Epivir Side Effects: An Introduction
As with any medicine, side effects are possible with
Epivir® (
lamivudine); however, not everyone who takes the medication will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. When side effects do occur, in most cases they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Epivir. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Epivir side effects with you.)
Common Epivir Side Effects
Epivir has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials.
In these studies, the side effects that occur in a group of people taking the drug are documented and are then compared to side effects that occur in another group of people not taking the medicine. This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.
In these studies, the most common side effects of Epivir included:
- Ear, nose, or throat infections -- in up to 25 percent of people
- Fatigue and a general ill feeling (malaise) -- up to 24 percent
- Headaches -- up to 21 percent
- Abdominal pain (stomach pain) -- up to 16 percent
- Nausea and vomiting -- up to 15 percent.
Other common Epivir side effects, occurring in 5 to 14 percent of people, included:
- Fever or chills
- Sore throat
- Diarrhea
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain.
