Important Safety Information for Patients

All HIV drugs have side effects. The side effects that could happen with COMBIVIR should be the same as those with EPIVIR + RETROVIR:

• headache
• upset stomach
• fatigue
• nasal signs and symptoms

Make sure to see your nurse or doctor regularly. Serious side effects can occur with COMBIVIR. These might include:

• muscle damage
• decrease in red and white blood cells
• buildup of lactic acid in the blood
• enlarged liver

Some fatal cases have been seen.

Some people are infected with both hepatitis B (HBV) and HIV. They may have worse hepatitis after they stop taking lamivudine. This is one of the drugs in COMBIVIR. Talk with your doctor about any change in your treatment. If you have both HBV and HIV, and you stop taking COMBIVIR, your doctor should watch you closely for at least a few months.

Others have both HIV and Hepatitis C. Some of these people who take both HIV drugs and interferon (with or without ribavirin) may find their liver disease gets worse. If you are taking COMBIVIR and interferon, and you have side effects, tell your doctor.

When you start taking HIV drugs, your immune system may get stronger. It could begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body. It may fight pneumonia, herpes virus, or tuberculosis (TB). If you have new symptoms after starting your HIV medicines, be sure to tell your doctor.

hanges in body fat may occur in some patients taking HIV drugs (antiretroviral therapy). You may gain fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the trunk. You may lose fat from the legs, arms, and face. The cause of these conditions is not known. The long-term health effects are not known.