Zoledronic acid is given as an intravenous infusion; a single dose is effective for two years. This is recommended for most people at high risk with active disease. Calcitonin
Salcatonin, also called calcitonin-salmon is a synthetic copy of a polypeptide hormone secreted by the ultimobranchial gland of salmon. Miacalcin is administered by injection, three times per week or daily, for 6–18 months. Repeat courses can be given after brief rest periods. Miacalcin may be appropriate for certain patients but is seldom used. Calcitonin was putatively linked to increased chance of cancer. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended that calcitonin be used only on a short-term basis for 3 conditions for which it had previously been approved in the European Union: Pagets disease, acute bone loss resulting from sudden immobilization, and hypercalcemia caused by cancer. As a solution for injection or infusion, calcitonin should be administered for no more than 4 weeks to prevent acute bone loss resulting from sudden immobilization, and normally for no more than 3 months to treat Pagets disease, the EMA said. The agency did not specify a time frame for the short-term use of calcitonin for treating hypercalcemia caused by cancer. The EMA based its recommendations on a review of the benefits and risks of calcitonin-containing medicines.
Differential diagnosis
Treatment
Although initially diagnosed by a primary care physician, endocrinologists (internal medicine physicians who specialize in hormonal and metabolic disorders), rheumatologists (internal medicine physicians who specialize in joint and muscle disorders), orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, neurologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and otolaryngologists are generally knowledgeable about treating Pagets disease and may be called upon to evaluate specialized symptoms. It can sometimes be difficult to predict whether a person with Pagets disease, who otherwise has no signs or symptoms of the disorder, will develop symptoms or complications (such as a bone fracture) in the future. Medication
The goal of treatment is to relieve bone pain and prevent the progression of the disease. These medications are usually recommended for people with Pagets disease who:
have bone pain, headache, back pain, or a nerve-related symptom (such as "shooting" pains in the leg) that is directly associated with the disease;
have elevated levels of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in their blood;
display evidence that a bone fracture will occur;
require pretreatment therapy for affected bones that require surgery;
have active symptoms in the skull, long bones, or vertebrae (spine);
have the disease in bones located next to major joints, placing them at risk of developing osteoarthritis;
develop hypercalcemia that occurs when a person, with several bones affected by Pagets disease and a high serum alkaline phosphatase level, is immobilized. Bisphosphonates
Five bisphosphonates are currently available. In general, the most commonly prescribed are risedronic acid, alendronic acid, and pamidronic acid. Etidronic acid and other bisphosphonates may be appropriate therapies for selected patients but are less commonly used.