Consumer medicine information

LOVIR® Tablets


Consumer Medicine Information

What is in this leaflet

Please read this leaflet carefully before you take Lovir tablets.

This leaflet answers some common questions about Lovir. It does not contain all available information, nor does it take the place of talking to you doctor or pharmacist.

All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Lovir against the benefits this medicine is expected to have for you.

You should ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about Lovir or if you have any trouble before, during or after taking Lovir.

Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again later.

What Lovir is used for

Lovir tablets contain aciclovir, a compound that belongs to a group of medicines called antivirals. Lovir tablets are for the treatment of shingles (herpes zoster), impaired immunity and/or genital herpes.

In the case of shingles, Lovir works by stopping the multiplication of the virus which causes shingles. It can reduce the length and severity of an outbreak of shingles but it will not get rid of the virus from your body.

Aciclovir at high strength is used as part of the management program for certain infections in people who also have the human immunodeficiency virus. It acts by preventing further damage to the immune system as a result of stopping production of herpes viruses. Aciclovir does not get rid of the virus from your body.

Your doctor may have prescribed Lovir for another reason. If you are unsure why this medicine has been prescribed for you, speak to your doctor.

This medicine is only available with a doctor’s prescription.

Before you take Lovir

When you must not take Lovir

Do not take Lovir if you have an allergy to:

  • Aciclovir, valaciclovir or any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction to Lovir may include:

  • Shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing
  • Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body
  • Rash, itching or hives on the skin.

If you are not sure if you have these allergies, you should raise those concerns with your doctor or pharmacist.

Do not take Lovir if:

  • The packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering
  • The expiry date on the pack has passed.

If you take this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well (or it may make you feel sick).

If you are not sure whether you should start taking Lovir, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Before you start to take Lovir

You must tell your doctor or pharmacist if:

  • You have any allergies to any foods, dyes, preservatives or any other medicines.
  • If you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant.
    Do not take Lovir if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant unless you and your doctor have discussed the benefits and risks of using it.
  • If you are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed.
    Your doctor or pharmacist will discuss the possible risks and benefits of using Lovir during beast-feeding.
  • You have or have had any other medical conditions including:
    – Kidney disease
    – Liver disease
    – Nerve disease
    – You are taking medicines such as probenecid, or diuretics (medicines that prevent water retention), or interferon, or intrathecal injection of methotrexate (injection into the space around the spinal cord)

If you have not told your doctor any of the above, tell them before you take any Lovir.

Taking other medicines

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines that you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.

Some medicines may increase the effects of Lovir. You may need to take different amounts of your medicine or you made need to take different medicines. Your doctor will advise you.

Your doctor or pharmacist may have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking Lovir.

Taking Lovir

Follow all directions given to you by your doctor and pharmacist carefully. They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.

If you do not understand the instructions on the box, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.

How much to take

The dose of Lovir may be different for each person. Your doctor will decide the right dose for you.

Treatment for Shingles
The normal dose is to take 800mg with water five times a day approximately every 4 hours throughout the day while awake. Either take your tablets at 7am, 11am, 3 pm, 7pm and 11pm or note down the times that suit your daily schedule.

Management of advanced HIV
The dose is 800 mg four times a day.

Treatment of Initial Genital Herpes
One 200 mg tablet every four hours while awake, for a total of 5 tablets daily for ten days.

Intermittent therapy for Recurrent Genital Herpes
One 200 mg tablet every four hours while awake, for a total of 5 tablets daily for 5 days. Therapy should be initiated at the earliest sign or symptom (prodrome) of recurrence.

Chronic suppressive therapy for Recurrent Genital Herpes
One 200 mg tablet three times a day for up to 6 months.

Take Lovir tablets as directed by your doctor or pharmacist. Never change the dose yourself.

How to take Lovir

Lovir tablets may be dispersed in a glass of water prior to being taken or alternatively swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water. You should drink plenty of fluids.

How long to take it

Do not take Lovir for longer than your doctor says.

Take the whole course of Lovir until it is finished. Do not stop taking Lovir even if you feel better. Your infection and symptoms may return.

For Shingles:
Your treatment course should last one week.

IMPORTANT: Do not stop taking LOVIR just because you feel better. The shingles may not be completely over.

For Impaired Immunity and/or Genital Herpes:
Lovir tablets are only effective if you take the treatment regularly for a long period. Only stop if your doctor tells you. Do not stop taking Lovir just because you feel better. Each prescription lasts for about one month. See your doctor before your tablets are finished to get your prescription renewed.

If you forget to take Lovir

If you forget to take a dose of Lovir, take it as soon as you remember and then go back 1 hour of each other.

If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose at the time it is due.

Do not take double dose to make up for the dose you missed.

If you are not sure what to do, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.

If you take too much Lovir (overdose)

Immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) or go to casualty at your nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Lovir. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.

While you are using Lovir

Your doctor or pharmacist will be able to tell you whether there are any special instructions while you are taking Lovir.

Things you must do

Take Lovir exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while taking Lovir.

If you are about to start taking any new medicines, tell your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking Lovir.

Tell all the doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking Lovir.

If the symptoms do not improve within a few days, or if they become worse, tell your doctor.

If you develop any form of skin rash and/or itching or difficulty in breathing while taking Lovir, do not take Lovir any more. Contact your doctor immediately.

Things you must not do

Do not stop taking Lovir until it is finished.

Do not stop taking Lovir even if you feel better. Your infection and symptoms may not clear completely.

Your doctor has prescribed Lovir especially for you and your condition. If you use it for another condition, it may not work or make the condition worse.

Do not give your Lovir capsules to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.

Do not use Lovir to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.

Things to be careful of

Take care while driving or operating machinery until you know how Lovir affects you. Lovir generally does not affect your ability to drive a car or operate machinery. However, as with many other medicines, Lovir may also cause dizziness, drowsiness and/or tiredness in some people.

Side effects

Tell you doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Lovir.

Lovir helps most people with infections, but it may have unwanted side effects in some people.

All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.

If they occur, most are likely to be minor and temporary. However, some may be serious and need medical attention.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and they worry you:

  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

Other less frequently reported side effects are:

  • Dizziness, fatigue, fast heart rate, fever, chills.
  • Confusion, sleep disturbances, hallucinations, shakiness.
  • Weight loss, fluid retention, pain in the leg and joints, vein disorders
  • Diarrhoea, constipation
  • Sore throat, taste disturbances, swollen glands
  • Skin rashes, hair loss
  • Cramps, menstrual problems
  • Disorders of the eyes and liver

Other side effects not listed above may occur in some patients. Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell when you are taking, or soon after you have finished taking Lovir.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you don’t understand anything in this list.

Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.

After taking Lovir

Storage

Keep your Lovir tablets in the blister pack until it is time to take them. If you take the capsules out of their packaging, they may not keep well.

Keep Lovir where young children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half meters above the ground is a good place to store medicines.

Keep Lovir in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C.

Do not store it or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it in the car or on windowsills. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.

Disposal

If your doctor tells you to stop taking Lovir or the tablets have passed their expiry date, ask your pharmacist or doctor what to do with the any capsules that are leftover.

Product Description

What it looks like

LOVIR 200 mg tablets are capsule shaped, biconvex, uncoated, white tablets with 200 embossed on one side and ACV on the other side.

They are available in blister packs of 25 and 90 tablets.

Ingredients

Active Ingredient:
Each Lovir tablet contains 200 mg of the active ingredient aciclovir.

Inactive Ingredients:
The tablets also contain cellulose microcrystalline, sodium starch glycollate, starch-pregelatinised maize, silica-colloidal anhydrous and magnesium stearate.

Lovir does not contain lactose, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.

Sponsor

Lovir Tablets are supplied by

Amneal Pharma Australia Pty Ltd
12 River St,
South Yarra VIC 3141

LOVIR 200 mg tablets AUST R 62379

This leaflet was prepared in October 2015

Lovir CMI v3.0

Published by MIMS January 2017