High in calcium.....Sensipar

[st789]

My nephrologist just prescribed Sensipar for my abnormal high Calcium level.  I am a transplant patient.  While I was on dialysis, he did not prescribed it to me but why now.  Any inputs would be appreciate.

[BigSky]

Sensipar can lower calcium levels. 

Reason he probably didn't prescribe it to you when on dialysis is that it was still relatively new to the market when it came out in roughly the middle to late 2004.  Roughly the time you had a transplant wasn't it?

[st789]

You are correct.  Thanks!

[Stu]

It's actually also used to control hyperparathyroidism, which is all tied up with the calcium/phosphate levels.

The parathyroid gland is a little thingy which sits in your throat, and my understanding is that the output of the hormone (parathyroid hormone, or PTH) is controlled by functioning kidneys.

I'm surprised you were given Sensipar post transplant. Here in Australia, I understand it's not given to transplant patients because not enough is known about its interactions with immunosuppressant medications. (I could be wrong there though, I remember the doctor saying something like that when I asked why I was no longer on it after my transplant.)

You could try reading this or this for more information

[Amanda From OZ]

hey,

i live in (Sydney) Australia, i was prescribed sensipar about 7 months ago and it has worked a treat. The only problem being my calcium which was once high has now dropped very low at times. I get very symptomatic with pins and needles and numbness, if you get anything like that consult your doctor.

I don't know much about sensor and transplants.  but like Stu said it was probably very new at the time.

[Stu]

hey,

i live in (Sydney) Australia, i was prescribed sensipar about 7 months ago and it has worked a treat.

Doesn't it just, I had out of control hyperparathyroidism, and once I started to take the sensipar, it dropped almost immediately from 120 to 20, just like that! 

[Wattle]

Amanda and Stu,

Have you had your parathyroid removed or was sensipar given to try and avoid this?

 I just want to learn more about my options as my calcium climbs   

[Amanda From OZ]

Wattle i have not had my parathyroid removed, i was given it to try to bring it down.. so Far its working. My doctor is hoping that when i get my transplant my pth should stay down.

Whats your pth and calcium at?

[thegrammalady]

sensipar, i take 90mg per day, is used to treat hyperparathyroidism. you have 4 parathyroids, they sit, or are supposed to anyway at the 4 "corners" of the thyroid. they control calcium. they don't always stay where they are supposed to be, they tend to float. i have had one removed, had problems before my kidneys failed. if the sensipar doesn't lower the pth to acceptable levels i will have to have future surgery to remove the rest. they never take out all 4, but they will take out 3 3/4. if the parathyroids are malfunctioning, your system thinks you don't have enough calcium and will leech it from your bones and teeth. if you are on sensepar and get a tingly feeling, similar to your foot going to sleep, that usually starts around your mouth, you don't have enough calcium and you need to call the doctor immediately and possibly head for the er. it is a very dangerous situation. if necessary the neph will send you to an endocrinologist.

[Zach]

Here's a good view of the 'roids.
 

[brenda]

I have had 4 parathyroids removed already and still have one hidden deep in my chest somewhere. My Pth post surgery was over 300, now up to 120mg Sensipar a day and I am down to 213 and feeling much better. My calcium is very good, no problems at all. Guess maybe better keep my fingers crossed!

[st789]

I am taking 30mg a day.  I hope to not resource to surgery, better if I do not have to take sensipar.  My last data for calcium is 10.5, just .1 above the range. 

[RichardMEL]

I just saw my doc yesterday... my PTH is creeping up (55 now - was 18 just 3 or 4 months ago) and the cacium is 2.57 (has been between 2.5 and 2.6 pretty much since I started dialysis. They have been discussing doing the parathyroidectomy... but my doc wants to put me on sensipar... the problem is that according to him down here the Govt is really limiting access to sensipar (because it's so expensive or something) to patients who can't have surgery and aparently they won't approve it for a situation like mine (though he's going to keep trying). I think he really wants to avoid removing the parathyroids and while the hope for a transplant is the best hope, he'd rather get me on sensipar.. but for now we can't get it. How annoying!!

Interesting that a few other aussies are on it ok.

[spacezombie]

I would NOT take sensipar for high calcium. If your PTH is also really high, then maybe. But not just for high calcium. Ask what your other alternatives are! My boyfriend works as a toxicologist at a pharmaceutical company and I had him test all the medications I was taking. Sensipar is actually very toxic and should only be used in cases where the benefits outweigh the danger. I don't think this is one of those cases but speak with your doctor about it!

[Zach]

Sensipar is actually very toxic and should only be used in cases where the benefits outweigh the danger.

Tell us more.  How is it toxic?
 

[willieandwinnie]

I've been doing a bunch of snooping on-line about Sensipar and there seems to be a large amount of lawsuits against the company but doesn't give any details. Want you to sign up for an attorney. I don't think so.  spacezombie, could you give some more details on your comments, there are a bunch of folks on here that take Sensipar and I'm sure they like to know the reasoningfor not taking it.

[spacezombie]

Sensipar is actually very toxic and should only be used in cases where the benefits outweigh the danger.

Tell us more.  How is it toxic?
 

When I had my boyfriend test Sensipar, he found that it was actually one of the more toxic drugs out there. It is similar in toxicity to many cancer drugs. When he showed one of the older scientists at his work the results, the man insisted I get my blood tested for liver enzymes (I was on a high dose at the time: 90mg, twice a day). I would NOT stop taking Sensipar, however, without talking to your doctor. For me, Sensipar made me throw up quite a bit and made me feel really bad so I eventually just went ahead with the parathyroid surgery. I will scan the results later and have my boyfriend explain it better, since I am not a scientist.

[MIbarra]

Sensipar made me horribly sick when my doctor put me on it for high PTH. I eventually refused to take it. There was no way I could be so nauseus and teach at the same time.

[Zach]

I've been doing a bunch of snooping on-line about Sensipar and there seems to be a large amount of lawsuits against the company but doesn't give any details.

The company that makes Sensipar is Amgen, so the lawsuits may be concerning EPO and not Sensipar.
 

[RichardMEL]

Just wanted to update this.. I started on sensipar in March - they finally got the approvals and whatever they needed. Just 30mg/day it's working well. My Calcium went down from 2.57 to 2.24 and now it's a bit too low at 2.16 so need to maybe up the calcitricol or something to help the calcium. Phosphate is still nice and low around 1.05 and PTH dropped from 57 to 39 and waiting for the latest test hopefully it will be a bit lower fingers crossed. I don't feel any side effects so far and it's keeping me away from having my neck cut so that works for me too

[paris]

Glad it is working for you RichardMel.