Didanosine
Description
Didanosine is an antiviral medicine which is used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. This medicine is not a cure for HIV but prevents the virus from multiplying in your body. Monitoring of liver function is necessary while receiving this medicine.
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Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Didanosine
- Diarrhea
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Abdominal and stomach pain
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Burning, numbness, tingling in the arms and feet
- Skin rash
- Blurred vision
- Headache
- Irritability
- Difficulty in falling asleep
- Restlessness
Uses of Didanosine
What is it prescribed for?
- HIV infection
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Concerns
Commonly asked questions
- Onset of actionThe time required for this medicine to show its effect is not clinically established.
- Duration of effectThe time until which this medicine remains active in the body is approximately 12 hours.
- Safe with alcohol?Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
- Is it habit forming?No habit forming tendency has been reported.
- Usage in pregnancy?This medicine is recommended in pregnant women only if necessary. All the risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before taking this medicine.
- Usage while breast-feeding?This medicine is recommended for use in breastfeeding women only in life-threatening conditions. The risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before taking this medicine. Your doctor may advise you to discontinue the drug or to discontinue breastfeeding based on your clinical condition.
Allergy
This medicine is not recommended for use in patients with a known allergy to didanosine.
Ribavirin
Didanosine is not recommended for use in a combination with ribavirin due to the increased risk of developing fatal hepatic failure, peripheral neuropathy, pancreatitis, and symptomatic hyperlactatemia/lactic acidosis.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
This medicine is recommended in pregnant women only if necessary. All the risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before taking this medicine.
Breast-feeding
This medicine is recommended for use in breastfeeding women only in life-threatening conditions. The risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before taking this medicine. Your doctor may advise you to discontinue the drug or to discontinue breastfeeding based on your clinical condition.
General warnings
Non-cirrhotic Portal Hypertension
Didanosine should be used with caution due to the increased risk of portal hypertension. Close monitoring of liver enzymes, serum bilirubin, albumin, and complete blood count is recommended during treatment with this medicine. Seek emergency medical treatment in case of any unusual side effects.
Pancreatitis
Didanosine should be used with extreme caution due to the increased risk of pancreatitis. Report any symptoms such as severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, etc. to the doctor immediately. Therapy may be discontinued based on the clinical condition of the patient.
Missed Dose
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up for the missed dose.
Overdose
Seek emergency medical treatment or contact the doctor in case of an overdose.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Instructions
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Interaction with Medicine
Allopurinol
Hydralazine
Ribavirin
Fluvastatin
Methadone
Disease interactions
Bone Marrow Depression
This medicine should be used with caution in patients with a known history of Bone Marrow Depression due to the increased risk of worsening of the patient's condition. Close monitoring of complete blood count is recommended for such patients. Appropriate dose adjustments or replacement with a suitable alternative may be required based on the clinical condition.
Hepatotoxicity
Didanosine should be used with extreme caution in patients with a history of liver diseases. Liver function should be assessed before initiating the treatment. The dose should be adjusted based on the severity of the liver disease. Therapy may be discontinued based on the clinical condition of the patient.
Renal Dysfunction
Didanosine should be used with extreme caution in patients with a history of kidney diseases. Kidney function should be assessed before initiating the treatment. The dose should be adjusted based on the severity of the kidney disease.
Hyperuricemia
Didanosine should be used with caution in patients with a history of gout or hyperuricemia due to the increased risk of worsening of the patient's condition. Close monitoring of blood uric acid levels is recommended for such patients.
Blood Dyscrasias
This medicine should be used with caution in patients with a known history of blood dyscrasias due to the increased risk of worsening of the patient's condition. Close monitoring of complete blood count is recommended for such patients. Appropriate dose adjustments or replacement with a suitable alternative may be required based on the clinical condition.
Food interactions
Food may decrease the absorption of Didanosine. This medicine should be taken on an empty stomach, at least 30 minutes before food or 2 hours after a meal.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Take Didanosine exactly as instructed by the doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller quantities than recommended. Ensure that proper hygiene measures are adopted. Complete the course of treatment to prevent the spread of the infection. Close monitoring of liver function is necessary while receiving this medicine.
Miscelleneous
How it works
It works by stopping the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from multiplying. This helps in reducing the chances of development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and other HIV-related illnesses.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)
Schedule
Schedule H
[Internet]. 2017 [cited 10 August 2017]. Available from:
DailyMed - DIDANOSINE - didanosine capsule, delayed release [Internet]. Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 10 August 2017]. Available from:
Didanosine - DrugBank [Internet]. Drugbank.ca. 2017 [cited 10 August 2017]. Available from:
Didanosine: MedlinePlus Drug Information [Internet]. Medlineplus.gov. 2017 [cited 10 August 2017]. Available from:
Prescribing medicines in pregnancy database [Internet]. Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). 2017 [cited 10 August 2017]. Available from:
Information on this page was last updated on 15 Aug 2017
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.