Abacavir sulfate

As a rule, Abacavir sulfate is prescribed to people who are HIV-infected. Thanks to it, you can fight off the virus. This drug is antiviral. It is used in combination with antiretroviral combination therapy. Separately, it will not give any positive dynamics. Abacavir sulfate has a powerful effect on the virus contained in the human body.

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Indications Abacavir sulfate

It is used in the treatment of HIV infection only in combination with other drugs and under the supervision of a physician.

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Release form

The drug comes in a standard form. The medicine is in the form of tablets, which are pre-coated with a film shell. This significantly improves the drug's permeability. As a rule, each tablet contains 300 mg of components that fight the virus. There is no other form of release. Only tablets coated with a special shell. They contain only Abacavir sulfate. One package may contain either 20 or 50 tablets.

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Pharmacodynamics

This drug is often classified as a nucleotide inhibitor that has reverse transcriptase. It is rightfully considered a powerful inhibitor of both HIV-1 and HIV-2. The drug works by breaking the most powerful RNA chain. This is what stops the virus replication cycle. The development of that very cross-resistance is also unlikely. Initial therapy with Abacavir sulfate is ineffective because it is caused by a mutation in one of the components M184V. The active component significantly reduces the level of RNA. If used together with other drugs, it can prevent neurological complications. In addition, it can slow down the development of resistance.

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Pharmacokinetics

After the drug is taken orally, it can be quickly absorbed. As a rule, bioacceptability in adults can be 83%. If you take the drug twice a day, one tablet at a time, the maximum and minimum concentration will not exceed 30% and 99%. It is necessary to understand that food can significantly slow down the absorption of the drug, but at the same time it does not affect the AUC at all. Abacavir sulfate is perfectly capable of penetrating the cerebrospinal fluid. If used exclusively in therapeutic doses, it binds to human plasma proteins to a fairly moderate extent. This suggests that using the drug together with other drugs will not lead to their displacement. As for metabolism, Abacavir sulfate is metabolized mainly in the liver. Moreover, it is excreted quite easily. As a rule, this process takes no more than 1.5 hours. Even if a person has problems with the liver, some of its functions are impaired, this does not affect the metabolism in any way. Of course, the process may slow down a little, but this is not critical. If there are interruptions in the functioning of the kidneys, then again, everything is excreted in a timely manner. Therefore, there is no need to adjust the dosage for people with disorders in the functioning of this organ. Pharmacokinetics for patients over 65 years of age has not been studied.

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Dosing and administration

It is important to understand that treatment with this drug can only be prescribed by a doctor who has experience working with HIV-infected people. Abacavir sulfate can be used both before and after meals. According to some recommendations, the tablet should be swallowed whole. If a person is unable to do this, then it is crushed. It is possible to use the drug in the form of a solution. As for the course of treatment, it is prescribed only by the attending physician. Adults are recommended to take 2 tablets daily. But only if its dosage is 300 mg. If it is 600 mg, then one tablet is enough. Patients with kidney problems, namely with some of their functions, can use the drug without making a special dosage. If there are problems with the liver, then it is advisable to use the medicine in the form of a solution.

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Use Abacavir sulfate during pregnancy

Expectant mothers are strictly prohibited from taking this medicine. Abacavir sulfate can negatively affect the development of the fetus. Especially if the pregnancy is at an early stage. In this case, you should consult your doctor. It is likely that he will find an analogue of the drug that will not have such negative consequences. In addition to the effect on the fetus, the drug can also harm the expectant mother. Therefore, it is advisable to wait with the use of the drug.

Contraindications

People who have increased hypersensitivity to the drug should not take it. In this case, we are talking about its excipients. In case of renal failure, treatment with the drug is also prohibited. Abacavir sulfate has a negative effect on children, and the same can be said about adolescence. Therefore, it is strictly prohibited to use it before the age of 18. Contraindications also include pregnancy and lactation. There is a particular risk for people with terminal renal failure. In this case, you should not even try to use the drug. The body's reaction can be unpredictable.

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Side effects Abacavir sulfate

Often, patients experience headaches, slow reactions, fatigue, and apathy. Naturally, all this can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, rash, cough, fever, and respiratory failure. In rare cases, pancreatitis worsens, peripheral edema, conjunctivitis, and even anaphylactic reactions occur. In isolated cases, erythema, myalgia, and liver or kidney failure can develop. There was also information that some people experienced various types of inflammation. But only in cases where Abacavir sulfate was taken in combination with other drugs.

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Overdose

There have been no reports of overdose. And in general, it is pointless to talk about any specific signs or symptoms. But this opinion was formed based on the fact that no data was received. Nevertheless, it is necessary to control the dose of the drug consumed. Otherwise, signs of intoxication may still appear. In this case, therapy should be carried out that is capable of supporting a person in a standard way. Therefore, it is still necessary to exercise some caution. After all, if no cases of overdose have been detected before, this does not mean that this cannot happen in the future. Abacavir sulfate is a rather specific drug.

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Interactions with other drugs

The drug is used freely with complex therapy. During clinical studies, it was found that nothing dangerous can happen when using this drug with others. Ethanol can slow down the metabolism of Abacavir sulfate. True, the clinical significance does not change much. But what is most interesting is that the drug itself does not affect the metabolism of ethanol in any way. As for retinoids, they can be excreted from the body and at the same time interact well with Abacavir sulfate. No special studies have been conducted.

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Storage conditions

Like any other drug, Abacavir sulfate has its own storage features. Thus, drugs do not like direct sunlight. That is why you should avoid their exposure. In this case, it is recommended to store the drug in a dark place, but it is important that there is no dampness there. The drug does not like cold and high humidity. But the maximum storage temperature is 30 degrees Celsius. Naturally, the main and most important condition is inaccessibility to children. This is an important storage criterion not only for this drug, but for all others.

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Shelf life

The shelf life directly depends on many features of the drug. So, if we are talking about tablets, then they can be used for 5 years. A similar situation is with the solution of Abacavir sulfate. But there is another important criterion in this case. So, if we talk separately about tablets, then after opening a new package, they can be used for the same 5 years. Naturally, if the drug has not lost its appearance. Simply put, you should monitor the appearance of the package itself. As for the solution, an open bottle cannot be stored for such a long time. In this case, everything depends on the place where the drug is located. Usually the shelf life does not exceed 24 hours. This indicator must be monitored. In general, Abacavir sulfate is not able to spoil quickly.

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