What is didanosine?
Didanosine is an antiviral medication that prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cells
from multiplying in your body.
Didanosine is used to treat HIV, which causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS). Didanosine is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.
Didanosine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking didanosine?
Didanosine can cause severe or life-threatening effects on your liver or pancreas. Call your
doctor at once if you have any of these symptoms while taking didanosine: severe pain in your upper
stomach spreading to your back, fast heart rate, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, low
fever, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Didanosine may also cause lactic acidosis (the build up of lactic acid in the body). Lactic
acidosis can start slowly and gradually get worse. Symptoms include unusual muscle pain and
weakness, trouble breathing, fast or uneven heart rate, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and numbness
or cold feeling in your arms or legs. Contact your doctor at once if you have any of these symptoms,
even if they are only mild. Early signs of lactic acidosis generally get worse over time and this condition
can be fatal.
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to didanosine.
Before taking didanosine, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:
-
liver disease;
-
kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);
-
a history of pancreatitis; or
-
a history of peripheral neuropathy (numbness or tingling in
your hands or feet).
Do not take didanosine without telling your doctor if you
are pregnant.
Didanosine may be harmful to an unborn baby, and may also be more likely to
cause pancreatitis in a pregnant woman.
HIV can be passed to a baby if the mother is not properly treated during pregnancy. Tell your
doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Take all of your HIV
medicines as directed to control your infection while you are pregnant.
Your name may need to be listed on an antiviral pregnancy registry when you start using
didanosine. The purpose of this registry is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and delivery to
evaluate whether didanosine had any effect on the baby.
You should not breast-feed while you are using didanosine. Women with HIV or AIDS
should not breast-feed at all. Even if your baby is born without HIV, you may still pass the virus to the
baby in your breast milk.
How should I take didanosine?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger
amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your
prescription label.
This medication comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use. Follow these
directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
Didanosine can be taken with or without food.
Take didanosine with a full glass of water.
Take didanosine on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes before or 2 hours after a meal.
This will make it easier for your body to absorb the medicine.
Do not crush, chew, break, or open a delayed-release capsule (Videx EC). Swallow the
pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking or opening the pill
would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.
Shake the oral suspension (liquid) well just before you measure a dose. To be sure you get
the correct dose, measure the liquid with a marked measuring spoon or medicine cup, not with a regular
table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.
HIV/AIDS is usually treated with a combination of different drugs. Certain HIV medications or
antibiotics should not be taken at the same time as didanosine because they can affect the levels of this
medicine in your blood stream:
-
ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
should be taken at least 2
hours before or 6 hours after you take didanosine.
-
delavirdine (Rescriptor)
or
indinavir (Crixivan)
should be taken at least 1 hour before you take didanosine.
-
nelfinavir (Viracept)
should be taken at
least 1 hour after you take didanosine.
-
itraconazole (Sporanox)
or
ketoconazole (Nizoral)
should be taken at least 2 hours before you take didanosine.
To best treat your condition, use all of your medications as directed by your
doctor. Be sure to read the medication guide or patient instructions provided with each of your
medications. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without advice from your doctor.
Every person with HIV or AIDS should remain under the care of a doctor.
To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood will need to be tested on a
regular basis. Your liver function may also need to be tested. It is important that you not miss any
scheduled visits to your doctor.
Store this medication at room temperature in a tightly closed container, away from moisture
and heat.
Store the liquid form of didanosine in the refrigerator. The liquid is good for 30 days after it
is mixed at the pharmacy. Throw away any leftover didanosine liquid that is more than 30 days old.
What happens if I miss a dose of didanosine?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the
missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time.
Do not
take
extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Where can I get more information about didanosine?
Your pharmacist has information about didanosine written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of didanosine?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these
signs of an allergic
reaction:
hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop using didanosine and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side
effects:
-
liver damage - nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite,
dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
-
lactic acidosis - muscle pain or weakness, numb or cold
feeling in your arms and legs, trouble breathing, nausea with vomiting, and fast or uneven heart
rate;
-
pancreatitis - severe pain in your upper stomach spreading
to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate;
-
peripheral neuropathy - numbness, tingling, or pain in your
hands or feet;
-
problems with vision, increased sensitivity to light;
-
fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms; or
-
any other signs of new infection.
Less serious side effects may include:
-
mild stomach pain, diarrhea;
-
headache;
-
weak feeling; or
-
changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in
your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist).
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your
doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at
1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the most important information I should know about didanosine?
Didanosine can cause life-threatening effects on your liver or pancreas. Call your doctor at
once if you have any of these symptoms: severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back,
fast heart rate, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, low fever, dark urine, clay-colored
stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Do not take didanosine without telling your doctor if you are pregnant.
Didanosine may be harmful to an unborn baby, and may also be more likely to cause
pancreatitis in a pregnant woman.
Didanosine may also cause a build up of lactic acid in the body. Symptoms include unusual
muscle pain and weakness, trouble breathing, fast or uneven heart rate, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain,
and numbness or cold feeling in your arms or legs. Contact your doctor at once if you have any of
these symptoms, even if they are only mild.
There are many other medicines that can interact with didanosine.
Tell
your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes
vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new
medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this
list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.
HIV/AIDS is usually treated with a combination of different drugs. To best treat your condition,
use all of your medications as directed by your doctor. Do not change your doses or medication
schedule without advice from your doctor. Every person with HIV or AIDS should remain under the
care of a doctor.
Taking this medication will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people. Talk with
your doctor about safe methods of preventing HIV transmission during sex. Sharing drug or medicine
needles is never safe, even for a healthy person.
What should I avoid while taking didanosine?
Avoid using antacids without your doctor's advice while taking didanosine. Use only the
specific type of antacid your doctor recommends.
Avoid drinking alcohol while taking didanosine. Alcohol may increase the risk of damage
to the pancreas and/or liver.
Avoid having unprotected sex or sharing needles, razors, or toothbrushes. Taking this
medication will not prevent you from passing HIV to other people. Talk with your doctor about safe
methods of preventing HIV transmission during sex. Sharing drug or medicine needles is never safe,
even for a healthy person.
What other drugs will affect didanosine?
Before taking didanosine, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:
-
allopurinol (Zyloprim);
-
ganciclovir (Cytovene);
-
hydroxyurea (Droxie, Hydrea);
-
methadone (Dolophine, Methadose);
-
ribavirin (Rebetol, Ribasphere, Copegus Virazole);
-
stavudine (Zerit);
-
tenofovir (Viread);
-
antibiotics such as tetracycline (Brodspec, Panmycin,
Sumycin), doxycycline (Doryx, Vibramycin), or minocycline (Minocin); or
-
antibiotics such as enoxacin (Penetrex), levofloxacin
(Levaquin), lomefloxacin (Maxaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), ofloxacin (Floxin), trovafloxacin
(Trovan), or norfloxacin (Noroxin).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with
didanosine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This
includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using
a new medication without telling your doctor.
What happens if I have an overdose of didanosine?
