Zometa for Treating High Calcium
High blood
calcium is a common complication of cancer. This is known medically as hypercalcemia of malignancy. Calcium is a very important mineral and is important for muscle function and heart function. High blood calcium can cause the following symptoms:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Confusion
- Constipation
- Lethargy
- Muscle pain or weakness
- Increased urination
- Headaches
- Changes in the heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
- Coma.
Hypercalcemia of malignancy can occur due to various causes, one of which is bone breakdown.
Zometa is approved to treat hypercalcemia of malignancy and should be used after vigorous rehydration. This typically requires the administration of IV fluids.
Zometa belongs to a group of medications known as bisphosphonates. Bisphosphonates are most commonly used to treat
osteoporosis, but some can be used to treat other conditions. Zometa works to prevent or delay broken bones (fractures) or other bone damage by slowing the destruction that occurs with cancer and by fighting the abnormal cells that cause bone to wear away.
When cancer causes bone destruction, large amounts of calcium are released into the bloodstream, leading to high calcium levels (hypercalcemia). This can be very dangerous. By slowing down the breakdown of bone, Zometa helps to treat high calcium levels caused by cancer.
Zometa is not approved for use in children. Talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of using the drug in children.
On occasion, your healthcare provider may recommend Zometa for something other than the uses discussed in this article. Currently, using Zometa to treat osteoporosis is considered an
off-label use. Another form of
zoledronic acid (
Reclast®) is approved for the treatment Paget's disease of bone, but Zometa is not approved for this use.
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