Drug interactions
Didanosine + Hydroxyurea
Severity: Contraindicated
Didanosine and Hydroxyurea: contraindicated interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Hydroxyurea combined with didanosine has caused pancreatitis, hepatotoxicity including fatal hepatic failure, and peripheral neuropathy in HIV patients. The overlapping toxicities make the combination dangerous.
What this interaction means in plain words
Didanosine and Hydroxyurea are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two.
Didanosine belongs to Anti Virals; Hydroxyurea belongs to Miscellaneous.
Why it happens
Additive pancreatic, hepatic and neurotoxicity; the exact mechanism is not fully established.
What to do
Do not combine; choose a different antiretroviral. If exposure has occurred, monitor for pancreatitis, liver injury and neuropathy and stop the agents if signs appear.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Is there an alternative to one of these two medicines for me?
- If both are essential, who is monitoring me and how often?
- Which symptoms mean I should stop and seek help straight away?
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Other interactions of Didanosine
- Didanosine + Elvitegravir / cobicistat / emtricitabine / tenofovir df Contraindicated
- Didanosine + Hydroxycarbamide Contraindicated
- Didanosine + Ribavirin Contraindicated
- Didanosine + Stavudine Contraindicated
- Allopurinol + Didanosine Major
- Atidarsagene autotemcel + Didanosine Major
Other interactions of Hydroxyurea
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Didanosine with Hydroxyurea?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Didanosine and Hydroxyurea are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two. Hydroxyurea combined with didanosine has caused pancreatitis, hepatotoxicity including fatal hepatic failure, and peripheral neuropathy in HIV patients. The overlapping toxicities make the combination dangerous.
How serious is the interaction between Didanosine and Hydroxyurea?
MediHelp rates it contraindicated, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Do not combine; choose a different antiretroviral. If exposure has occurred, monitor for pancreatitis, liver injury and neuropathy and stop the agents if signs appear.
What other medicines interact with Didanosine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Didanosine with, for example, Elvitegravir / cobicistat / emtricitabine / tenofovir df, Hydroxycarbamide, Ribavirin. The full list is on the Didanosine page.
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