Follow Your Doctor's Advice

Why COMBIVIR may be right for you

COMBIVIR is two drugs in one pill. So COMBIVIR means fewer pills. And that makes sticking to your pill schedule a bit simpler.

Taking all your pills at the right times is the best way to reach your goals. Taking pills on time – every time – may be hard. You are busy. You may forget. But skipping pills could have really bad results. COMBIVIR helps.

Good things you should know about COMBIVIR:

• You may take it with or without food.
• You may take it with most other HIV drugs.
• Two drugs in one pill means just one refill.
• Two drugs in one means just one co-pay.

For your treatment to work, you need to:

Commit to your treatment. It's the best way to keep the amount of virus in your blood DOWN. Take your pills as directed, every day.

Avoid taking a break from your treatment. No “drug holidays.” HIV medicines stop the virus from making copies of itself. When you skip pills, you don’t have enough of the drugs in your blood. HIV will quickly make millions of copies of itself. With each new copy, HIV has a chance to change itself (mutate). Its new form may not be stopped by your drugs. This is called resistance.

A drug holiday is a time when you are not taking your pills at all. After a “drug holiday,” your drugs may lose their power. They may no longer be able to stop the virus from making copies.

If this happens too often, your viral load goes up. You and your doctor may have to find a new set of drugs to fight the new, mutated virus.

Make sure this doesn’t happen to you. No drug holidays. Don’t risk your health. Don’t risk your life.

If you see side effects, work with your nurse or doctor. All drugs have side effects. When you first start HIV drugs, you may feel some side effects. COMBIVIR has been used for years. Your nurse or doctor will know a lot about it.

Let your doctor know right away if you have problems. Your doctor can switch your medicines. New doses may help you avoid side effects. Then you can stay with your plan.

Visit the doctor on time. Have blood tests when you should. Blood tests are the best way to know if your drugs are working. The tests check that your viral load is DOWN. They check that your CD4 cell count is UP. When your viral load is down, your drugs are doing their job. By taking them on time, every day, you’re doing yours.

Use every visit to ask questions. Talk about any side effects you feel. Ask how to stay on top of your treatment. Feel in control of your pill schedule.

Plan a daily schedule to take your pills. Get each day’s pills ready ahead of time. You might use a pill box with a section for each day. Remind yourself to take pills on time. Write notes. Use fridge magnets. Keep a diary.

Keep up with the news. The world of HIV changes daily. New treatments bring hope to many people living with HIV. Learn as much as you can. Talk about what you learn with your nurse or doctor.