Calcitriol

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Harshi Dhingra, M.D.

Last Reviewed: Aug 02, 2023

Directions


How To Use Calcitriol

Calcitriol comes in the form of a capsule or liquid to take by mouth once a day in the morning. You can take the medicine with or without food.

Your doctor may ask you to take calcitriol daily or every other day. Read the prescription label carefully and follow your doctor’s instructions carefully. Your provider will likely start you on a low dose of calcitriol and increase the dose slowly if needed. Keep all medical and lab appointments. Your doctor will need to do laboratory tests for serum calcium levels during the dose adjustment. Do not change the dose or dosage frequency without your doctor’s approval.

Calcitriol therapy is effective only when you eat the right amount of dietary calcium (usually at least 600 mg daily). (The RDA (recommended daily allowance) for calcium in adults is 800-1200 mg daily). If you do not eat enough calcium, calcitriol will not work properly. If you eat too much calcium, you can have serious side effects. If you have a low-calcium diet, your doctor will instruct you to increase dietary calcium and tell you how many servings of calcium-rich foods you should eat in a day. They may also prescribe calcium supplementation.

Missed dose: If you miss a dose of calcitriol, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the next dose according to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take extra medicine or a double dose to make up for a missed dose.

Storage: Store calcitriol at room temperature (between 15-30° C or 59-86° F) away from moisture, heat, and direct light in a tightly closed container. Do not store medications in the bathroom where they can be exposed to moisture and heat. Keep all medications safely out of reach of children and pets.

Unused medicine: Unused calcitriol should be disposed of in a way that children, other people, and pets cannot get to them. Do not throw calcitriol in the trash or flush it down the toilet. The best way to properly discard expired or unneeded calcitriol is through a drug take-back program or your local waste disposal company. Learn more about proper medication disposal

NOTEThis medication guide is a summary and may not contain all possible drug information on calcitriol. The information contained here may not be up-to-date. This sheet is for information purposes only. If you have questions about calcitriol, talk to your doctor or pharmacist for medical advice.


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Discounted prices for calcitriol
 start at $12.61


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