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vitamin D

 
Dictionary: vitamin D3

n.
A colorless crystalline compound, C27H44O, found in fish-liver oils, irradiated milk, and all irradiated animal foodstuffs. It has essentially the same biological activity as vitamin D2. Also called cholecalciferol.


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Drug Info: Alendronate; Cholecalciferol
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Brand names: Fosamax Plus D™



Alendronate; Cholecalciferol tablets

What are Alendronate; Cholecalciferol tablets?

ALENDRONATE; CHOLECALCIFEROL (Fosamax Plus D™) reduces calcium loss from bones and increases the production of normal healthy bone in patients with osteoporosis. The tablets contain alendronate and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). Generic alendronate; cholecalciferol tablets are not yet available.

What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?

They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
• dental disease
• kidney disease
• lactose intolerance
• leukemia or lymphoma
• low level of blood calcium
• malabsorption syndrome
• sarcoidosis
• stomach, intestinal, or esophageal problems like acid-reflux or GERD
• problems swallowing
• vitamin D toxicity (too much vitamin D in the blood)
• an unusual reaction to alendronate, cholecalciferol, medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
• pregnant or trying to get pregnant
• breast-feeding

How should this medicine be used?

Follow the directions on the prescription label. Take alendronate; cholecalciferol on the same day every week.

Take alendronate; cholecalciferol tablets by mouth in the morning after you have risen for the day. Swallow the tablets with a full glass (6—8 fluid ounces) of plain water first thing in the morning. Do not take the tablets with any other type of liquid except plain water. Do not take with mineral water, tea, orange juice, coffee, or other fluids, as these may decrease the absorption of alendronate. Do not chew or suck on the tablets; this may cause mouth ulcers (sores). Do not eat or drink anything before you take your tablets and do not eat breakfast, drink, or take any other medicines for at least 30 minutes after taking alendronate; cholecalciferol. If you can wait for 2 hours before eating, your body will absorb even more of the medicine. After taking this medicine, remain sitting or standing upright (do not lie down or bend over) for at least 30 minutes. This will help to avoid irritation of your throat and esophagus (tube connecting mouth to stomach). Do not take this medicine at the same time as antacids, calcium, magnesium, iron supplements, or vitamins with minerals; if you take these medications, take them later in the day. Do not take your medicine more often than directed.

Contact your pediatrician or health care professional regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose of alendronate; cholecalciferol, take the dose on the morning after you remember. Then return to taking your dose just once a week, as originally scheduled on your regular chosen day of the week. Never take 2 tablets on the same day. Do not take double or extra doses.

What drug(s) may interact with Alendronate; Cholecalciferol?

• antacids
• anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, naproxen, and others
• aspirin
• calcium supplements, especially calcium with vitamin D
• cholestyramine or colestipol
• cimetidine, ranitidine, or other medicines used to decrease stomach acid
• corticosteroids
• iron supplements
ketoconazole
• magnesium supplements
• mineral oil
orlistat
• phenobarbital, phenytoin, or primidone
• phosphorous supplements
teriparatide
• thiazide diuretics (water pills)
• vitamins with minerals, especially vitamin D or calcium with vitamin D

Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.

What should I watch for while taking Alendronate; Cholecalciferol?

Visit your prescriber or health care professional for regular checks on your progress. Do not stop taking alendronate; cholecalciferol except on your prescriber's advice. Do not take additional vitamin D unless directed by your healthcare professional. Do not take calcium with vitamin D unless directed by your health care professional. Your prescriber or health care professional may order regular blood tests to check for the amount of vitamin D, calcium, or other minerals in your blood.

It is very important to take alendronate; cholecalciferol with a full glass of water (6—8 ounces). Do not take with orange juice, coffee, mineral water, or other fluids, as these may decrease the absorption of alendronate. Do not take alendronate; cholecalciferol with food. Wait at least 30 minutes or longer after taking alendronate before you eat, drink, or take other medicines.

Because alendronate may irritate your throat, remain sitting or standing upright for at least 30 minutes after taking alendronate. Do not lie down. Do not bend over while you are sitting, standing, or walking.

If you begin to have pain when swallowing, difficulty swallowing, heartburn or stomach pain, call your prescriber or health care professional right away.

You should make sure you get enough calcium in your diet while you are taking alendronate; cholecalciferol, unless directed otherwise by your health care provider. Discuss your dietary needs with your health care professional or nutritionist.

If you get bone pain or a worsening of bone pain, check with your doctor. However, many patients have improvement in their bone pain during and after treatment with alendronate; cholecalciferol.

If you are taking an antacid, a mineral supplement like calcium or iron, or a vitamin with minerals, wait to take them at least 30 minutes, and preferably 2 hours after you take alendronate. Do not take them at same time.

Limit your time in sunlight or other UV exposure, such as tanning beds, while taking alendronate; cholecalciferol. Alendronate may cause a rash that is worsened by exposure to the sun.

What side effects may I notice from receiving Alendronate; Cholecalciferol?

Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
More common
• stomach pain
• heartburn or chest pain
• pain or difficulty swallowing
Rare or uncommon:
• allergic reactions such as skin rash or itching, hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, throat, or tongue
• black or tarry stools
• eye inflammation, pain, or change in vision
• redness, blistering, peeling or loosening of the skin, including inside the mouth
• vomiting

Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
• diarrhea or constipation
• headache
• stomach gas or fullness
• nausea
• changes in taste
• bone, muscle, or joint pain

Where can I keep my medicine?

Keep out of the reach of children in a container that small children cannot open.

Store at room temperature between 20—25 degrees C (68—77 degrees F). Keep your medication in the original container. The medicine needs to be protected from moisture and light. Do not keep the medicine in your bathroom. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.

Last updated: 4/21/2005 10:43:00 AM

Important Disclaimer: The drug information provided here is for educational purposes only. It is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a medical professional. This drug information does not cover all possible uses, precautions, side effects and interactions. It should not be construed to indicate that this or any drug is safe for you. Consult your medical professional for guidance before using any prescription or over the counter drugs.

Medical Dictionary: vitamin D3
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n.

A colorless crystalline compound found in fish-liver oils, irradiated milk, and all irradiated animal foodstuffs and having biological activity similar to vitamin D2. Also called cholecalciferol.

Veterinary Dictionary: cholecalciferol
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Vitamin D3, an oil-soluble antirachitic vitamin. See also vitamin d.

Wikipedia: Cholecalciferol
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Cholecalciferol
Cholecalciferol.svg
Cholecalciferol-vitamin-D3-from-xtal-3D-sticks.png
IUPAC name
Other names vitamin D3, activated 7-dehydrocholesterol.
Identifiers
CAS number 67-97-0
EC number 200-673-2
SMILES
Properties
Molecular formula C27H44O
Molar mass 384.64 g/mol
Appearance White, needle-like crystals
Melting point

83–86 °C

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Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Cholecalciferol is a form of Vitamin D, also called vitamin D3 or calciol.[1]

It is structurally similar to steroids such as testosterone, cholesterol, and cortisol (though vitamin D3 itself is a secosteroid).

One gram of pure vitamin D3 is 40 000 000 (40x106) IU, or, in other words, one IU is 0.025 μg. Individuals having a high risk of deficiency should consume 25 μg (1000 IU) of vitamin D daily.

Contents

Forms

Vitamin D3 has several forms:

  • Cholecalciferol, (sometimes called calciol) which is an inactive, unhydroxylated form of vitamin D3)
  • Calcidiol (also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D3), which is the form measured in the blood to assess vitamin D status
  • Calcitriol (also called 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3), which is the active form of D3.

Metabolism

7-Dehydrocholesterol is the precursor of vitamin D3 and forms cholecalciferol only after being exposed to solar UV radiation.

Cholecalciferol is then hydroxylated in the liver to become calcidiol (25-hydroxyvitamin D3).

Next, calcidiol is again hydroxylated, this time in the kidney, and becomes calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3). Calcitriol is the most active hormone form of vitamin D3.

Regulation of metabolism

  • Cholecalciferol is synthesized in the skin from 7-dehydrocholesterol under the action of ultraviolet B light. It reaches an equilibrium after several minutes depending on several factors including conditions of sunlight (latitude, season, cloud cover, altitude), age of skin, and color of skin.
  • Hydroxylation in the liver of cholecalciferol to calcidiol (25-hydroxycholecalciferol) is loosely regulated, if at all, and blood levels of this molecule largely reflect the amount of vitamin D3 produced in the skin or the vitamin D2 or D3 ingested.
  • Hydroxylation in the kidneys of calcidiol to calcitriol by 1-alpha-hydroxylase is tightly regulated (stimulated by either parathyroid hormone or hypophosphatemia) and serves as the major control point in production of the most active circulating hormone calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3).

As food fortification

Although cholecalciferol can be synthesized in the skin (see Metabolism), it is also a form of vitamin D added to fortify foods. Cholecalciferol is produced industrially by the irradiation of 7-dehydrocholesterol extracted from lanolin found in sheep's wool. In foods where animal products are not desired, an alternative compound is ergocalciferol (also known as vitamin D2) derived from the fungal sterol ergosterol.

Dose

There are conflicting reports concerning the absorption of cholecalciferol (D3) versus ergocalciferol (D2), with some studies suggesting less efficacy of D2[2], and others showing no difference[2] [3]. At present, D2 and D3 doses are frequently considered interchangeable, but more research is needed to clarify this.

Stability

Cholecalciferol is very sensitive to UV radiation and will rapidly, but reversibly, break down to form supra-sterols, which can further irreversibly convert to ergosterol.

Therapeutic Application

A 2008 study published in Cancer Research has shown the addition of vitamin D3 (along with calcium) to the diet of some mice fed a regimen similar in nutritional content to a new Western diet prevented colon cancer development.[4]

Alternative Views

There is a minority view, often associated with Trevor Marshall, which asserts that low levels of calcidiol are often due to overconversion into calcitriol because of chronic infection rather than calcidiol deficiency. [1]

See also

References

External links


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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Drug Info. Gold Standard. Copyright © 2008 by Gold Standard. All rights reserved.  Read more
Medical Dictionary. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cholecalciferol" Read more