I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: jonn r on March 04, 2007, 03:34:33 PM
-
so my friends i have a question ....like most days .....so i have been taking sensipar 30 mg a day for two weeks and i have to say its ripping my stomach apart....i dont want to get to much into it except i am always running to the bathroom....does anyone else have this problem and is there any other pills i can take
:thx; :thx; :thx; :thx;
jonn
:beer1; :beer1; :beer1; :beer1;
-
John here is another thread that talks about sensipar. Hope this helps
http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=891.msg8526#msg8526
Sluff
-
Hey john,
Ive been taking sensipar for 8 months, and have had really bad nausea that has kept mt up for hours!! The only advice i can give you is try to eat more when you take it, so you line your stomach, and i usually take it then go straight to bed.
what time of day do you take it?
-
i take it in the am around 10 am
-
ohhh.. that is why... i thought you take the tablet... can you swap to tablets ?i know they are not as harsh as the injection on the stomach
-
my sensipar bottle is lables "to be taken with food". try taking it with breakfast or lunch. i take twice as much as you do and don't have any problems, although i do realize everyone reacts differently.
-
It's a phospate binder and designed to be taken with food.. if you're not taking it with food not only are you asking for trouble, but also it won't be doing its job properly if you're not ingesting food (with phospate) in it for it to bind to..
I hope you can solve the problem as it sounds quite distressing!
-
It's a phospate binder and designed to be taken with food.. if you're not taking it with food not only are you asking for trouble, but also it won't be doing its job properly if you're not ingesting food (with phospate) in it for it to bind to..
I hope you can solve the problem as it sounds quite distressing!
Actually, Sensipar is not a phosphate binder. It's used to control PTH and also high blood calcium.
-
You guys are scaring me, I'm starting Sensipar right away here. :-\
-
My PTH was up the very first time they checked it, brenda (1250). The doc didn't think it was that unusual. I don't have any side effects from the 60 mg I'm on.
My doc said it was a form of synthetic vitamin D? I'm not sure, but I think that's what he said. ..
-
ohhh.. that is why... i thought you take the tablet... can you swap to tablets ?i know they are not as harsh as the injection on the stomach
oh know you read it wrong i ment to say morning ...but i will try to take it with dinner since that is my bigest meal....thanks for all the help guys.... :thx; :thx; :thx; :thx; :clap; :clap; :clap; :clap; :beer1; :beer1; :beer1; :beer1;
-
lol sorry about the confusion. Yes try taking it in the evening.
Hope it helps. Good luck.
Amanda
-
I was told to take it with my dinner because that is the biggest meal of the day that I usually eat.
If I feel I still did not eat enough, I have a few crackers also and have had no problem with nausea.
-
Zach, my angel nurse told me that yes, it is used when you have high calcium (me) and high PTH (getting there)... but she also told me that it is a phosphate binder, much like Caltrate, but without the calcium (hence its use when you have a high calcium level)...
I'm happy to be corrected but that was my understanding.. of course if it ISN'T a phosphate binder that would explain why they are keeping me on alutabs also.
I am seeing the doc later today so will grill him! :)
-
You guys are scaring me, I'm starting Sensipar right away here. :-\
Hey don't be scared! I've been taking 90 mg for more than a month now and I have no side effects from it. I take it wih a full meal (dinnertime). I was told you have to take it with food it absorbs better that way.
Donna :waving;
-
I think Zach is correct as it is my understanding that it is not a phosphate binder as well. I would try taking it at bedtime with a snack.
-
I think Zach is correct as it is my understanding that it is not a phosphate binder as well. I would try taking it at bedtime with a snack.
That's right it is not a binder but it acts on the Parathyroid gland in the body. The PTH can excrete too much hormone and the taking of Sensipar controls it.
Donna :waving;
-
Sorry everyone I am a goof!
I woke up in the middle of the night and told myself that I was thinking of Renegel and not Sensipar! Damn all these medications.
My apologise and ignore everything I've written in this thread (except this!).
Yes, Zach is right!! :D
-
Been taking Sensipar 30 mg for 2 weeks now. I hope this gets better. I took everybody's advise and take it with my largest meal of the day. I am not nauseated so much but my stomach hurts and my headaches.
-
OK, i dont get it, i was told to take 2 sensipar's daily, well, i ran out and i have not taken it for a month, now my PTH is 117, WTF? So should i be taking it or just forget about it? ???
-
OK, i dont get it, i was told to take 2 sensipar's daily, well, i ran out and i have not taken it for a month, now my PTH is 117, WTF? So should i be taking it or just forget about it? ???
PTH N-Intact goal is 150-300 pg/ml
http://www.kidney.org/professionals/kdoqi/guidelines_bone/Guide8B.htm
Your PTH, using the above testing method, may now be too low. You need to discuss this with your Nephrologist. A low PTH for people on dialysis can lead to Adynamic Bone Disease:
http://www.kidney.org/professionals/kdoqi/guidelines_bone/Guide13C.htm
-
Tsk, aww man, just another thing i have to worry about, thanks Zach :P lol, no literally thank you, now i can talk to my neph and tell her something as if i knew what i was talking about. And i thought that was a good thing (low PTH) damn, was i wrong :P
-
Ok.. is Sensipar an active Vitamin D the same as Calcitriol? ??? I am on Calcitriol. I am trying to keep up, just a little confused. ??? :P
-
Ok.. is Sensipar an active Vitamin D the same as Calcitriol?
No. It's something brand new. It works in different ways.
Sensipar is an agent that increases the sensitivity of the parathyroid gland to calcium in the body. This causes a decrease in levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, and phosphorous in the body.
Check out the video for more information:
http://www.sensipar.com/professional/treating_secondary_hpt/mechanism_action.jsp
U.S. Goals:
Calcium 8.4-9.5 mg/dL = 2.10-2.37 mmol/L
Phosphorus 3.5-5.5 mg/dL = 1.13-1.78 mmol/L
Ca x P < 55 mg/dL = <4.44 mmol/L
iPTH < 300pg/mL = <31.8 pmol/L
-
i have been on sensipar for nearly a year, and it has worked brilliantly on lowerring my phosphate and my PTH. At one stage my PTH went way to low and my doctor said it was very dangerous and just as bad as being too high!! (like Zach said) so i am now taking 30mg of sensipar every 2nd day and my PTH is perfect. They recommend that a dialysis patient "ideal" pth is slightly higher the one of a healthy person. In Australia its suppose to be between 3- 9 my doctor said i should keep it at 15 - 30.
-
Thanks Zach and Amanda,
I am trying to keep up with all the meds and levels. Your info really helps. My IPTH was 59.1pmol/L its now down to 23.9pmol/L. :clap;
-
After much fighting I have finally been given the OK by the powers that be to go onto sensipar and renegel to replace alutabs(phosphate binder) and calcitricol. I was showing that nasty bone disease activity so finally my doc wanted to get me onto sensipar (my PTH jumped from like 18 to 57 in 2 months) and my calcium has always been higher than the goal range (between 2.55-2.6). Not sure when I will get the actual scripts and stuff to start it, but it has aparently been approved for me to use.. which will hopefully keep me away from the parathyroidectomy for the time being.
Fingers crossed.
Oh yeah, they warned me about some of the icky side effects. Fingers crossed I will tollerate it OK!
-
Good news they have approved you for the sensipar! that drug was my best friend while on dialysis.
And just to let you know i am usually allergic to EVERYTHING, but sensipar was fine with me, i am sure you will okay with it, just make sure they monitor your calcium level.
Amanda
xxoo
:cuddle; :cuddle;
-
I do have another question regarding Sensipar and the side effects of it. I was taking 30 mg and was fine, no side effect. But then my PTH was high and they wanted to raise my dosage to 60 mg, so I was on that for a couple of weeks and I had the constant runs, everyday! Has that happened to anyone?
-
I do have another question regarding Sensipar and the side effects of it. I was taking 30 mg and was fine, no side effect. But then my PTH was high and they wanted to raise my dosage to 60 mg, so I was on that for a couple of weeks and I had the constant runs, everyday! Has that happened to anyone?
When they increased me from 30 to 60, I had the exact opposite effect! (but I'm back to being regular now).
Also, something else you may want to check with your people that draw labs, etc. My Dietitian told me to ensure that there was at least 12 hours between the time that I took my Sensipar and the time that I drew my labs otherwise the labs could show some false readings. I believe she said that they would be falsely low (but I may be wrong on that account).
-
When I was on Sensipar I had nausea and vomiting almost every day. Not all day long, but I would take my pills at bedtime and usually around 10:00 in the morning I'd be getting sick. Finally after mentioning it to my clinic for a couple of months and having them blow it off, I told my neph. He immediately took me off Sensipar, and no more problems. Unfortunately, a month later my PTH was back up, but they put me on Hectorol instead of Sensipar. Hopefully I can stay off the Sensipar!
-
When I was on Sensipar I had nausea and vomiting almost every day.
I did to, except the vomiting part. I take my pill in the morning and I felt nauseated most of the day.
I'm on Sensipar and something else that I get at dialysis, it's not Hectorol and my PTH has been creeping up a little. Before I was told my PTH was high because my phosphorus was high, but now it's fine and my PTH is high, so I don't know what's going on with that.
-
I've been on Sensipar for two weeks, and I have not had any problem with
nausea or worse. I take it with breakfast or lunch. Next lab will tell if
the drug is effective. The staff told me also that you should take
Sensipar at least 12 hours before your labs. Apparently it is absorbed
rapidly into the bloodstream and causes your PTH reading to plunge and
thus not give a valid reading.
Also, if you are prescribed this medication, I hope you have a decent drug plan since
it retails for $400 for one month's 30 mg supply.
-
Now that i think of it, when i was on 60 mg. of Sensipar, every morning i would gag until i threw up, now that they have cut me down to 30 mg a day, that has gone away, hmmmm, coincidence? :P
-
I must have an iron gut. I have been on doses up to 120 and never felt sick at all ???