Forteo

What you should know before using

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatrics

This medicine is not available for use in children. Teriparatide should not be used in children or young adults due to possible adverse effects on growing bones.

Geriatric

This medicine has been tested and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in young adults. Nonetheless, elderly patients may be more sensitive than younger adults to the effects of teriparatide.

Breast Feeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Bone cancer or other cancers that have spread to your bones, or prior history or
• Bones that are still growing or
• High concentration of an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase in the blood or
• Hypercalcemia (too much calcium in your blood), pre-existing or
• Other metabolic bone diseases or
• Paget's disease of bone or
• Radiation therapy of bones, or prior history—Teriparatide should not be used in people with these conditions. In drug testing of this medicine on rats, it caused some rats to develop osteosarcoma, a bone cancer. It is not known if humans treated with this medicine also have a higher chance of getting osteosarcoma.

• Urolithiasis, active or recent—Teriparatide may may cause the condition to worsen