Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your health care professional will make. For phosphates the following should be considered:

Allergies—Tell your health care professional if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to potassium, sodium, or phosphates. Also, tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy—It is especially important that you are receiving enough vitamins and minerals when you become pregnant and that you continue to receive the right amount of vitamins and minerals throughout your pregnancy. The healthy growth and development of the fetus depend on a steady supply of nutrients from the mother. However, taking large amounts of a dietary supplement in pregnancy may be harmful to the mother and/or fetus and should be avoided.

Breast-feeding—It is especially important that you receive the right amount of vitamins and minerals so that your baby will also get the vitamins and minerals needed to grow properly. However, taking large amounts of a dietary supplement while breast-feeding may be harmful to the mother and/or baby and should be avoided.

Children—Problems in children have not been reported with intake of normal daily recommended amounts. However, use of enemas that contain phosphates in children has resulted in high blood levels of phosphorus.

Older adults—Problems in older adults have not been reported with intake of normal daily recommended amounts.

Other medicines—Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your health care professional may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking phosphates, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Amiloride (e.g., Midamor) or
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (benazepril [e.g., Lotensin], captopril [e.g., Capoten], enalapril [e.g., Vasotec], fosinopril [e.g., Monopril], lisinopril [e.g., Zestril, Prinivil], quinapril [e.g., Accupril], ramipril [e.g., Altace]) or
• Cyclosporine or
• Digitalis glycosides (heart medicine) or
• Heparin (e.g., Panheprin), with long-term use, or
• Medicine for inflammation or pain (except narcotics) or
• Other potassium-containing medicine or
• Salt substitutes, low-salt foods, or milk or
• Spironolactone (e.g., Aldactone) or
• Triamterene (e.g., Dyrenium)—Use with potassium-containing phosphates may increase the risk of hyperkalemia (too much potassium in the blood), possibly leading to serious side effects

• Antacids—Use with phosphates may prevent the phosphate from working properly

• Calcium-containing medicine, including antacids and calcium supplements—Use with phosphates may prevent the phosphate from working properly; calcium deposits may form in tissues

• Corticosteroids (cortisone-like medicine)—Use with sodium-containing phosphates may increase the risk of swelling

• Phosphate-containing medications, other, including phosphate enemas—Use with sodium or potassium phosphates may cause high blood levels of phosphorus which may increase the chance of side effects

• Sodium-containing medicines (other)—Use with sodium phosphates may cause your body to retain (keep) water

Other medical problems—The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of phosphates. Make sure you tell your health care professional if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Burns, severe or
• Heart disease or
• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) or
• Rickets or
• Softening of bones or
• Underactive parathyroid glands—Sodium- or potassium-containing phosphates may make these conditions worse

• Dehydration or
• Underactive adrenal glands—Potassium-containing phosphates may increase the risk of hyperkalemia (too much potassium in the blood)

• Edema (swelling in feet or lower legs or fluid in lungs) or
• High blood pressure or
• Liver disease or
• Toxemia of pregnancy—Sodium-containing phosphates may make these conditions worse

• High blood levels of phosphate (hyperphosphatemia)—Use of phosphates may make this condition worse

• Infected kidney stones—Phosphates may make this condition worse

• Kidney disease—Sodium-containing phosphates may make this condition worse; potassium-containing phosphates may increase the risk of hyperkalemia (too much potassium in the blood)

• Myotonia congenita—Potassium-containing phosphates may increase the risk of hyperkalemia (too much potassium in the blood), and make this condition worse