What is alfacalcidol used for?

What is alfacalcidol used for?

Although alfacalcidol is widely used in the treatment of osteoporosis, its mechanism of action in bone is not fully understood. Alfacalcidol stimulates intestinal calcium (Ca) absorption, increases urinary Ca excretion and serum Ca levels, and suppresses parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion.

Is alfacalcidol a vitamin D?

Alfacalcidol is a type of vitamin D. Vitamin D helps to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in your body. All three of these substances are important for maintaining healthy, strong bones and teeth.

Can you buy alfacalcidol over the counter?

Alfacalcidol is used more in the UK , Rocaltrol in the USA. Please note: These are not vitamin D3 supplements that you can buy over the counter but potent steroid like hormones that will be prescribed by your doctor and will require careful monitoring.Do not adjust these tablets on your own.

What is the difference between alfacalcidol and vitamin D?

Due to strong feedback regulation, plain vitamin D is not activated in the kidney in vitamin-replete patients, while alfacalcidol, having been hydroxylated at position 1, bypasses regulation and increases available amounts of active D-hormone in different target tissues.

How long does alfacalcidol take to work?

In patients with nutritional osteomalacia, alfacalcidol increased calcium absorption with six hours of oral administration and the effects peaked at 24 hours.

Can you overdose on alfacalcidol?

Overdose. Symptoms of overdosage include anorexia, lassitude, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, weight loss, polyuria, sweating, headache, thirst, vertigo, and raised concentrations of calcium and phosphate in plasma and urine.

Is alfacalcidol the same as calcitriol?

There is only one short-term study which directly compares these two drugs. This study demonstrates that calcitriol is superior to alfacalcidol. However, alfacalcidol is a prohormone of calcitriol. It has to be converted by 25-hydroxylase at the liver to generate 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 to act on target cells.

What is alfacalcidol 0.5 mcg?

Uses of Alfacalcidol 0.5mcg: It is used to increase the amount of vitamin D in your body. This often increases calcium levels as well which can help in treatment of certain illnesses.

Is it safe to take alfacalcidol?

Alfacalcidol can cause some serious side effects and can lead to some serious health problems. Talk with your doctor if you are having any serious problems.

What are the side effects of alfacalcidol?

Some of the common side effects of Alfacalcidol are:

• Itching.
• Rash.
• Abdominal pain.
• Headache.
• Drowsiness.
• Constipation.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.

When do you give calcitriol and alfacalcidol?

1 In patients with CKD Stages 3 and 4, therapy with an active oral vitamin D sterol (calcitriol, alfacalcidol, or doxercalciferol) is indicated when serum levels of 25(OH)-vitamin D are >30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L), and plasma levels of intact PTH are above the target range for the CKD stage (see Table 15, Guideline 1).