Acute Overdosage

Inadvertent pediatric overdoses have occurred with doses up to 1.5 mg/kg HIVID (zalcitabine) . Pediatric patients had prompt gastric lavage and treatment with activated charcoal and had no sequelae. Mixed overdoses including HIVID (zalcitabine) and other drugs have led to drowsiness and vomiting (with HIVID (zalcitabine) or placebo, zidovudine and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole [TMP/SMX]), or increased GGT (with 18.75 mg HIVID (zalcitabine) with zidovudine and lormetazepam) or increased creatine phosphokinase (with HIVID (zalcitabine) or placebo, zidovudine, fluconazole, dapsone and wine). There is no experience with acute HIVID (zalcitabine) overdosage at higher doses and sequelae are unknown. There is no known antidote for HIVID overdosage. It is not known whether zalcitabine is dialyzable by peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis.

Chronic Overdosage

In an initial dose-finding study in which zalcitabine was administered at doses 25 times (0.25 mg/kg every 8 hours) the currently recommended dose, one patient discontinued HIVID (zalcitabine) after 1½ weeks of treatment subsequent to the development of a rash and fever. In the early Phase 1 studies, all patients receiving zalcitabine at approximately 6 times the current total daily recommended dose experienced peripheral neuropathy by week 10. Eighty percent of patients who received approximately 2 times the current total daily recommended dose experienced peripheral neuropathy by week 12.

HIVID (zalcitabine) is contraindicated in patients with clinically significant hypersensitivity to zalcitabine or to any of the excipients contained in the tablets.

Last reviewed on RxList: 1/30/2009
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.