Entecavir for hepatitis B

About entecavir

Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Some viruses can cause hepatitis. Epatite B is a virus which is carried in your bloodstream to your liver, where it can cause inflammation and damage. Following infection with hepatitis B, a few people develop a persistent infection called chronic hepatitis B.

People with chronic hepatitis B usually need treatment to stop or to reduce the activity of the virus. This limits damage to the liver, which is a complication of the infection. One of the types of treatment currently given is an antiviral medicine. Antiviral medicines like entecavir work by stopping the hepatitis B virus from multiplying (replicating); this reduces the amount of the virus in your body.

A doctor who is a liver specialist will usually start the treatment for you. Treatment for chronic hepatitis B usually continues for several years, but can be lifelong.

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 entecavir it is important that your doctor knows:

• Se sei incinta, stai cercando di avere un bambino o stai allattando.

• Se hai un problema con il funzionamento dei tuoi reni.

• If you know you are also infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

• Se stai assumendo altri medicinali. Questo include qualsiasi medicinale che stai assumendo e che è disponibile per l'acquisto senza prescrizione medica, così come i medicinali a base di erbe e complementari.

• Se hai mai avuto una reazione allergica a un medicinale.

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

• Take entecavir exactly as your doctor tells you to. If you have been given tablets to take, the usual dose is one tablet daily. Your dose will be printed on the label of the pack to remind you about what the doctor said. There are two strengths of tablet available (0.5 mg and 1 mg), so each time you collect a fresh supply, check to make sure you have been given the same strength of tablet as before. If you (or your child) have been prescribed the oral liquid medicine, your doctor will tell you how much should be taken, and how to measure out the dose using the measuring spoon provided in the pack.

• Try to take your doses at the same time of day each day, as this will help you to remember to take entecavir regularly.

• Carefully follow any directions you are given with regard to taking entecavir with or without food. Some people must take entecavir when their stomach is empty, which means taking it two hours before eating any food, or waiting until two hours after eating. This is because less entecavir is absorbed when taken with food, which means the medicine will be less effective.

• If you forget to take a dose at your usual time, take it as soon as you remember. However, if you do not remember until the following day, leave out the missed dose. 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 the medicine is working for you, and also to see how well your liver is working.

• It is important that you continue to take entecavir regularly. Treatment for hepatitis B can be long-term. Continue to take it until you are advised otherwise, even if you feel well.

• Treatment with entecavir does not stop you from passing the infection on to others through sexual contact, sharing needles to inject drugs, or from mother to baby. A vaccine is available which protects against hepatitis B and can be offered to your sexual and household contacts who are at risk of being infected. Do not have sex with anyone (especially any sex without using a condom) until they have been fully immunised and have had their blood checked to see that the immunisation has worked.

• Alla maggior parte delle persone con epatite B cronica verrà consigliato di seguire una dieta normale, sana ed equilibrata. Tuttavia, è probabile che ti venga consigliato di non bere alcolici. L'alcol aumenterà il rischio e la velocità con cui si sviluppano danni al fegato.

• Medicines similar to entecavir have been associated with a serious side-effect in a few people. 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 entecavir cause problems?'. Although this has occurred in only a very few people, you must let your doctor know immediatamente se sviluppi i sintomi elencati di seguito.

• You must avoid getting pregnant while you are taking entecavir. Make sure you have discussed with your doctor which types of contraception are suitable for you.

• If you buy any medicines or remedies 'over the counter', check with a pharmacist that they are suitable to take with entecavir and your other medicines.

• Se devi sottoporti a un'operazione o a un trattamento dentistico, informa la persona che esegue il trattamento sui medicinali che stai assumendo.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the more common ones associated with entecavir. The best place to find a full list of the side-effects which can be associated with your medicine, is from the manufacturer's printed information leaflet supplied with the medicine. Alternatively, you can find an example of a manufacturer's information leaflet in the reference section below. Speak with your doctor or pharmacist if you develop any side-effects. This is because some of the common side-effects of entecavir are similar to the symptoms of lactic acidosis - a much less common but more serious problem.

Il tuo medico discuterà con te la possibilità che questo medicinale causi un problema chiamato acidosi lattica. Informi immediatamente il suo medico se sviluppa i seguenti sintomi:

• Sensazione di malessere (nausea) o vomito, dolore addominale, perdita di appetito, perdita di peso, sensazione di debolezza o vertigini, e respirazione rapida o affannosa.

Se si verificano altri sintomi che ritieni possano essere dovuti al medicinale, parla con il tuo medico o farmacista per ulteriori consigli.

• Tenere tutti i medicinali fuori dalla portata e dalla vista dei bambini.

• Conservare in un luogo fresco e asciutto, lontano da fonti di calore e luce diretta.