Clodronic acid
Chemical Class: Bisphosphonate
Uses for clodronic acid
Clodronate is a medicine used to treat a high level of calcium in the blood caused by changes in the body that happen with cancer. Clodronate also treats the weakening in the bones when cancer has spread to the bones from another part of the body.
Clodronic acid is available only with your doctor's prescription.
Before using clodronic acid
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For clodronic acid, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to clodronic acid or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Studies on clodronic acid have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of clodronate in children with use in other age groups.
Geriatric
Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of clodronate in the elderly with use in other age groups.
Breastfeeding
Studies in women breastfeeding have demonstrated harmful infant effects. An alternative to this medication should be prescribed or you should stop breastfeeding while using clodronic acid.
Interactions with medicines
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
Interactions with food/tobacco/alcohol
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
Other medical problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of clodronic acid. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Stomach cramping or pain, nausea, stomach burning—Taking clodronate, especially by mouth, may make your stomach problems worse
- Kidney problems—Taking clodronate may cause your kidney problems to get worse. Your doctor may give you a smaller amount of clodronate to take
Proper use of clodronic acid
Dosing
The dose of clodronic acid will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of clodronic acid. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the ti...
