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Calcitonin Patient Tips

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Aug 14, 2025.

1. How it works

2. Upsides

3. Downsides

If you are between the ages of 18 and 60, take no other medication or have no other medical conditions, side effects you are more likely to experience include:

Note: In general, seniors or children, people with certain medical conditions (such as liver or kidney problems, heart disease, diabetes, seizures) or people who take other medications are more at risk of developing a wider range of side effects. View complete list of side effects

4. Bottom Line

Calcitonin (calcitonin-salmon) injection is used to treat moderate-to-severe symptomatic Paget's disease, hypercalcemic emergencies requiring rapid calcium reduction, and postmenopausal osteoporosis (5+ years post-menopause). It is usually reserved for patients unsuitable for alternative treatments. Calcitonin nasal spray is a formulation of calcitonin only approved for postmenopausal osteoporosis. The FDA discourages its use, saying its risks of malignancy outweigh its benefits.

5. Tips

6. Response and effectiveness

7. Interactions

Medicines that interact with calcitonin may either decrease its effect, affect how long it works, increase side effects, or have less of an effect when taken with calcitonin. An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of the medications; however, sometimes it does. Speak to your doctor about how drug interactions should be managed.

Common medications that may interact with calcitonin include:

Note that this list is not all-inclusive and includes only common medications that may interact with calcitonin You should refer to the prescribing information for calcitonin for a complete list of interactions.

Related/similar drugs

References

Further information

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use calcitonin only for the indication prescribed.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Copyright 1996-2025 Drugs.com. Revision date: August 14, 2025.