cinacalcet

Approved in March 2004, Cinacalcet is a medication used to lower the levels of parathyroid hormone, Calcium and Phosphorous. It is worth noting that kidney disease causes what is called “hyperparathyroidism” (i.e. an increase in parathyroid hormone). When it comes to high levels of calcium (or simply hypercalcemia), they usually occur in people with cancer that develops in the parathyroid glands, or in those “with overactive parathyroid glands that cannot be treated surgically”. Bear in mind that you should not use the drug in question if you have low levels of calcium in your blood. Besides, your doctor needs to know if you have (or ever had) high/low blood pressure, liver disease, seizures, or heart disease before using Cinacalcet. Plus, since it is still not known whether or not this medication harms an unborn baby or a nursing baby (considering it passes into breast milk), telling your doctor that you are pregnant/ breastfeeding before taking Cinacalcet is highly recommended. As far as the common side effects are concerned, they include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In addition, this drug has other side effects that require immediate medical care such as shortness of breath, seizures, numbness around the mouth, and low levels of calcium in the blood. According to drugs.com, “Cinacalcet works best if you take it with food or shortly after eating a meal.”