LAMIVUDINE (3TC)

Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) antiretroviral medicine

Dosage Forms

Tablet

150 mg

Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC) Tablets

ABC 60 mg + 3TC 30 mg
TDF 300 mg + 3TC 150 mg
AZT 300 mg + 3TC 150 mg
TDF 300 mg + 3TC 300 mg + EFV 600 mg
AZT 300 mg + 3TC 150 mg + ABC 300 mg
AZT 300 mg + 3TC 150 mg + NVP 200 mg

Uses

  • HIV/AIDS
  • Chronic hepatitis B

Dose and Duration

HIV infection, first line treatment in adults and eMTCT (in combination with TDF + NVP or TDF + EFV)

Adult: 150 mg every 12 hours or 300 mg once daily

Child >35 kg: 150 mg every 12 hours

HIV infection, alternative first line treatment in adults (in combination with AZT + EFV or AZT + NVP or ABC + NVP or ABC + EFV)

Adult: 150 mg every 12 hours or 300 mg once daily

Child >35 kg: 150 mg twice daily

HIV infection, first line treatment in children

Adolescent <35 kg: 4 mg/kg every 12 hours (in combination with ABC + EFV)

Child 3–10 years: 4 mg/kg every 12 hours (in combination with ABC + EFV)

Child <3 years: 4 mg/kg every 12 hours (in combination with ABC + NVP)

HIV infection, second line treatment (in combination with AZT + ATV/r or AZT + LPV/r or ABC + ATV/r or ABC + LPV/R or TDF + LPV/r or TDF + ATV/r)

Adult: 150–300 mg every 12 hours

Child >35 kg: 150 mg every 12 hours

Chronic hepatitis B

Adult: 300 mg once daily

Contraindications

  • Allergy to lamivudine

Side Effects

  • Stomach upset
  • Nerve pain in hands and feet, headache, difficulty in sleeping, Feeling of tiredness/sickness
  • Pancreatitis
  • Skin rash
  • Lactic acidosis
  • Liver damage
  • Cough
  • Muscle pain

Interactions

  • Emtricitabine (increased side effects)

Patient Instructions

  • Take medicine at the same time every day
  • Report immediately to health worker in case of severe nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, feeling of sickness, loss of appetite, rapid deep breathing, or muscle weakness

Pregnancy

  • Can be used

Breast-feeding

  • Can be used

⚠️ Caution

  • Discontinue medicine in case of severe lactic acidosis or liver damage
  • Only FDC pill with TDF + 3TC + EFV contains 300 mg of 3TC; the rest have 150 mg of 3TC