General
Excessive dosage of PhosLo induces hypercalcemia; therefore, early in the treatment during dosage adjustment serum calcium should be determined twice weekly. Should hypercalcemia develop, the dosage should be reduced or the treatment discontinued immediately depending on the severity of hypercalcemia. PhosLo should not be given to patients on digitalis, because hypercalcemia may precipitate cardiac arrhythmias. PhosLo therapy should always be started at low dose and should not be increased without careful monitoring of serum calcium. An estimate of daily calcium intake should be made initially and the intake adjusted as needed. Serum phosphorus should also be determined periodically.
Information for the Patient
The patient should be informed about compliance with dosage instructions, adherence to instructions about diet and avoidance of the use of nonprescription antacids. Patients should be informed about the symptoms of hypercalcemia (see ADVERSE REACTIONS section).
Drug Interactions
PhosLo may decrease the bioavailability of tetracyclines.
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility
Long term animal studies have not been performed to eva luate the carcinogenic potential, mutagenicity, or effect on fertility of PhosLo.
Pregnancy
Teratogenic Effects: Category C. Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with PhosLo. It is not known whether PhosLo can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. PhosLo should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.
Pediatric Use
Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.
Geriatric Use
Of the total number of subjects in clinical studies of PhosLo (n=91), 25 percent were 65 and over, while 7 percent were 75 and over. No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between these subjects and younger subjects, and other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients, but greater sensitivity of some older individuals cannot be ruled out.