@gently
“ Advice from an anonymous. expert who has treated many patients with IV zoledronic acid and played a key role in the development of Fosamax, oral and IV Boniva
"There are 3 things I routinely do when I treat patients with IV zoledronic that not all physicians understand. First, I order the infusion to dilute the 5 mg of zoledronic acid (which comes in 100 mL of D5W) into 500 mL of NS (normal saline), thereby diluting the drug from 5 mg% to 0.8 mg%. Then I order it to be administrated over 60 minutes, instead of 15 minutes. Giving an N-BP more dilute and more slowly makes it even safety for the kidneys. The 3rd thing I always do is order the infusion nurses to administer 650 mg of acetaminophen to the patient during the infusion, and I tell the patient to take at home the same dose of acetaminophen (two regular strength Tylenols) with dinner and at bedtime the day of the infusion, with all 3 meals and at bedtime the day after the infusion, and a final (7th) dose with breakfast the 2nd morning after the infusion. These 8 doses total of acetaminophen reduce the chance of a symptomatic APR from 20-30% to < 1%.The other thing to consider is that in most patients, a 5 mg infusion of zoledronic acid will control the rate of bone turnover for at least 24 months, so most of my patients do not get annual infusions."