Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For emtricitabine, the following should be considered:

Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to emtricitabine. Also tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy—Studies in pregnant women have not been done. However, emtricitabine has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies. Also, it is not known whether emtricitabine reduces the chances that a baby born to an HIV-infected mother will also be infected. Before taking this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast-feeding—It is not known whether emtricitabine passes into human breast milk. However, if your baby does not already have the AIDS virus, there is a chance that you could pass it to your baby by breast-feeding. Talk to your doctor first if you are thinking about breast-feeding your baby.

Children—This medicine is typically not used in patients under 18 years of age.

Older adults—Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. Elderly patients are more likely to have other medical problems and they may take a lower dose than some younger adults.

Other medical problems—The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of emtricitabine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Hepatitis B Virus
  Emtricitabine is not used to treat patients with hepatitis B virus and use of this medicine can make this condition worse. Your doctor will want to follow you closely for several months and do regular medical exams.

• Kidney problems
  Your doctor may want to lower your dose if you have kidney problems.

• Obesity (overweight) or
• Using nucleoside medicine for a long time
  These conditions might increase your chances of getting lactic acidosis (buildup of acid in your blood) or liver problems. This is more common in females.