Proper Use of This Medicine

This medicine is for injection only. If you will be giving yourself the injections, make sure you understand exactly how to give them, including how to fill the syringe before injection. If you have any questions about this, check with your doctor.

Use the calcitonin only when the contents of the syringe are clear and colorless. Do not use it if it looks grainy or discolored.

Dosing—The dose of calcitonin will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label . The following information includes only the average doses of calcitonin. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The number of doses you receive, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you receive the medicine depends on the medical problem for which you are receiving calcitonin .

For calcitonin-human
• For injection dosage form:
  • For Paget's disease of bone:
    • Adults—To start, 500 micrograms (mcg) injected under the skin once a day. Your doctor may reduce your dose or increase the time between doses. Or, your doctor may give you a smaller dose to start and increase your dose over two weeks.
    • Children—Dose must be determined by your doctor.

For calcitonin-salmon
• For injection dosage form:
  • For Paget's disease of bone:
    • Adults—To start, 100 Units injected into a muscle or under the skin once a day, once every other day, or three times a week. Your doctor may reduce your dose or increase the time between doses.
    • Children—Dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • For hypercalcemia (too much calcium in the blood):
    • Adults—To start, 4 Units per kilogram (kg) (1.8 Units per pound) of body weight injected into a muscle or under the skin every twelve hours. Your doctor may increase your dose or increase the time between doses.
    • Children—Dose must be determined by your doctor.
  • For postmenopausal osteoporosis:
    • Adults—100 Units injected into a muscle or under the skin once a day, once every other day, or three times a week. Or, your doctor may give you a smaller dose to start and increase your dose over two weeks.
    • Children—Dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose—If you miss a dose of this medicine and your dosing schedule is:

• Two doses a day—If you remember within 2 hours of the missed dose, give it right away. Then go back to your regular dosing schedule. But if you do not remember the missed dose until later, skip it and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
• One dose a day—Give the missed dose as soon as possible. Then go back to your regular dosing schedule. If you do not remember the missed dose until the next day, skip it and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
• One dose every other day—Give the missed dose as soon as possible if you remember it on the day it should be given. Then go back to your regular dosing schedule. If you do not remember the missed dose until the next day, give it at that time. Then skip a day and start your dosing schedule again.
• One dose three times a week—Give the missed dose the next day. Then set each injection back a day for the rest of the week. Go back to your regular Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule the following week. Do not double doses.

If you have any questions about this, check with your doctor.

Storage—To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Store calcitonin-human at a temperature below 77 °F. Do not refrigerate. Use prepared solution within 6 hours.
• Store calcitonin-salmon in the refrigerator. However, keep it from freezing.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.