Precautions
Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®
It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.
You should not use this medicine if you are also taking tenofovir (Viread®) or other medicines containing tenofovir (eg, Atripla®, Complera®, Stribild™, or Truvada®). Tell your doctor right away if you are using any of these medicines. Do not start using adefovir until your doctor tells you to.
If you have or get HIV infection, be sure to discuss your treatment with your doctor. If you are using this medicine to treat chronic hepatitis B, and are not taking medicine for your HIV infection at the same time, some HIV treatments may be less likely to work. You may need to get an HIV test before you start using this medicine, and again later if there is a chance you were exposed to HIV. This medicine will not help your HIV infection.
When this medicine is stopped, the liver disease (hepatitis) may become worse. Do not stop using adefovir unless your doctor tells you to. Be sure to keep all appointments with your doctor after you stop using this medicine. Blood tests will be needed to check your liver function.
Check with your doctor right away if you have more than one of the following: blood in the urine, change in frequency of urination or amount of urine, difficulty with breathing, drowsiness, increased thirst, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, swelling of the feet or lower legs, or weakness. These may be symptoms of a serious kidney problem.
Two rare but serious reactions to this medicine are lactic acidosis (build-up of acid in the blood) and liver toxicity, including an enlarged liver. These are more common if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking anti-HIV medicines for a long time. Call your doctor right away if you have stomach discomfort or cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, muscle cramping or pain, unusual tiredness or weakness, trouble breathing, or a yellowish color in your skin or eyes.
Treatment with adefovir has not been shown to decrease the chance of giving hepatitis B virus infection to other people through sexual contact or by sharing needles. If you have any questions about this, check with your doctor.
Portions of this document last updated: Feb. 01, 2024
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