Drug Database: Abacavir

What is abacavir?What is abacavir?

What is abacavir?

Abacavir (brand name: Ziagen) is a prescription medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of HIV infection in adults, children, and infants. Abacavir is always used in combination with other HIV medicines. 

For more information on the use of abacavir in people with HIV, please refer to the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Adults and Adolescents with HIV and the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric HIV Infection.

HIV medicines cannot cure HIV/AIDS, but taking HIV medicines every day helps people with HIV live longer, healthier lives. HIV medicines also reduce the risk of HIV transmission. If you are taking HIV medicines, do not cut down on, skip, or stop taking them unless your health care provider tells you to.

What should I tell my health care provider before taking abacavir?What should I tell my health care provider before taking abacavir?

What should I tell my health care provider before taking abacavir?

Before taking abacavir, tell your health care provider:

• If you are allergic to abacavir or any other medicines.
• If you have been tested and know whether or not you have a particular gene variation called HLA-B*5701.
• If you have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) or hepatitis C virus infection (HCV).
• If you have heart problems; smoke; or have diseases that increase your risk of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.
• If you drink alcohol or take medicines that contain alcohol.
• If you have any other medical conditions.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits of taking abacavir during pregnancy. For more information on the use of abacavir during pregnancy, please refer to the Recommendations for the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs During Pregnancy and Interventions to Reduce Perinatal HIV Transmission in the United States.
• If you are breast/chestfeeding or plan to breast/chestfeed. For people with HIV in the United States, the Guideline recommends speaking with your health care provider to discuss options for feeding your baby. People with suppressed viral load have a less than 1% chance of transmitting HIV to their baby via their own milk.
• If you are using hormone-based birth control (such as pills, implants, or vaginal rings). For more information about using birth control and HIV medicines at the same time, view the HIVinfo HIV and Birth Control infographic.
• About other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Abacavir may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how abacavir works. Taking abacavir together with certain medicines or products may cause serious side effects.

How should I take abacavir?How should I take abacavir?

How should I take abacavir?

Abacavir comes in the following forms and strengths:

• 300-mg tablets
• 20-mg/mL oral solution

Take abacavir according to your health care provider’s instructions. Do not miss a dose of abacavir, and do not change your dose or stop taking abacavir without first talking with your health care provider.

Take abacavir by mouth with or without food.

If your child is prescribed abacavir, your child’s health care provider will decide the right dose of abacavir based on your child's weight. The health care provider will also decide whether your child should take the tablet or liquid form of abacavir.

Always take abacavir in combination with other HIV medicines.

If you have taken too much abacavir, contact your health care provider or local poison control center (1-800-222-1222 or online) right away, or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.

For more information on how to take abacavir, see the FDA drug label.

What should I do if I forget a dose?What should I do if I forget a dose?

What should I do if I forget a dose?

If you miss a dose of abacavir, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. But if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and just take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses at the same time to make up for a missed dose. 

What side effects can abacavir cause?What side effects can abacavir cause?

What side effects can abacavir cause?

Abacavir may cause side effects. Some side effects of abacavir can be serious as noted above. Many side effects from HIV medicines, such as nausea or occasional dizziness, are manageable. See the HIVinfo fact sheet on HIV Medicines and Side Effects for more information.

Other possible side effects of abacavir include:

• Changes in your immune system (called immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome or IRIS). IRIS is a condition that sometimes occurs when the immune system begins to recover after treatment with an HIV medicine. As the immune system gets stronger, it may have an increased response to a previously hidden infection.
• Increased risk of heart attack (myocardial infarction).

Tell your health care provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects of abacavir. To learn more about possible side effects of abacavir, read the drug labels (solution, tablet [film coated]; tablet) or package inserts or talk to your health care provider or pharmacist.

You can report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088) or online.

How should abacavir be stored?How should abacavir be stored?

How should abacavir be stored?

• Store abacavir tablets at room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).
• Abacavir oral solution may be refrigerated or stored at room temperature. Do not freeze abacavir oral solution.
• Keep abacavir in the container that it came in and keep the container tightly closed.
• Do not use abacavir if the original seal over the container opening is broken or missing.
• Throw away abacavir that is no longer needed or expired (out of date). Follow FDA guidelines on how to safely dispose of unused medicines.
• Keep abacavir and all medicines out of reach of children.

Where can I find more information about abacavir?Where can I find more information about abacavir?

Where can I find more information about abacavir?

• For more information on the use of abacavir in people with HIV, please refer to the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Adults and Adolescents with HIV and the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric HIV Infection.
• This Patient Version drug summary is based on the following FDA label(s): Solution, tablet (film coated); Tablet. The Medication Guide includes information for people taking abacavir.
• The American Hospital Formulary Service (AHFS) Patient Medication Information for abacavir available from MedlinePlus.
• Abacavir-related research studies, from ClinicalTrials.gov. (The ClinicalTrials.gov search can be modified so that you can get results that better match your interests.) 
• A list of FDA-approved HIV medicines, from HIVinfo.