Re: PAMIDRONATE Digest Number 2833

[Guest guest]

e, My 7 yr old son receives Pamidronate infusions. he gets a low dose one time/month. WE started very slowly and our nephrologist is unwilling to use a higher dose with Sam. Usually it is given every 3 months but in Sam's case the nephrologist felt it was wiser to do small more frequent doses. What it does is precent the osteoclasts from breaking down bone. (We all have osteoclasts and need to - toherwise we'd have bones that never stopped growing). In Sam's case we started it because he had excessive osteoclatic activity as measured by a very high serum ionized calcium even with absolutely no calcium in the diet. Sam also has osteoporosis. I am fairly certain there is NOT information on its use in mito patients. We just weighed the pros and cons. A fracture with the pain and immobility that follows would be potentially devestating to a child with mito. Thus we opted to treat. Annewww.caringbridge.org/wi/zachsam