Brand Name

Zometa {Novartis}

Generic Name

zoledronic acid, pronounced ZOE-le-DRON-ik AS-id

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Drug Guide

The information contained in the following drug guide is intended as an educational resource only. This guide is not exhaustive and does not contain all available information about this drug.This guide is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatment.

The information provided in this guide does not replace the need for the advice and services of medical professionals or the need for medical examination. Always talk to your physician or pharmacist before taking any prescription medication or over the counter drugs (including any supplements) or before making any changes to your treatment. Only your doctor, nurse or pharmacist can provide you with safe and effective advice regarding your drug treatment.

The use of the information in this guide is at your sole risk. This information is provided "AS IS" with no warranties to accuracy or timeliness.

**All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

What is Zometa?

Zometa treats high blood levels of calcium, also called hypercalcemia that is caused by cancer. You may also be prescribed Zometa to help treat multiple myeloma or bone cancer that has spread from elsewhere in your body.

Zometa may also be used for purposes not indicated in this medication guide.

Key Facts About Zometa

Zometa is in a group of medications called bisphosphonates, and it works by altering the cycle of both your bone formation and the breakdown of bone in your body. Zometa also slows bone loss while increasing your bone mass, which can help you to avoid future bone fractures.

Zometa is given via an intravenous infusion.

Some patients who have used medications similar to Zometa have reported bone loss in their jaw, which is also called osteonecrosis of the jaw. The symptoms of this condition can include jaw pain, swelling, numbness, loose teeth, gum infections or a slow healing after injury or surgery involving your gums. You may be more likely to develop osteonecrosis of the jaw if you have cancer, have been treated with chemotherapy, radiation or steroids, have a blood clotting disorder, anemia or a pre-existing dental problem.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Zometa is in FDA pregnancy category D. Zometa is known to harm an unborn baby. If you are breastfeeding you should ask your doctor about taking Zometa. Zometa may affect a breastfeeding baby as it is known to pass into breast milk.

Before You Take Zometa

If you are allergic tozoledronic acid or similar medications like alendronate (Fosamax), etidronate (Didronel), ibandronate (Boniva), pamidronate (Aredia), risedronate (Actonel) or tiludronate (Skelid).

You should not take Zometa if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, severe kidney disease or if you have low levels of calcium in your blood.

If you have aspirin-sensitive asthma, a thyroid or parathyroid disorder or malabsorption syndrome may not be a candidate to take Zometa.

Before taking Zometa, tell your doctor if you have a history of surgical removal of part of your intestine or bone cancer.

You should let your doctor know if you have kidney disease or if you are dehydrated before taking Zometa.

Zometa and Reclast are two different brands of zoledronic acid. You should not receive Zometa if you are already receiving Reclast. It is extremely important for you to tell your doctor if you are being treated with Reclast.

You may need to have a dental exam before taking Zometa and receive preventative tooth and gum care, especially if you are undergoing chemotherapy, taking steroids or have poor dental health.

You should try and avoid any type of dental surgery while you are being treated with Zometa, as this medication may cause you to take longer to heal.

Zometa Drug Interactions

You should inform your doctor if you are taking any of the following:

• antiviral medications like adefovir (Hepsera), cidofovir (Vistide) and foscarnet (Foscavir)
• cancer medications like aldesleukin (Proleukin), carmustine (BiCNU, Gliadel), cisplatin (Platinol), ifosfamide (Ifex), oxaliplatin (Eloxatin), streptozocin (Zanosar) and tretinoin (Vesanoid)
• celecoxib (Celebrex)
• cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
• diclofenac (Arthrotec, Cambia, Cataflam, Voltaren, Flector Patch, Pennsaid, Solareze)
• diflunisal (Dolobid)
• diuretics
• ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil)
• indomethacin (Indocic)
• IV antibiotics including amphotericin B (Amphotec, AmBisome, Abelcet), amikacin (Amikin), bacitracin (Baci IM), capreomycin (Capastat), gentamicin (Garamycin), kanamycin (Kantrex), streptomycin and vancomycin (Vancocin, Vancoled)
• ketoprofen (Orudis)
• ketorolac (Toradol)
• lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid)
• meloxicam (Mobic)
• mesalamine (Pentasa)
• methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall)
• naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, Naprelan, Treximet)
• piroxicam (Feldene)
• sirolimus (Rapamune)
• sulfasalazine (Azulfidine)
• tacrolimus (Prograf)

Other drugs you take that are not listed may interact with Zometa. You should tell your doctor about all of the medications you use. This includes prescription drugs, vitamins, supplements and herbal products, and over the counter medications. You should not begin taking a new medication without telling your doctor first.

Directions for Taking Zometa

Zometa is injected into your vein through an IV. You will likely receive this injection in a clinic or in a hospital setting. You will receive Zometa must slowly. The IV infusion may take 15 minutes or longer to complete.

You may receive Zometa only one time per year. You may only need to take Zometa for 3-5 years if you are taking it for osteoporosis. Your doctor will tell you how often you should receive a dose of Zometa, and how long you should take it.

You should drink at least 2 glasses of water 1-3 hours before you receive your Zometa injection to prevent dehydration.

You may be prescribed calcium and vitamin D supplements while you are being treated with Zometa. Take care to follow your doctor’s instructions regarding these supplements.

Your kidney function may also need to be tested regularly to be certain that Zometa is helping your condition and not harming you in any way.

Zometa Side Effects

If you experience any of the following adverse effects you should stop taking Zometa and seek emergency medical help immediately:

• allergic reaction symptoms like breathing difficulties, hives, and swelling of your face, lips, throat or tongue
• bronchospasms with wheezing and coughing
• bruising easily
• drowsiness, confusion and mood changes
• feeling faint, like you might pass out
• fever, body aches, chills and flu symptoms
• muscle spasms and a numb or tingly feeling, especially around your mouth
• new or unusual pain in your hip or thigh
• paleness
• severe joint, bone or muscle pain
• shortness of breath
• swelling and weight gain
• thirst that is increased with appetite loss, nausea and vomiting
• urinating less than usual or not at all
• weakness

Less serious side effects of Zometa may include:

• constipation
• cough
• diarrhea
• headache
• joint pain and muscle pain (mild)
• swelling or redness where the needle was placed
• feeling tired
• vision problems

It should be noted that this is not a complete list of possible side effects of Zometa. You should contact your physician for a complete list and medical advice regarding these effects.

Zometa Description and Dosing

Zometa is available as a ready-to-use solution for infusion contain overfill allowing for the administration of 100 mL of solution (equivalent to 4 mg of zoledronic acid). This solution is ready-to-use and may be administered directly to the patient without further preparation, and is for a single use only. There is also a 4 mg/5 mL single-use vial of concentrate

If you suspect that you have overdosed with Zometa you should seek emergency help immediately.

Ingredients in Zometa

Zometa contains the active ingredients zoledronic acid. Inactive ingredients include mannitol, USP, as bulking agent, water for injection and sodium citrate, USP, as buffering agent.

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The information contained in this drug guide is intended as an educational resource only. This guide is not exhaustive and does not contain all available information about this drug.This guide is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatment.

The information provided in this guide does not replace the need for the advice and services of medical professionals or the need for medical examination. Always talk to your physician or pharmacist before taking any prescription medication or over the counter drugs (including any supplements) or before making any changes to your treatment. Only your doctor, nurse or pharmacist can provide you with safe and effective advice regarding your drug treatment.

The use of the information in this guide is at your sole risk. This information is provided "AS IS" with no warranties to accuracy or timeliness.

**All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.