Bisphosphonates – description, indications, contraindications, side effects. Drugs used in diseases of the skeletal system

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Skeletal diseases affect people of all ages. Some of them are treatable, while for others, you can only alleviate symptoms by trying to keep the disease from progressing further. Bisphosphonates play a particularly important role in the treatment of skeletal diseases. What are these substances? In what situations are they used? What should people who take them know? Here’s an article that answers the most important questions about bisphosphonates.

What are bisphosphonates?

Bisphosphonia These are very important measures that are used especially in the case of diseases of the skeletal system, especially in those in which bone tissue breaks down. You can use them both orallyAnd intravenouslyalthough the first method is rather not recommended due to possible side effects from the gastrointestinal tract.

Action of bisphosphonates

Action bisphosphonates it is very special and is, generally speaking, to stop the breakdown of bone tissue. How it’s possible? These compounds are said to be natural analogues pyrophosphoranów. Their function in the skeletal system is based on connecting with special scaffolds of bone tissues, called hydroxyapatites. The whole process is done in an extremely intelligent way because excess bisphosphonates it is simply excreted through the kidneys and only what is needed at the binding sites.

What are the types of bisphosphonates?

In modern medicine, two types are used bisphosphonates. The first are used orallyand the other intravenously. The first method of administration is certainly simpler and used quite commonly, but as already mentioned, problems with the digestive system may arise as a result of such application. This problem does not occur when applied intravenous bisphosphonates. They work faster.

Bisphosphonates – what are the indications for use?

Bisphosphonia they are used in many different diseases of the skeletal system. First of all, it concerns those diseases in which we deal with the degradation of mineral substances in bone tissues. The most common diseases in which it is used bisphosphonia, belong:

  1. bone cancer diseases,
  2. tumor metastases to the bone,
  3. choroba Pageta,
  4. multiple myeloma,
  5. osteoporosis,
  6. congenital fragility of bones,
  7. hypercalcemia,
  8. other diseases characterized by increased bone fragility.

Side effects of using bisphosphonates

Bisphosphonia, like many other drugs, they can induce specific side effects. Most often, the types of side effects depend on the form in which they are administered bisphosphonia. As for the application orally, various ailments from the digestive system appear most often. Some of them can be at least partially eliminated by taking appropriate safety measures after drug administration. Among other things, it is forbidden to eat food two hours after administration bisphosphonates.

As for the preparations administered intravenously, the most common are muscle and joint pain, headaches, and a slight increase in body temperature. In addition, bone and joint pain, hypocalcaemia, an inflammatory reaction (occurring especially in patients who are just starting to take bisphosphonates), erosions of the gastrointestinal mucosa, impaired renal function, mandibular necrosis, atrial fibrillation.

Contraindications to the use of bisphosphonates

As with all medications, too bisphosphonia should be taken with particular care. There are also some contraindications to take these measures. They should not be administered to pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as to people who are allergic to bisfosfonian. Except that a contraindication there is severe renal failure, a bisphosphonia orally should not be administered to people with lactase deficiency, glucose-galactose malabsorption, and galactose intolerance.

Warnings for taking bisphosphonates

When taking any medicine, read the package leaflet carefully and take all precautions. Bisphosphonia are drugs that may make you dizzy or induce sleepiness, therefore, after taking them, you should not drive or engage in other activities that require special concentration.

What should you know about taking bisphosphonates?

Bisphosphonia these are special measures. They can do a lot, but calcium is equally important for the body of a patient with digestive system diseases. By accepting bisphosphonia, you must first of all remember to provide the body with the right amount of calcium, as well as vitamin D, which has a very positive effect on the absorption of calcium from the gastrointestinal tract.

Dosage of bisphosphonates

Oral dosing bisphosphonates depends on the disease, its stage, and many other factors, therefore the dosage bisphosphonates should always be determined by a specialist. When it comes to intravenous bisphosphonates, there are no special restrictions, most often they are given every 3-4 weeks.

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