Didanosine Dosing

Didanosine dosing guidelines vary depending on your age, weight, other medical conditions you have, and other medications you are taking. The recommended didanosine dose for treating adults (18 years old and older and who weigh at least 132 pounds) is 400 mg once daily. It is important to take your didanosine dose as prescribed. Missing doses can cause the HIV virus to become resistant to didanosine.

 

Didanosine Dosing: An Introduction

The dose of didanosine (Videx®) your healthcare provider recommends will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
 
  • Your weight
  • Your age
  • Other medical conditions you may have
  • Other medications you may currently be taking.
     
As always, do not adjust your didanosine dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 

Didanosine Dosing for Adults

The recommended didanosine dose for treating adults (18 years old and older) with HIV or AIDS is based on weight. For people weighing 132 pounds or more, the recommended starting dose is didanosine 400 mg once daily. For people who weigh less, the recommended dose is didanosine 250 mg once daily. If you choose to take the liquid form of didanosine (instead of the didanosine capsules), the recommended starting dose is didanosine 200 mg twice daily (for adults weighing 132 pounds or more) or didanosine 125 mg twice daily (for adults weighing less).
 
Your healthcare provider may recommend a lower didanosine dose if you have kidney disease, if you are taking certain other medications, or if you develop bothersome didanosine side effects.
 

Didanosine Dosing for Adolescents and Children

Your child's healthcare provider will determine the didanosine dose based on your child's age and body surface area (which is calculated using your child's height and weight). When treating children with didanosine, healthcare providers typically recommend using didanosine oral solution twice a day. The long-acting didanosine capsules contain too much didanosine for most children.
 
(Didanosine Dosing Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;