Hivid Side Effects: An Introduction
(This medication is no longer available. This medication was not discontinued for safety reasons. The manufacturer of Hivid chose to stop making it because current HIV treatment guidelines recommended using newer medications, rather than Hivid.)
As with any medicine, side effects are possible with Hivid
® (
zalcitabine). However, not everyone who takes the medication will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. When side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or are easily treated by you or your healthcare provider.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Hivid. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Hivid side effects with you.)
Common Hivid Side Effects
Hivid has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials. In these studies, the side effects that occur in a group of people taking the drug are documented and then compared to the side effects that occur in another group of people not taking the medicine. As a result, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.
In these studies, the most common side effects of Hivid included:
- Unusual sensations (like burning, tingling, or numbness) in the feet or hands -- in up to 28.3 percent of people
- Fatigue -- up to 3.8 percent
- Nausea and vomiting -- up to 3.4 percent
- Abdominal pain (stomach pain) -- up to 3 percent
- Canker sores -- up to 3 percent
- Diarrhea or constipation -- up to 2.5 percent
- Headaches -- up to 2.1 percent
- Fever -- up to 1.7 percent.
