Calcitonin
About Calcitonin
Calcitonin is a prescription injection used to treat certain bone disorders, including thinning bones in women after menopause (osteoporosis) and Paget's disease of the bone. It is also used to quickly lower dangerously high levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia). This medicine works by regulating how your body uses calcium and maintains bone strength.
For the best results, you must inject this medicine consistently and exactly as your doctor directs. Because it is given as an injection, food intake does not affect how the medicine is absorbed, so you may take it with or without meals. To support your treatment, your doctor may also recommend specific lifestyle and dietary changes, such as eating a calcium-rich diet or taking vitamin supplements.
While taking Calcitonin, you may experience some mild, temporary side effects, such as flushing of your face or nausea. However, if you experience rare but serious side effects, such as severe muscle spasms, numbness in your fingers, or signs of a severe allergic reaction, you should contact your doctor immediately.
Do not take this if you are allergic to this medication or any of its ingredients. Before you start using this medicine, talk to your doctor if you have a history of kidney disease or low calcium levels in your blood, as this medicine may not be safe for you.
This medicine can interact with certain other treatments, such as lithium, which may require your doctor to adjust your doses. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting this medicine if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or if you are caring for an elderly patient.
Uses of Calcitonin
Medicinal Benefits
Calcitonin offers several important benefits that help reduce bone-related complications and restore healthy calcium balance:
- Bone Pain Relief: It helps reduce severe bone pain associated with Paget's disease, making movement and daily activities more comfortable.
- Bone Strength Support: By preserving bone density, Calcitonin helps lower the risk of fractures and supports long-term bone health.
- Rapid Calcium Reduction: It quickly lowers dangerously high blood calcium levels, helping prevent serious complications that require urgent treatment.
- Protection Against High Calcium Complications: By reducing excess calcium in the bloodstream, it helps protect the kidneys, reduces dehydration, and improves symptoms such as confusion, weakness, and extreme fatigue.
Directions for Use
- Follow your doctor’s recommendations on the dosage and timing of this medication to achieve optimal results.
- Calcitonin will be administered by a healthcare professional.
- Do not self-administer.
Storage
Side Effects of Calcitonin
Common Side Effects (Usually mild):
- Nausea or vomiting
- Flushing (sudden warmth or redness) of the face, neck, or hands
- Pain, redness, or mild swelling at the site of injection
- Increased urination
- Slight headache or dizziness
Serious Side Effects (Call a doctor right away):
- Signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, and difficulty breathing
- Muscle twitching, muscle cramps, or numbness and tingling around your mouth or in your fingers (signs of low blood calcium levels)
- Severe, persistent stomach upset
Medicines Containing this Salt
View AllDrug Warnings
- Inspect the Solution: Always look closely at the solution before injecting; if you see any floating particles, cloudiness, or discolouration, do not use it.
- Use Needles Only Once: Never reuse needles or syringes, as this greatly increases your risk of developing a serious infection at the injection site.
- Rotate Injection Sites: Make sure to rotate your injection sites daily - such as alternating between your left thigh, right thigh, and abdomen - to keep your skin healthy.
- Managing Flushing: If you frequently experience flushing after your injection, try taking your dose at bedtime to help sleep through this symptom.
- Allergy Precaution: Your doctor may perform a skin test before your very first dose to ensure you do not have an allergic reaction to this medicine.
Drug Interactions
Here are the medicines that may interact with Calcitonin and affect its safety or effectiveness:
- Lithium: Taking Calcitonin may cause your kidneys to clear lithium out of your body faster, which can lower the amount of lithium in your blood and make it less effective.
- Other bone medicines (such as bisphosphonates): Using these medicines together can cause your blood calcium levels to drop too low.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionConsuming alcohol while on treatment with Calcitonin is not recommended since it may result in unpleasant side effects or make you more susceptible to the effects of alcohol.
Pregnancy
cautionCalcitonin should be used in pregnancy only when the benefit to the mother outweighs the risk to the foetus. Hence, inform your doctor if you are pregnant or expecting pregnancy.
Breast Feeding
cautionTell your doctor if you are a nursing mother before taking Calcitonin; your doctor will decide whether Calcitonin can be taken by breastfeeding mothers.
Driving
safeCalcitonin does not impact your ability to drive or operate machinery.
Liver
cautionInform your doctor before receiving the Calcitonin if you have a liver impairment. It should be used with caution in patients with liver conditions as it may alter liver functioning.
Kidney
cautionInform your doctor before receiving the Calcitonin if you have kidney impairment. Periodic examinations of urine sediment should be considered as this medicine may cause urine sediment abnormalities.
Children
cautionCalcitonin is not recommended for children as safety and effectiveness have not been established.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Calcium and Vitamin D Intake: Ensure you are getting enough calcium and vitamin D through your diet, as advised by your doctor, to help keep your bones strong during treatment.
- Regular Exercise: Engage in regular, low-impact weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, to help maintain bone density and support overall joint health.
- Avoid Smoking and Excess Alcohol: Avoid smoking and limit your alcohol consumption, as both can weaken your bones and reduce the overall effectiveness of your treatment.
- Stay Well Hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water, if you are being treated for high calcium levels, to help your kidneys filter your blood effectively.
Special Advise
Certain diagnostic tests, like blood tests, measure the calcitonin level in your blood, and bone density scans are used to check bone mineral density (BMD).
Clinical monitoring of serum electrolyte concentrations is recommended.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: Postmenopausal Osteoporosis is a medical condition that causes thinning and weakening of the bones during/after a menopausal period. The chance of developing Osteoporosis (weak bone) is related to estrogen deficiency. During the menopausal period (45 years of age), the drop in estrogen leads to more bone resorption (osteoclasts; bone breakdown) than formation (osteoblast; new bone formation), resulting in Osteoporosis. In starting days, Osteoporosis does not show any symptoms. However, if proper treatment is not provided, it can lead to broken bones. Initially, the bones don't hurt, and breaks in the spine's bones may go unseen until they cause height loss. In Osteoporosis, bones can break at any time, even during daily activities like lifting or even from minor activities.
Paget's disease: Paget's disease is a chronic disease of bone that disrupts the replacement of old bone tissue with new bone tissue, resulting in the new bone that is abnormally shaped, weak and brittle. It most commonly occurs in the pelvis, skull, spine, and legs. Symptoms include bone pain, joint pain (especially in the back, hips, and knees), headache, enlargement and bowing of the thighs (femurs) and lower legs (tibias), and enlargement of the skull in the area of the forehead.
Hypercalcemia: Hypercalcemia is when the calcium level in the blood is higher than normal. Too much calcium in the blood can weaken the bones, create kidney stones, and interfere with working the heart and brain. It is usually a result of overactive parathyroid glands. Symptoms include increased thirst and urination, stomach pain, nausea, bone pain, muscle weakness, confusion and fatigue.
FAQs
Calcitonin is used to treat high blood calcium levels (hypercalcemia) and postmenopausal osteoporosis. Besides this, it also helps treat complications of Paget's disease.
Calcitonin contains Calcitonin. It reduces the activity of osteoclasts, which are the cells responsible for bone breakdown. When bone is broken down, the calcium in the bone is released into the bloodstream. As a result, calcitonin's suppression of osteoclasts limits the quantity of calcium released into the blood. Furthermore, it can reduce calcium resorption in the kidneys, resulting in decreased blood calcium levels.
If you have osteoporosis, avoid smoking, or try to quit. Smoking can reduce bone mineral density and increases the risk of fractures.
Calcitonin contains Calcitonin, a hormone that regulates the calcium level in the blood. This hormone helps in bone formation and also helps the body to reverse bone loss. Due to this, the number of cells that damages bones becomes comparatively less. Hence, the bone damage is halted. Using Calcitonin can increase bone formation by activation of the bone-forming cells.
Persons whose age is more than 45 years have low estrogen levels, females reaching menopause, too much consumption of alcohol, tobacco or caffeine, use of glucocorticoids and lack of calcium and vitamin D in foods are some of the factors that can increase the risk of osteoporosis.
Yes, Calcitonin is used together with calcium and vitamin D to treat bone loss in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis who have been postmenopausal for at least five years. Calcitonin inhibits the function of osteoclasts (bone breakdown), reducing bone resorption; thus, combining calcium and calcitonin could result in a positive bone balance.
This medicine is generally not recommended for use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to discuss safer alternative treatments for your bones.
Mild flushing of the face and hands is a very common side effect of this medicine. It is usually harmless and should go away on its own within a few hours. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if the flushing becomes severe or is highly uncomfortable.
Signs of a severe allergic reaction include a sudden skin rash, hives, swelling of the face, tongue, or throat, severe dizziness, and difficulty breathing. If you experience any of these symptoms, seek emergency medical care immediately.
Unopened vials must be kept in the refrigerator. Once opened, some brands can be kept at room temperature for up to 30 days, while others must be put back in the refrigerator. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to confirm the exact storage rules for your specific brand.
Some medical studies have shown a slight increase in the risk of certain cancers with very long-term use of this medicine. Your doctor will regularly review your treatment to ensure you are taking it for the shortest necessary duration. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have concerns.
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