Details

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 can also cause severe or life-threatening effects on your liver or pancreas. To make sure you can safely take didanosine, tell your doctor if you have liver disease kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis) a history of numbness or tingling in your hands or feet, including Reynaud’s syndrome or a history of pancreatitis if you also take stavudine.

Typical Uses

Didanosine is used with other HIV medications to help control HIV infection. It helps to decrease the amount of HIV in your body so your immune system can work better. This lowers your chance of getting HIV complications (such as new infections, cancer) and improves your quality of life. Didanosine belongs to a class of drugs known as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors-NRTI. Didanosine is not a cure for HIV infection. It is very important to continue taking didanosine (and other HIV medications) exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not skip any doses. Do not increase your dose, take this drug more often than prescribed, or stop taking it (or other HIV medicines) even for a short time unless directed to do so by your doctor.

Side Effects

Didanosine may cause lactic acidosis (a build-up of lactic acid in the body, which can be fatal). Lactic acidosis can start slowly and get worse over time. Get immediate medical assistance if you experience muscle pain or weakness numb or cold feeling in your arms and legs trouble breathing feeling dizzy, light-headed, tired, or very weak stomach pain, nausea with vomiting or fast or uneven heart rate. Some of the other side effects of didanosine include signs of a new infection such as flu symptoms, easy bruising or unusual bleeding, loss of appetite, mouth sores unexplained weight loss, menstrual changes, impotence, loss of interest in sex weakness or prickly feeling in your fingers or toes problems with walking, breathing, speech, swallowing, or eye movement or severe lower back pain, loss of bladder or bowel control.

Drug Interactions

• Didanosine+allopurinol- Using didanosine together with allopurinol is not recommended. Combining these medications can increase the blood levels of didanosine to dangerous levels. This may increase the risk of severe injury to the pancreas, liver, muscles, and nerves. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs.

• Didanosine+bexarotene- Using bexarotene together with didanosine may increase the risk of pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

• Didanosine+dolutegravir- Taking the dolutegravir and didanosine doses too close together may interfere with the absorption of dolutegravir and reduce its effectiveness in treating HIV infection. To prevent or minimize the interaction, dolutegravir should be taken at least two hours before or six hours after the didanosine dose.

• Didanosine+hydroxyurea- Ask your doctor before using didanosine together with hydroxyurea. Didanosine can cause severe or life-threatening effects on your liver or pancreas.

Mechanism of action

Didanosine is an antiretroviral drug, which belongs to a group of medicine called as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). It works by stopping the virus from multiplying in the body.

Pregnancy Category : B