It’s the Zometa, Stupid!
Last week I had an infusion of Zometa. The next day, I felt a bit flu-ish, or like I was coming down with a bad cold. You know that feeling? Aches and general malaise. I started to think about how I always felt kind of icky after having spent the day at the hospital for my infusion and monthly appointment. I assumed I had been hanging out in a germy environment and was fighing some kind of virus. Argh. Well, I finally figured it out after almost 2 years. It’s the Zometa. I had a pretty harsh reaction to it the very first time I had it, so what I’ve been feeling since then seemed like nothing. I just knew I didn’t feel well, but oddly enough never attributed it to the Zometa.
Added on January 23, 2005: I wanted to add that the local docs I talk to have also downplayed the risk of ONJ & Zometa. I was told by Dr. Durie that this is a real threat. He suggested I switch to Aredia - a 2 hr infusion. Possibly every other month. I will see him in March in Atlanta, and will ask about this again.
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I was on Zometa for two years and had goog results. Then about six months ago I had to have some dental wok done. Now I have osteonecrosis of the jaw. That is when the gums seperate from the jaw bone, leaving exposed jaw bone in the mouth. Very, very painfull. Thanks Zometa.
Osteoecrosis of the jaw. That’s what I got from Zometa.
Zometa regularly makes me feel like I’ve been kicked by a horse. I plan my Zometa infusions on Thursdays, knowing that by Saturday I’ll be sick and by Monday I’ll feel fine.
My hem/onc doc dismisses my concern about osteonecrosis, even though I had an episode of ‘numb jaw’ syndrome a couple months after I started Zometa. I think Aventis is really downplaying the risk, and that may come back to haunt them.
my husband has prostate cancer and has rec’d zometa infusions every 3 months for alamost 2 yrs. He just had a ct scan which showed possible mets and is scheduled for a bone scan and mri. His oncologist is even stumped since his last bone scan 3 months ago was clear. Anyone ever heard of problems w/ zometa anywhere other than the jaw? The oncologist is planning on calling novartis.
My Oncologist just took me off Aredia after two years and put me in Zometa. After reading these comments, now I am frightened! I was exhausted for ten days after the treatment four weeks ago, and will have one this Friday. Just how do you tactfully tell your Doctor you want to return to the previous treatment? Thank you!
I am a general dentist. One of my patientes developed osteonecrosis during lung surgery when she was intubated. A small patch of tissue was scuffed off her mandibular tori ( small bony knobs on the lower jaw that project toward the tongue - normal anatomy not found in all individuals ) and it has never healed. Several specialists at several different hospitals have tried surgery without success. She has also had hyperbaric oxygen therapy without success. She is gradually losing the teeth on the right side of her jaw and the infection which is kept in control only by constant antibiotics is now crossing the midline to the opposite side of the jaw. The bone will not heal. It has lost the capacity to heal since Zometa killed the living cells in the bone. I believe the infection will continue slowly until the entire lower jaw is removed. She is not a candidate for a graft of bone from a donor site anywhere else in the body because all bone in her body is probably affected the same way.
I get the flu like symptoms, too. I thought it was the “downer” from the clinical environment reminding me I had a disease but you’re right, it is the Zometa. I’ve tried taking more calcium for a few daysóthat’s how it is administered in some countriesóbut doesn’t seem to alter the course.