Salmon Calcitonin

Calcitonin is indicated in Active Paget's disease in patients who do not respond to alternative treatments or for whom such treatments are not suitable; Hypercalcaemia.

Dosage & Administration

Intravenous (Adult)-
Emergency treatment of hypercalcaemia
: Up to 10 u/kg in 500 mL of sodium chloride 0.9% by slow IV infusion over at least 6 hr.
Parenteral (Adult)-
Adjunct in hypercalcaemia:
SC/IM: 4 u/kg 12 hrly, may increase after 1-2 days to 8 u/kg 12 hrly to max 8 u/kg 6 hrly after 2 days. Alternatively, 100 u every 6-8 hr, increased after 1-2 days to max 400 u every 6-8 hr.
Paget's disease of bone:
SC/IM: 50 u 3 times wkly to 100 u/day.
Nasal (Adult)-
Nasal postmenopausal osteoporosis:
200 u/day, alternation nostrils everyday.

GI disturbances, dizziness, flushing, tingling of the hands, unpleasant taste, skin rash, abdominal pain, urinary frequency, tremor, inj site inflammation. Rarely, diabetogenic effect.

Calcitonin is a polypeptide hormone produced by the ultimobranchial gland in non-mammalian vertebrates or by the mammalian thyroid parafollicular cells. It inhibits osteoclastic bone resorption and reduces bone turnover. It decreases tubular reabsorption and promotes renal excretion of Ca, Cl, Na, Mg, K and phosphate.