stavudine

What is the most important information I should know about stavudine?

What is stavudine?

Stavudine is an antiviral medicine that is used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that can cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Stavudine is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.

Stavudine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking stavudine?

Stavudine can cause severe or life-threatening effects on your liver or pancreas. Tell your doctor if you have liver disease or a history of pancreatitis.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);
• liver disease, including hepatitis C;
• diabetes (stavudine liquid may contain sucrose);
• gallstones;
• numbness, tingling, or pain in your hands or feet;
• problems with your pancreas; or
• if you drink large amounts of alcohol.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, and use your medications properly to control your infection. HIV can be passed to your baby if the virus is not controlled during pregnancy. Your name may be listed on a registry to track any effects of antiviral medicine on the baby.

How should I take stavudine?

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Take your doses at regular intervals to keep a steady amount of the drug in your body at all times. You may take stavudine with or without food.

Stavudine doses are based on weight (especially in children and teenagers). Your dose needs may change if you gain or lose weight.

You will need frequent medical tests.

Use all HIV medications as directed and read all medication guides you receive. Do not change your dose or dosing schedule without your doctor's advice. Every person with HIV should remain under the care of a doctor.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

What happens if I overdose?

What should I avoid while taking stavudine?

Using this medicine will not prevent your disease from spreading. Do not have unprotected sex or share razors or toothbrushes. Talk with your doctor about safe ways to prevent HIV transmission during sex. Sharing drug or medicine needles is never safe, even for a healthy person.

What are the possible side effects of stavudine?

• numbness, tingling, or pain in your hands or feet;
• weakness in your legs, feet, arms, or hands;
• liver problems --swelling around your midsection, right-sided upper stomach pain, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
• pancreatitis --fever, severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting.

Stavudine affects your immune system, which may cause certain side effects (even weeks or months after you've taken this medicine). Tell your doctor if you have:

• signs of a new infection --fever, night sweats, swollen glands, cold sores, cough, wheezing, diarrhea, weight loss;
• trouble speaking or swallowing, problems with balance or eye movement, weakness or prickly feeling; or
• swelling in your neck or throat (enlarged thyroid), menstrual changes, impotence.

Common side effects may include:

• weakness, numbness, tingling, or burning pain in your hands or feet;
• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
• rash; or
• headache.

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 other drugs will affect stavudine?

Tell your doctor about all your other medicines, especially:

• hydroxyurea.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may affect stavudine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about stavudine.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2023 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 13.01. Revision date: 12/20/2018.