Entecavir

Description

Entecavir is an antiviral drug which is used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in patients with severe liver abnormalities. It reduces the amount of virus in the patient's body, but it does not cure the disease. This medicine also may not prevent the complications of hepatitis B like liver cirrhosis. It also does not prevent the spread of HBV to other people.

Side effects

Major & minor side effects for Entecavir

  • Allergy
  • Diarrhoea
  • Elevated Liver Enzymes
  • Insomnia
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Dizziness

Uses of Entecavir

What is it prescribed for?

  • Chronic Hepatitis B
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Concerns

Commonly asked questions

  • Onset of action
    The time at which this medicine shows its effect is not clinically established.
  • Duration of effect
    There is no well-established clinical data available regarding the duration of action of this medicine.
  • Safe with alcohol?
    Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
  • Is it habit forming?
    No habit forming tendencies were reported.
  • Usage in pregnancy?
    This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women unless strictly indicated. The benefits and risks should be discussed with the doctor before using this medicine.
  • Usage while breast-feeding?
    This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women unless absolutely necessary. Your doctor may advise you to discontinue breastfeeding or to discontinue the medicine based on your clinical condition.

Allergy

This medicine is not recommended for use in patients with a known allergy to Entecavir.
Warnings for special population

Pregnancy

This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women unless strictly indicated. The benefits and risks should be discussed with the doctor before using this medicine.

Breast-feeding

This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women unless absolutely necessary. Your doctor may advise you to discontinue breastfeeding or to discontinue the medicine based on your clinical condition.
General warnings

Exacerbation of Hepatitis B

Discontinuation of Entecavir or any other anti-Hepatitis B therapy may cause severe acute exacerbation of the HBV infection. Monitoring of liver function is recommended for at least a few months after stopping the treatment with this medicine. Further initiation of anti-Hepatitis B therapy may be warranted in a few cases.

HIV co-infection

Entecavir is not recommended for use in patients who are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and not on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) therapy for HIV due to the risk of development of resistance to HIV NRTIs.

Lactic Acidosis

This medicine is not recommended for use in patients with severe liver dysfunction due to the risk of lactic acidosis (increased acid in the blood). Frequent clinical monitoring for lactic acidosis is recommended while taking this medicine. Any symptoms like difficulty in breathing, irregular heartbeats, dark-coloured urine, and yellow colored skin and eyes should be reported to the doctor on priority.

Missed Dose

If a dose of Entecavir is missed, take the dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost the time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the next dose. Do not double the dose to make up for the missed one.

Overdose

Seek emergency medical treatment or contact the doctor in case of an overdose.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol

Description

Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.

Instructions

Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Interaction with Medicine

Metformin

Aminoglycoside antibiotics

NSAIDs

Disease interactions

Renal Diseases

Entecavir should be used with extreme caution in patients with renal dysfunction. Renal function should be assessed before initiating the treatment with this medicine. Appropriate dosage adjustment should be made based on the renal function.
Food interactions
The desired effect of Entecavir will not be achieved if it is taken with food. Hence, it is advisable to take this medicine on an empty stomach unless otherwise specified by the doctor. It is recommended that you take this medicine 2 hours before or after meals.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Do not use Entecavir for any conditions other than those specified by the doctor. Do not share the medicine with anyone else. Report to the doctor all your medical conditions and current medicines before taking this medication. Report any undesired effects or lack of improvement to the doctor on priority.
Miscelleneous

To be taken on an empty stomach

To be taken as instructed by doctor

Does not cause sleepiness

How it works
Entecavir stops the virus from making copies of itself. This helps in reducing the quantity of virus in the patient's body.
Legal Status

Approved

Approved

Approved

Approved

Classification

Category

Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)

Schedule

Schedule H

Entecavir tablet [Internet]. Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 13 July 2017]. Available from:

https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=def332bf-2906-4a6c-b85d-dfb56bb94312&audience=consumer

Entecavir: MedlinePlus Drug Information [Internet]. Medlineplus.gov. 2017 [cited 13 July 2017]. Available from:

https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a605028.html

[Internet]. 2017 [cited 13 July 2017]. Available from:

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/18377

Entecavir - DrugBank [Internet]. Drugbank.ca. 2017 [cited 13 July 2017]. Available from:

https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00442

Prescribing medicines in pregnancy database [Internet]. Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). 2017 [cited 13 July 2017]. Available from:

https://www.tga.gov.au/prescribing-medicines-pregnancy-database

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Information on this page was last updated on 8 Feb 2018

Disclaimer

We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.