What Other Drugs Can Affect Duovir-N (Lamivudine / Zidovudine/ Nevirapine)
Duovir-N (Lamivudine / Zidovudine/ Nevirapine) as its name suggestsis an oral drug that is a combination of lamivudine (Epivir), zidovudine (Retrovir) and Nevirapine. It is used for the treatment of infections with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The three medicines such as Lamivudine and zidovudine and Nevirapine are in a class of drugs called reverse transcriptase inhibitors that also includes zalcitabine (Hivid) and didanosine (Videx).
When the body is infected with HIV virus, these viruses multiply within the body's cells. The newly-formed viruses are freed from the cells and then extend all through the body contaminating other cells. Like this, the infection constantly spreads to new, uncontaminated cells that the body continually manufactures, and HIV infection is carried on. When producing new viruses, the HIV virus has to produce new DNA for every virus. Reverse transcriptase is the enzyme that the virus utilizes to make this new DNA.
Duovir-N (Lamivudine / Zidovudine/ Nevirapine)obstruct the action of reverse transcriptase and thus stop the construction of DNA and new viruses. Purposely, lamivudine is transformed within the body to its active form, lamivudine triphosphate, and zidovudine is transformed to its active form, zidovudine triphosphate. The active forms are like the naturally occurring deoxycytidine triphosphate and thymidine triphosphate, correspondingly, chemicals that are used by reverse transcriptase to make DNA. The reverse transcriptase uses lamivudine triphosphate and zidovudine triphosphate instead of the naturally-occurring deoxycytidine triphosphate and thymidine triphosphate for making DNA, and these active forms of the drugs impede with the action of reverse transcriptase.)
Drugs Affecting Duovir-N Drug
Like with most other drugs, Duovir-N may cause harmful drug interaction. You should ensure that your treatment course with this medication will not be interrupted by the use of other medicines. Each individual should be familiarized with the most common clinical remedies that may harmfully interact with the main ingredients of Duovir-N.
Nevirapine
A patient taking Rifampin (Rifadin), rifabutin (Mycobutin), ketoconazole (Nizoral) and St. John's Wort should not use Duovir-Nbecause these medicinesdecrease blood concentrations of nevirapine by raising its breakdown. Decreased blood concentration may decrease the function of nevirapine.
Nevirapine decreases the blood concentration of oral contraceptives and this could give rise to poor birth control. Nevirapine also decreases the concentration of methadone (Dolophine) and this could cause narcotic withdrawal symptoms.
Lamivudine and Zidovudine
If the drugs such as Fluconazole (Diflucan), probenecid, trimethoprim (Trimpex) and valproic acid (Depakote) are taken with zidovudine, it can lessen the elimination of zidovudine and consequently increase the blood concentration of zidovudine. This can bring about increased side effects from zidovudine.