What is stavudine?
Stavudine is an antiviral medication that prevents human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cells from multiplying in your body.
Stavudine is used to treat HIV, which causes the 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 is the most important information I should know about stavudine?
Stavudine should not be taken together with any HIV combination that includes zidovudine (Combivir, Retrovir, or Trizivir).
Some people develop lactic acidosis while taking stavudine. Early symptoms may get worse over time and this condition can be fatal. Get emergency medical help if you have even mild symptoms such as: muscle pain or weakness, numb or cold feeling in your arms and legs, trouble breathing, stomach pain, nausea with vomiting, fast or uneven heart rate, dizziness, or feeling very weak or tired.
Stavudine can also 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 stavudine: severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Before taking stavudine, tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, liver disease, a history of pancreatitis, or if you have used a medicine similar to stavudine in the past, such as abacavir (Ziagen), didanosine (Videx), emtricitabine (Atripla, Complera, Emtriva, Truvada), lamivudine (Epivir, Combivir, Epzicom, Trizivir), tenofovir (Viread), zalcitabine (Hivid), or zidovudine (Retrovir).
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking stavudine?
You should not take stavudine if you are allergic to it.
Stavudine should not be taken together with any HIV combination that includes zidovudine (Combivir, Retrovir, or Trizivir).
Some people have developed a life-threatening condition called lactic acidosis while taking stavudine. You may be more likely to develop lactic acidosis if you are overweight or have liver disease, if you are a woman, or if you have taken certain HIV or AIDS medications for a long time. Talk with your doctor about your individual risk.
Stavudine can also cause severe or life-threatening effects on your liver or pancreas. Tell your doctor if you have liver disease or a history of pancreatitis.
To make sure you can safely take stavudine, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:
kidney disease;
diabetes (stavudine liquid contains 250 milligrams of sucrose per teaspoon); or
if you have used a medicine similar to stavudine in the past, such as abacavir (Ziagen), didanosine (Videx), emtricitabine (Atripla, Complera, Emtriva, Truvada), lamivudine (Epivir, Combivir, Epzicom, Trizivir), tenofovir (Viread), zalcitabine (Hivid), or zidovudine (Retrovir).
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether this medication is harmful to an unborn baby. HIV can be passed to the baby if the mother is not properly treated during pregnancy. Stavudine may also be more likely to cause lactic acidosis in a pregnant woman. 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.
If you are pregnant, your name may be listed on a pregnancy registry. This is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and to evaluate any effects of stavudine on the baby.
You should not breast-feed while you are using stavudine. 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.