Patient/caregiver was educated on how to take Cinacalcet as follows:
- Take this medication as ordered by your physician. Do not change the dose and frequency on this medication without consulting your doctor. Take the medication dose for the duration prescribed without fail.
- Take the medication dose at the same time, every day, to avoid forgetting the intake of medication.
- Cinacalcet must be taken with some food, for better absorption and action. Also, taking the medication with some food can help avoid the unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms of nausea and vomiting.
- Take the tablet as a whole. If you encounter difficulty swallowing the whole tablet, you may cut or crush the tablet and swallow it with a glass of water.
- Cinacalcet use can induce some dizziness and make one drowsy. Do not take Cinacalcet with alcohol or opioid pain medications, such as, hydrocodone and codeine, as these products can add to the dizziness and confusion caused by Cinacalcet. A number of OTC cough medications, antihistamines, antiseizure medications, muscle relaxants, and antianxiety medications, can potentiate the confusion caused by Cinacalcet, thus resulting in many cross reactions and side-effects and so, must be avoided taking along with Cinacalcet.
- Cinacalcet can interact with a lot of other medications, such as, diuretics, calcium supplements, many antibacterial and antifungal antibiotics, antiarrhythmic medications, and antidepressants, resulting in development or aggravation of cardiac arrhythmias, leading to debility and sudden cardiac death. If you are being newly started on Cinacalcet, discuss with your physician regarding all your current medications and their safety with Cinacalcet. Also, notify your physician regarding any current Cinacalcet intake, if you are being started on any new medications and discuss their safety with Cinacalcet.
- The levels of calcium must be closely monitored, as calcium in the blood plays a significant role in the optimal function of many organ systems, such as, heart, muscle, brain and nerves. Observe compliance with periodical lab draws ordered on blood calcium and phosphorus levels, to accommodate any changes in the dose of Cinacalcet accordingly.
- Be aware of symptoms of altered calcium levels in the blood, such as, tingling and numbness in the extremities, muscle weakness, spasms, overactive reflexes, convulsions, generalized weakness and exhaustion, and cardiac arrhythmias with episodes of confusion and dizziness. Report to your physician immediately regarding any fresh episodes or exacerbation of these symptoms, for a change in plan of care to be considered.
- Cinacalcet can take some time to fairly adjust to your body, before any relief with skeletal pain and discomfort is experienced. So, do not discontinue taking the medication without your physician’s consult, as you failed to see the desired result immediately after taking the medication.
- Continue taking Cinacalcet as ordered, even if you experience relief from symptoms of altered calcium levels in the blood and hyperparathyroidism. Sudden discontinuation of Cinacalcet intake, after prolonged use, can result in seizures, arrhythmias, nervousness, and anxiety. Discontinuation on Cinacalcet use must be planned and withdrawn slow and gradual, under your physician’s guidance.
- Notify your doctor of any continuing weakness, worsening bone pain and discomfort, or continuing unpleasant side-effects, so that, your dosage on the medication could be revised.
- Your physician could change the dose of Cinacalcet, based on the relief obtained or side-effects developed. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments, to update on the relief from symptoms. Be accommodative to the plan of dose changes, if need be, until you show an optimum response.
- If you miss a dose, try taking it at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the dose scheduled. Do not take an extra dose to try making up for the missed dose. Notify your doctor and other health care personnel regarding your dose noncompliance.
