Tag: Mitochondrial toxicity

While the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) lamivudine has a significantly lower risk of causing peripheral neuropathy compared to older agents like stavudine, it can still occur as a side effect. This condition can manifest as numbness, tingling, or burning sensations, primarily in the hands and feet.

Stavudine has long been recognized as a medication capable of causing pancreatitis, a serious and sometimes fatal inflammation of the pancreas. This risk is heightened when the drug is used in combination with other antiretroviral agents, particularly didanosine. While its use has declined in favor of safer alternatives, understanding this adverse effect is critical for patients, especially in resource-limited settings where the drug is still prevalent.

According to the Johns Hopkins HIV Guide, stavudine is no longer a recommended drug for HIV antiretroviral therapy due to multiple toxicities, most commonly peripheral neuropathy. This serious side effect, which causes nerve damage, was a primary reason for its discontinuation in many parts of the world.

Lactic acidosis, a serious side effect of linezolid, occurs in about 6.8% of patients, particularly with long-term use [1.3.3, 1.3.5]. This article explains how does linezolid affect mitochondria, the underlying cause of this and other adverse effects.

According to a 2020 meta-analysis of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), 64% discontinued linezolid due to peripheral neuropathy. This serious adverse effect is primarily linked to the antibiotic's interference with mitochondrial protein synthesis, which is crucial for nerve cell function.