Apo Tenofovir

For the treatment of HIV or chronic hepatitis B in adults, the recommended dose of tenofovir is 300 mg once daily with or without food. You may require a lower dose of tenofovir if you have severely impaired kidney function.

For the treatment of HIV in adolescent patients (over 12 years of age) and with a body weight of more than 35 kg, the recommended dose of tenofovir is 300 mg once daily with or without food.

Many things can affect the dose of medication that a person needs, such as body weight, other medical conditions, and other medications. If your doctor has recommended a dose different from the ones listed here, do not change the way that you are taking the medication without consulting your doctor.

It is important that Apo Tenofovir be taken exactly as prescribed by your doctor. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as possible and continue with your regular schedule. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. If you are not sure what to do after missing a dose, contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Store Apo Tenofovir at room temperature and keep it out of the reach of children.

Do not dispose of medications in wastewater (e.g. down the sink or in the toilet) or in household garbage. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medications that are no longer needed or have expired.

In addition to its desired action, this medication may cause some adverse effects, notably: it may decrease your appetite; it may cause diarrhea; it may cause gas and bloating; it may cause nausea and vomiting. Each person may react differently to a treatment. If you think this medication may be causing adverse effects (including those described here, or others), talk to your health care professional. He or she can help you to determine whether or not the medication is the source of the problem.

Each light blue, almond shaped, biconvex, film-coated tablet contains 300 mg of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate which is equivalent to 245 mg of tenofovir. Nonmedicinal ingredients: anhydrous lactose, calcium stearate, colloidal silicon dioxide, crospovidone, FD&C Blue No. 2, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, talc and titanium dioxide.

Do not take tenofovir if you:

• are allergic to tenofovir or any ingredients of the medication
• are already taking another medication that contains tenofovir (e.g., emtricitabine - tenofovir, efavirenz - emtricitabine - tenofovir)

There may be an interaction between tenofovir and any of the following:

• acyclovir
• adefovir
• aminoglycoside antibioitics (e.g., Amikacin, gentamicin, tobramycin)
• Cobicistat
• darunavir
• Ganciclovir
• Hepatitis C antivirals (e.g., ledipasvir, sofosbuvir, velpatasvir)
• HIV protease inhibitors (e.g., atazanavir, indinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir)
• ledipasvir
• medications that affect kidney function (e.g., ACE inhibitors such as Enalapril, vancomycin, tobramycin)
• medications that are eliminated by the kidneys (e.g., penicillin, Metformin, Ranitidine, Trimethoprim)
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs; e.g., Asa, Diclofenac, Indomethacin, Naproxen)
• other HIV nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs; e.g., abacavir, didanosine, lamivudine, zidovudine)
• simeprevir
• telaprevir
• Tizanidine
• Valacyclovir
• valganciclovir

If you are taking any of these medications, speak with your doctor or pharmacist. Depending on your specific circumstances, your doctor may want you to:

• stop taking one of the medications,
• change one of the medications to another,
• change how you are taking one or both of the medications, or
• leave everything as is.

An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of them. Speak to your doctor about how any drug interactions are being managed or should be managed.

Medications other than those listed above may interact with Apo Tenofovir. Tell your doctor or prescriber about all prescription, over-the-counter (non-prescription), and herbal medications you are taking. Also tell them about any supplements you take. Since caffeine, alcohol, the Nicotine from cigarettes, or street drugs can affect the action of many medications, you should let your prescriber know if you use them.

Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or Allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health. These factors may affect how you should use Apo Tenofovir.

Bone health: Tenofovir may reduce bone mineral density and should not be taken by anyone who is at risk for bone problems. If you have Osteoporosis, discuss with your doctor how Apo Tenofovir may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of Apo Tenofovir, and whether any special monitoring is needed. If you experience bone pain or a bone fracture while taking Apo Tenofovir, contact your doctor. Your doctor may do tests to monitor the effect of tenofovir on your bones.

Fat redistribution: Over time, Apo Tenofovir may change how fat is distributed in your body and may change your body shape. You may notice increased fat in the upper back and neck, breast, around the back, chest, and stomach area; or loss of fat from the legs, arms, and face. The long-term effects of this are not known.

HIV and hepatitis B co-infections: If you are taking tenofovir for hepatitis B infection and you get or have HIV infection and are not taking medication to treat HIV, tenofovir may increase the chance that your HIV infection will not respond to usual treatment. Therefore, it is important to be tested for HIV before starting treatment with tenofovir and whenever there is a risk of HIV exposure during treatment.

Immune reconstitution syndrome: When you start taking tenofovir, your immune system may get stronger and start to fight other infections that have been hidden in your body (e.g., pneumonia, herpes, or Tuberculosis). Contact your doctor if you develop any new symptoms after starting tenofovir. Report any signs of infection such as fever, chills, shortness of breath, cough, or rapid weight loss to your doctor immediately.

Kidney function: Kidney Disease or reduced kidney function may cause Apo Tenofovir to build up in the body, causing increased side effects. If you have kidney disease or reduced kidney function, discuss with your doctor how Apo Tenofovir may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of Apo Tenofovir, and whether any special monitoring is needed. Tenofovir can cause kidney problems, including severe kidney damage and kidney failure. Your doctor may monitor your kidney function with blood tests while you are taking Apo Tenofovir. Additional tests may be needed if you have a history of kidney problems or if you need to take another medication that can cause kidney problems. Your doctor may also need to change the dosing schedule of Apo Tenofovir if you have existing kidney problems.

Lactic acidosis and enlarged liver: Apo Tenofovir can cause a rare but serious condition called lactic acidosis (buildup of lactic acid), together with an enlarged fatty liver. Your doctor will periodically monitor you and perform laboratory tests to check your liver function. If you notice any symptoms of this condition such as nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, weakness, tiredness, feeling cold, dizziness, lightheadedness, or irregular heartbeat, seek immediate medical attention.

Liver: Tenofovir can cause liver problems. If you have liver disease, discuss with your doctor how Apo Tenofovir may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of Apo Tenofovir, and whether any special monitoring is needed. Your doctor may monitor your liver function with blood tests while you are taking tenofovir, especially if you have risk factors for liver problems. Report any signs of liver problems (e.g., nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, dark urine, pale stools) to your doctor.

Pancreatitis: Tenofovir may cause inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). If you have a history of, or are at risk for developing, pancreatitis, discuss with your doctor how Apo Tenofovir may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of Apo Tenofovir, and whether any special monitoring is needed. If you develop signs of pancreatitis (e.g., upper left abdominal pain, back pain, nausea, fever, chills, rapid heartbeat, swollen abdomen), contact your doctor.

Stopping the medication: When used to treat chronic hepatitis B, stopping tenofovir has been known to cause symptoms of liver inflammation to flare up and your hepatitis B infection could get worse. Take the medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor, and do not stop taking the medication without checking with your doctor first. If you and your doctor decide that you should stop taking tenofovir, you will need to have regular blood tests to check liver function and hepatitis B virus levels.

Pregnancy: Apo Tenofovir should not be used during pregnancy unless the benefits outweigh the risks. If you become pregnant while taking Apo Tenofovir, contact your doctor immediately.

Breast-feeding: It is not known if tenofovir passes into breast milk. Women who have HIV infection are cautioned against breast-feeding because of the risk of passing HIV to a baby who does not have the infection.

Children: For the treatment of HIV infection, the safety and effectiveness of Apo Tenofovir have not been established for children less than 12 years old. For the treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection, the safety and effectiveness of Apo Tenofovir have not been established for children less than 18 years old.

<p>Tenofovir belongs to the family of medications called <i>antiretrovirals.</i> It is used with other antiretroviral medications to <b>treat the infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).</b> HIV is the virus responsible for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV infection destroys CD4 (T) cells, which are important to the immune system. The immune system helps fight infections.</p><p>Tenofovir is one of a type of antiretroviral medications called <i>nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors</i> (NRTIs). Reverse transcriptase is a part of HIV required to infect cells and make more virus. Tenofovir prevents reverse transcriptase from working properly, thus lowering the amount of HIV in the blood. Tenofovir does not cure AIDS, but it may help to slow down the progression of the disease.</p><p><b>Tenofovir may also be used to treat chronic hepatitis B.</b> It prevents the enzymes needed for the hepatitis B virus to reproduce from working properly. Tenofovir may help lower the amount of hepatitis B virus in the body by decreasing the ability of the virus to multiply and infect new liver cells.</p><p>Tenofovir does not prevent HIV or hepatitis B from being spread to others through sexual contact or blood contamination.</p><p><b>Apo Tenofovir may be available under multiple brand names and/or in several different forms.</b> Any specific brand name of Apo Tenofovir may not be available in all of the forms or approved for all of the conditions discussed here. As well, some forms of Apo Tenofovir may not be used for all of the conditions discussed here.</p><p><b>Your doctor may have suggested Apo Tenofovir for conditions other than those listed in these drug information articles.</b> If you have not discussed this with your doctor or are not sure why you are taking Apo Tenofovir, speak to your doctor. <b>Do not stop taking Apo Tenofovir without consulting your doctor.</b></p><p><b>Do not give Apo Tenofovir to anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms as you do.</b> It can be harmful for people to take Apo Tenofovir if their doctor has not prescribed it.</p>