ZOMETA®
zoledronic acid
Consumer Medicine Information
NOTICE: This Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) is intended for persons living in Australia. This page contains answers to some common questions about Zometa. It does not contain all the information that is known about Zometa. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist. All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risk of you using this medicine against the benefits he/she expects it will have for you. If you have any concerns about using this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Bookmark or print this page, you may need to read it again.

What Zometa is used for
Zometa is used to lower the amount of calcium in the blood when it becomes too high, as may happen in some forms of cancer.
Some cancers can speed up normal changes in bone so that the amount of calcium released from the bones into the blood is increased. Zometa belongs to a group of medicines called bisphosphonates, which strongly bind to bone. These medicines slow down the rate of bone change and help to restore the amount of calcium in the blood to normal.
Zometa is also used to slow down the spread of cancers in bone, helping to prevent changes to the bones that may cause them to weaken.
It is used in people with advanced cancer of the bone marrow (called multiple myeloma) and other advanced cancers that have spread to the bone. This medicine is used in addition to other standard cancer treatments.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed it for another purpose.
Zometa is only available with a doctor's prescription. It is not addictive.
There is not enough information to recommend the use of this medicine in children.
Before you have Zometa
When you must not have it
Do not have Zometa if you have ever had an allergic reaction to:
zoledronic acid (the active ingredient in Zometa) or to any of the other ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet
any other bisphosphonate medicine
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing; swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body; rash, itching or hives on the skin.
If you are not sure whether you are allergic to other bisphosphonate medicines, talk to your doctor.
Other bisphosphonate medicines can cause breathing difficulties in people with asthma who are allergic to aspirin. It is not known whether Zometa can have this effect.
Do not have Zometa if you are pregnant.
There is no information on use of this medicine in pregnancy.
Do not breast-feed while you are having treatment with Zometa.
It is not known if the active ingredient, zoledronic acid, passes into the breast milk and could affect your baby.
Do not have Zometa after the expiry date printed on the label or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering.
In that case, return the medicine to your pharmacist.
Before you start to have it
Tell your doctor if:
you have a kidney or liver problem
you have asthma and are also allergic to aspirin
you have had surgery on your thyroid
you had or have pain in the teeth, gums or jaw, swelling or numbness of the jaw or a "heavy jaw feeling" or loosening of a tooth.
It is advisable to have a dental check-up before starting on Zometa. Tell your dentist you may be receiving Zometa.
Tell your doctor if you need to have any dental treatment or dental surge