zometa side effects

My sister has had her cancer spread to her femur bone. She is in remission but took her second dose of zometa last Thursday. She said the back of her knee just above her calves are really hurting her. She cant put her full weight on her leg and she describes the pain as a constant charlie horse that wont let up...Is this a side effect of zometa? I thought this drug helped slowed down the bone destroying activity that occurs with bone metastases,fights abnormal cells that can cause the bone to wear away ....I just hope its the medicine and not more damage to her bones. Has anyone used zometa and expierenced charlie horses (or pain described like that)?

Disregard that last question. She is now in the hospital. He said its a blood clot or her bone cancer is back. Her primary cancer is still in remission. Can you have one cancer in remission and another one not?

 

On 12/9/2008 Becky55 wrote:

Disregard that last question. She is now in the hospital. He said its a blood clot or her bone cancer is back. Her primary cancer is still in remission. Can you have one cancer in remission and another one not?

Hi Becky,

I'm not sure about the primary cancer being in remission and other mets not.  My husband had sclc and the first go around of chemo and radiation helped a great deal.  Then we found out it spread to the bones.  The oncologist told us that bone cancer is not curable.  He continued with chemo and Zometa.  We understood that Zometa is just to keep the bones strong.  The doctor told us that Zometa does cause pain and not to be alarmed.  My husband also had quite a few charlie hoarses in his legs.After researching charlie hoarses, I read where it's caused from a lack of calcium.  Hope this helps.

YES, Zometa can cause some bone pain, but it should not be extreme and should not last more than 24 hours.

I have always been advised to get the Zometa on a very slow drip. The slower the drip the fewer side effects.  It's my opinion and the opinion of my support group that Zometa taken in 15 minutes is too fast.  Ask to set for 45 minutes to 60 mins and see if that helps.  Also get really hydrated before you go in and even ask them to drip the remainder of your saline so it will help you hydrate.

Even at that I still have slight leg cramps, very slight, and slight left jaw cramp but they only last for 24 hours. 

Drink tonic water with Quinine with your favorite juice - it will help rid you of cramps too, we don't know why but it works.  Drink a big glass a day or maybe even two glasses especially the day of Zometa. 

Zometa's job is to slow down the breakdown process of bone that everyone gets daily, even healthy people get bone breakdown.  Just like we sluff off skin cells, we do the same with bone.  Zometa slows this process. 

Hope this helps.