Retrovir (zidovudine)

How can this medicine affect other medicines?

It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination is safe.

The antibiotic rifampicin may decrease the blood level of zidovudine and therefore reduce its effectiveness. It should be avoided in people taking zidovudine.

The antibiotic clarithromycin may reduce the absorption of zidovudine from the gut and thus make it less effective, but this effect may be minimised if these two medicines are taken not less than two hours apart.

The following medicines may increase the blood level of zidovudine and may therefore increase the risk of its side effects:

- probenecid
- atovaquone
- sodium valproate
- fluconazole
- methadone
- benzodiazepines, eg oxazepam, lorazepam.

There may be an increased risk of blood or kidney disorders if zidovudine is used in combination any of the following medicines, which can also decrease blood cells and have side effects on the kidneys:

- amphotericin
- co-trimoxazole
- dapsone
- doxorubicin
- flucytosine
- ganciclovir
- interferon
- systemic pentamidine
- pyrimethamine
- vincristine
- vinblastine.

If your doctor decides you need treatment with any of these medicines while you are taking zidovudine, extra care should be taken to monitor your kidney function and levels of blood cells.

The manufacturer recommends that zidovudine is not used in combination with the following medicines:

- stavudine (zidovudine may inhibit effect of stavudine)
- ribavirin (ribavirin may inhibit effect of zidovudine).

Other medicines containing the same active ingredient

There are currently no other medicines available in the UK that contain zidovudine as the sole active ingredient.

Combivir contains zidovudine in combination with another anti-HIV medicine called lamivudine.

Trizivir contains zidovudine in combination with two other anti-HIV medicines called abacavir and lamivudine.

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