Zoledronic Acid Dosing

The dosage of zoledronic acid recommended by your doctor will vary, based on the condition being treated and other factors. For example, for those who are being treated for Paget's disease with zoledronic acid, dosing typically starts at 5 mg injected using an IV. The recommended dose for the treatment of high blood calcium due to cancer is 4 mg. It is important that you get enough calcium and vitamin D while taking zoledronic acid.

Zoledronic Acid for Cancer

Zoledronic Acid Dosing: An Introduction

The dose of zoledronic acid (Reclast^®, Zometa^®) that your healthcare provider recommends will vary depending on a number of factors, including:

Which product is used (Reclast or Zometa)
How well your kidneys are functioning
The condition being treated
Other medications you may be taking
Other medical conditions you may have.

As always, do not adjust your zoledronic acid dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.

Zoledronic Acid Dosage for Paget's Disease

The recommended zoledronic acid dose for treating Paget's disease of the bone is 5 mg injected as a single dose using an IV. It should take at least 15 minutes to inject the dose. While taking more than one dose has not been studied, there may be situations in which your healthcare provider may recommend retreatment with zoledronic acid. Reclast (not Zometa) is the form of zoledronic acid that should be taken for this use.

You should take calcium (500 mg three times daily or 750 mg twice daily) and vitamin D (800 IU daily) after your zoledronic acid dose. Calcium and vitamin D are important for the medication to work properly and are also important to help prevent low blood calcium (one of the possible zoledronic acid side effects). This is especially important in the two weeks after your zoledronic acid dose.

(Zoledronic Acid Dosing Continued: Page 2)