For over two decades, millions of consumers have trustedThe Pill Bookto provide official, FDA-approved drug information plus guidelines from leading pharmacists. Each drug is profiled in a consise, readable, aand easy-to-understand entry, makingThe Pill Bookthe perfect reference for readers who have questions about the medications their doctors prescribe. The most up-to-date information about more than 1,800 most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. The 11th edition introduces more than 40 new FDA-approved drugs and dozens of brand names. Each easy to understand entry includes: -Generic and brand-name listings that can help you save money -What the drug is for, and how it works -Usual dosages, and what to do if a dose is skipped -Side effects and possible adverse reactions, highlighted for quick reference -Interactions with other drugs and food -Overdose and addiction potential -Alcohol-free and sugar-free medications Also includes: -The most popular self-injected medication and their safe handling -Information for seniors, pregnant and breast-feeding women, children, and others with special needs -Cautions and warnings, and when to call your doctor?

Educated at Columbia University, Dr. Harold Silverman has been a hospital pharmacist, author, educator, and pharmaceutical industry consultant. Currently he is Medical Director of the Global Healthcare Practice at Manning Selvage and Lee, a worldwide public relations and public affairs consulting firm. Professionally, Dr. Silverman seeks to help people understand why medicines are prescribed and how to get the most from them. In addition to The Pill Book, Dr. Silverman is coauthor of The Vitamin Book: A No-Nonsense Consumer Guide and The Med File Drug Interactions System. He is also the author of The Pill Book Guide to Safe Drug Use, the Consumer's Guide to Poison Protection, the Woman's Drug Store, and Travel Healthy. Dr. Silverman's contributions to the professional literature include more than 70 articles, research papers, and textbook chapters. He is a member of many professional organizations and has served as an officer for several, including the New York State Council of Hospital Pharmacists, for which he served as president. He has taught pharmacology and clinical pharmacy at several universities and won numerous awards for his work. Dr. Silverman resides in a Washington suburb with his wife, Judith Brown, and their son, Joshua.

Generic Name Abacavir (uh-BAK-uh-veer) Brand Name Ziagen Type of Drug Antiviral. Prescribed For Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. General Information Abacavir is a man-made nucleoside drug that inhibits the reproduction of the HIV virus. Once inside the HIV-infected cell, abacavir is transformed by enzymes into carbovir triphosphate. Carbovir triphosphate interferes with the activity of HIV reverse transcriptase, an enzyme essential to the virus' ability to reproduce. Abacavir is always given with another anti-HIV antiviralsuch as didanosine, lamivudine, stavudine or zalcitabineto achieve optimum effectiveness. Some of the drug is broken down in the liver, some passes out of the body unchanged in the urine, and some passes out of the body in the stool. Cautions and Warnings Stop taking this drug at the first sign of drug allergy or sensitivity (see "Special Information"). People have died from abacavir sensitivity. People with liver disease should be cautious about using this drug because of the possibility that it can aggravate the condition. Some people have died from liver damage associated with abacavir. The use of nucleoside drugs such as abacavir can very rarely cause lactic acidosis, a fatal metabolic disturbance. Resistance to abacavir has developed in laboratory versions of HIV also resistant to lamivudine, didanosine, and zalcitabine. HIV that is resistant to protease inhibitors is not likely to be resistant to abacavir. Abacavir cannot be used in infants under age 3 months. Drug Interactions Alcohol interferes with the elimination of abacavir through the liver and can lead to a 40% increase in the amount of drug in the blood. Abacavir can increase blood levels of acetaminophen, amitriptyline, bumetanide, chloral hydrate, chlorpheniramine, chlorpromazine, chlorzoxazone, dapsone, doxepin, fluconazole, imipramine, ketoconazole, labetalol, lamotrigine, miconazole, morphine, naloxone, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), oxazepam, promethazine, propofol, propranolol, and valproic acid. Cigarette smoking and clofibrate may reduce the amount of abacavir in the blood. Combining abacavir with isoniazid may decrease abacavir levels and increase isoniazid levels in the blood. Abacavir levels in the blood may be decreased if you are also taking phenobarbital, phenytoin, or T3 thyroid hormone replacement. Food Interactions None known. Usual Dose Adult (age 17 and over): 300 mg 2 times a day. Child (age 3 months16 years): 3.6 mg per lb. of body weight twice a day, up to a maximum of 300 mg in each dose. Overdosage Little is known about the effects of abacavir overdose. Overdose victims should be taken to a hospital emergency room for treatment. ALWAYS bring the prescription bottle or container. Special Information Stop taking this drug and call your doctor at the first sign of allergy or sensitivity. Symptoms include fever, rash, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, sore throat, difficulty breathing, and coughing. If you continue to take abacavir and are allergic to it, more severe reactions including a life-threatening drop in blood pressure could develop in hours. Abacavir is not a cure for HIV. People taking the drug may still develop opportunistic infections and other conditions associated with HIV infection. People taking abacavir can still be infectious and transmit HIV to others. The long-term effects of abacavir are not known. Report anything unusual to your doctor. It is very important for you to take abacavir exactly as prescribed. If you forget to take a dose and remember within 2 to 3 hours, take the medication. If you forget until it is almost time