• Treatment for HIV is usually lifelong. Continue to take emtricitabine regularly, even if you feel well. This is to keep your immune system healthy.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with emtricitabine. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. You should, however, speak with your doctor if you develop any of the following side-effects. This is because some of the common side-effects of emtricitabine are similar to the symptoms of lactic acidosis - a less common but more serious problem.

سوف يناقش طبيبك معك إمكانية حدوث الحماض اللبني. أخبر طبيبك فورًا إذا ظهرت عليك أي من الأعراض التالية:

• الشعور بالغثيان أو التقيؤ، ألم في البطن، فقدان الشهية، فقدان الوزن، الشعور بالضعف أو الدوار، والتنفس السريع أو اللهاث.

إذا شعرت بأي أعراض أخرى تعتقد أنها قد تكون بسبب الدواء، تحدث مع طبيبك أو الصيدلي للحصول على مزيد من النصائح.

• احفظ جميع الأدوية بعيدًا عن متناول ورؤية الأطفال.

• احفظه في مكان بارد وجاف، بعيدًا عن الحرارة المباشرة والضوء.

• Store unopened bottles of emtricitabine liquid medicine in a refrigerator. Once a bottle has been opened it can be stored out of the refrigerator, but it must be in a cool place. Opened bottles keep for 45 days - after this time, make sure you have a fresh supply.