Zometa

[Sharon0122]

I am scheduled for my first injection in the morning . I read somewhere on here my calcium should be 10 or higher. Mine has been running the past 9 months between 9.8 and 9.2. Not sure what to do?

Hugs to all of you, keep your fight going!

Sharon

[Silver126]

My calcium reached 11.8 and I was given Xgeva. I don’t know the difference between the two medicaments. In a week it went down to 9.2. I’m feeling so much better now. I was so thirsty, sweated a lot during the day and at night, had polyuria, all these symptoms disappeared in a couple of days. My calcium was always over 10. Had I begun this treatment before I would have avoided a lot of troubles, but I think oncologists tend to start a new medicament only when it’s really necessary when they are treating a patient with MBC.

[Sharon0122 in reply to Silver126]

thank you,

[Red1246]

I’m with Kaiser and unless my calcium is high enough they won’t give me the zometa infusion. I think you’ll also be told tomorrow whether you can have it or not. Try not to worry.

[Sharon0122 in reply to Red1246]

my calcium is at 9 and they hsvr it to me yesterday, thank you!

[Nocillo]

I’ve been on Zometa for 8 years and I’ve never heard one word about calcium. They do check that creatinine is where it belongs. It has to do with kidney function.

[Beryl71 in reply to Nocillo]

Yes I've had kidney function mentioned and they also checked before I had CT scan because of the injection for that.

[Sharon0122 in reply to Nocillo]

they checked it all and guess I was good to go. No side effects. They took 35 minutes to inject it.

[Beryl71]

I have zolondronic acid there monthly plus two calcium/ vitamin d tabs daily. Only once did oncologist mention calcium being low. But my neutrophils and white blood cells are often low. I'm sure they'll sort it out.x

[morty87]

I've not heard anything about calcium being a concern while on Zometa. I've been on Zometa since 2018 with excellent results. I suggest taking a daily Claritin to help with bone pain - and drink plenty of water. Treatments get better as time progresses. My infusion usually takes 20 - 30 minutes. Good luck!

[Bettybuckets in reply to morty87]

funny that Claritin can help with bone pain! I will have to try that. I mostly get by with one celebrex and a few Tylenol at various times. Nice to have another options before going to opioid

[TammyCross in reply to Bettybuckets]

I tried Claritin, but it didn't help me as it helps others. Celebrex? Maybe I should try that. I take Advil, because the problem is inflammation and ibuprophen works better on that than Advil, but I started cutting back on Advil because it has side effects, too! My docs are skeptical because I don't take that much, but I checked the list of side effects of ibuprophen, and I have them. I just don't want to take anything that makes me sleepy. I spend way too much time resting as it is!

[morty87 in reply to TammyCross]

Give the Claritin another chance. It may need to get into your system to allow for results. I also take a daily Alleve for inflammation and have seen GREAT results.

[Sharon0122 in reply to morty87]

I’m on Eliquis so I’m limited on what I can take. This all is really getting me down.

[TammyCross in reply to morty87]

The Claritin knocked me out, and since fatigue is my main side effect, harder to deal with than pain, I cannot afford that. I will try Alleve, though. At the Living Beyond Breast Cancer conference last week, the session on managing side effects said there were three types of over the counter analgesics/anti-inflammatories. The only one I haven't tried is the Alleve category. So thanks. Today I am going to try plain aspirin, since I am not nauseated this morning, for a change.

[morty87 in reply to TammyCross]

I take the Claritin non-drowsy. I too, suffer from fatigue. I currently teach HS full time. I just wish I could sleep in the evenings - insomnia is a big problem.

[TammyCross in reply to morty87]

Oh, that is rough. I have a few things where I should be up and out in the morning. I usually make it, but it doesn't matter if I do not. I cannot imagine needing energy for batches of kids daily.I do sleep many evenings, but then it is hard to sleep through the night, so I need to cut that. You mean you cannot fall asleep in the evening? I never think I am going to. I lie down to watch the news, and next thing I know it is over. -- I just finished my first lie down of the day, two hours lost. And that is after sleeping almost 9 hours last night. Really, the fatigue is more disruptive than the pain.

[Sharon0122]

thanks! I have not any pain yet, it all seems good! Hugs

[Eliactida1955]

I have taken several I’ve infusions of this med and my calcium is usually 9 or 9.2 so I dk for others and I’m not taking it now it was usually every 3 months. I’ve not heard of an injection.

[Sharon0122 in reply to Eliactida1955]

it was an infusion 😃