What is calcitriol?

When it comes to osteoporosis, everyone should be familiar with it. Osteoporosis is a degenerative disease caused by the reduction of bone mass and the destruction of bone tissue structure in the human body. A very important point in the treatment of osteoporosis is to supplement calcium and vitamin D at the same time , thereby helping the body enhance the absorption of calcium. Therefore, appropriate vitamin D is extremely important for the treatment of osteoporosis.

As an active form of vitamin D, calcitriol can directly play its role in calcium supplementation and vitamin supplementation without being converted by the liver and kidneys. It is often used in the clinical treatment of patients with osteoporosis , parathyroid dysfunction , vitamin D-dependent rickets , and chronic renal failure .
 

Regarding calcitriol, many people probably know that it has the effect of supplementing calcium. But how does calcitriol supplement calcium? What should you pay attention to when taking it? Next, let Dr. Li take everyone to learn about calcitriol, which promotes calcium absorption.

What is calcitriol?
Before understanding calcitriol, let’s first understand how calcium is absorbed by our body.

The calcium in the food we eat daily and in calcium tablets needs the help of vitamin D when it is absorbed by the body. Vitamin D is inactive in our body . It is first converted into calcifediol in the liver, and then when it passes through the kidneys, it is catalyzed by a large number of enzymes to form active calcitriol, which can become the "calcitriol" absorbed by the human body. good helper".
 

As an active form of vitamin D, calcitriol does not need to undergo secondary conversion by the liver and kidneys. It can directly promote the synthesis of large amounts of calcium-binding protein in the small intestinal mucosa and intestinal wall cells, strengthen the absorption of calcium by the intestinal mucosa, and help the epithelium. Cells rapidly absorb calcium ions. When calcitriol acts on bones , it can cause citrate to be deposited in the bones, thereby promoting bone calcification, increasing osteoblast activity and bone density. When calcitriol acts on muscles , it can also improve muscle atrophy and enhance muscle strength.
 

Therefore, compared with ordinary vitamin D, calcitriol has the effect of promoting calcium absorption and strengthening bone density. At the same time, it can be . Even patients with abnormal liver function or renal dysfunction do not need to worry too much when taking it . Therefore, many patients with poor liver and kidney function can give priority to this less burdensome supplement.

In addition to regulating the absorption of calcium, what other effects does calcitriol have on the human body?

In addition to calcium supplementation, what other functions does calcitriol have?
The main purpose of calcitriol is to promote calcium absorption and regulate the balance of calcium in the body. As active vitamin D, calcitriol can not only help increase the intestinal absorption rate of calcium substances and significantly increase blood calcium concentration, but also promote the intestinal absorption rate of other substances . It plays an important role in the treatment of senile osteoporosis and malnutrition in elderly friends.
 

Secondly, calcitriol can also inhibit the secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) . Once parathyroid hormone is secreted too much, it will lead to cell proliferation and thyroid regulatory dysfunction. Calcitriol can inhibit the gene transcription of parathyroid hormone, thereby reducing and balancing thyroid hormone levels in the body.

In addition, calcitriol has a wide range of effects on the regulation of the human immune system , thereby helping to reduce the risk of immune diseases. When calcitriol enters the human body, it can directly regulate and inhibit the differentiation and maturation of dendritic cells, and can also affect the secretion of other cytokines and reduce the possibility of inflammation. It plays a certain role in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
 

In addition, as vitamin D that is necessary for the human body, the human body's skeletal muscles, heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, and reproductive organs all contain vitamin D receptors. Vitamins act like hormones on the human body . Once deficient, it will inevitably increase the occurrence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In the long run, it will also increase the occurrence of skin diseases and immune diseases.

Therefore, calcitriol can not only promote calcium absorption and strengthen our bones, but also regulate the immune system and reduce the occurrence of various diseases. However, it should be noted that due to different needs, different people take calcitriol in different ways.

Different groups of people take different methods of taking calcitriol.
The dosage of calcitriol should be determined based on the patient's blood calcium level. Generally, the specifications of calcitriol capsules commonly available on the market are 0.25 micrograms. The dose should be small during initial use to facilitate subsequent adjustments. It is recommended to review blood calcium levels every half month . If the blood calcium level exceeds the standard , the dosage should be reduced or calcitriol should be suspended first . After the blood calcium recovers, you can ask your doctor whether you need to continue taking the drug.

As age increases, the endocrine levels in the body decrease, tissues and organs age, and the absorption capacity gradually decreases. For patients with senile osteoporosis , it is recommended to take a smaller initial dose of the drug. After taking the drug, blood calcium should be rechecked in the 1st, 3rd, and 6th month. If there is no problem in the check, you can Continue to take this amount.

For patients with renal osteodystrophy , the initial dosage of calcitriol is once a day. If blood calcium appears normal or low, it can be adjusted to once every two days. If the condition is not relieved after taking it for one month, you can consider increasing the dosage. However, for patients with hyperphosphatemia and nephropathy , the dose needs to be reduced appropriately according to the condition to avoid excessive blood phosphate. It is recommended to perform blood calcium testing twice a week to monitor your physical condition.

Calcitriol also plays an important role in patients with hypothyroidism and rickets. For these two types of patients, it is best to take the normal dosage at the beginning . When the condition does not improve significantly, or when the absorption effect is poor, the dosage can be increased appropriately while following the doctor's advice.
 

It can be seen that calcitriol can help patients replenish calcium and protect human health . However, some patients with osteoporosis rely on calcitriol to enhance calcium absorption for a long time in order to promote bone strengthening . Can calcitriol be taken for a long time?

Although calcitriol is good, it should not be taken for a long time.
Although, if you take calcitriol as directed by your doctor, the probability of adverse reactions is very low. However, long-term use of high doses of calcitriol may still cause hypercalcemia . Sometimes there are even other symptoms, such as acute dizziness, vomiting and loss of appetite. As well as chronic malnutrition, sensory impairment, and even emotional apathy and cessation of development.

At the same time, since calcitriol is a derivative of vitamin D, you must be careful of vitamin D poisoning when taking the medicine . Although the toxicity of calcitriol is generally very low, poisoning may occur in people who are allergic to this type of drug and if they take too much. At this time, you must stop taking the medicine immediately and seek medical help.

In addition, for calcitriol injection, its absorption effect is more obvious than that of oral calcium supplements, and it is not as irritating to the gastrointestinal tract. But be careful that pain, redness, swelling, or allergies may occur at the injection site . In addition, after injection, the check of blood calcium level cannot be ignored.

For this reason, long-term use of large amounts of calcitriol is generally not recommended. If the dosage needs to be adjusted, it is best to use it under the guidance of a doctor, and there are many things to pay attention to. You should also know something about these precautions regarding calcitriol .

❶Calcitriol is a prescription drug. It is best for the doctor to determine the dosage and usage according to the condition and follow the doctor's instructions . Do not change the dosage without authorization. Symptoms may be relieved after using calcitriol. At this time, you cannot stop taking the medicine privately. It is best to ask your doctor if you can stop taking the medicine or reduce the dosage to avoid the impact of arbitrary changes in the dosage on the treatment process.

❷The use of calcitriol, vitamin D and its derivatives can promote the absorption of calcium and inorganic phosphate. Therefore, vitamin D and its derivatives should be prohibited when taking calcitriol to avoid possible additional effects and hypercalcemia. Once hypercalcemia occurs, the medication must be stopped immediately. When the blood calcium returns to normal, the dosage can be re-established under the advice of a doctor.

❸The effect of calcitriol is better when taken after meals or on an empty stomach . In the early stage, a course of treatment can be 3 months, and the specific dosage can be determined based on the severity of the condition. Since this drug will irritate the gastrointestinal tract to a certain extent, in order to provide gastrointestinal buffering, you can stop taking the drug in the last week of each month to help repair the intestines and avoid gastrointestinal function disorders.

❹When taking calcitriol, you should also pay attention to combined medications . For example, magnesium-containing drugs (such as magnesium aluminum carbonate, magnesium trisilicate, etc.) may cause hypermagnesemia if taken at the same time. At the same time, you can also spend more time in the sun in your daily life to promote the absorption of vitamin D, thereby increasing the activity of bone cells and maximizing the amount of calcium absorbed by the body.

The doctor has something to say
In short, calcitriol plays an important role in supplementing calcium, strengthening bones, and treating osteoporosis. It is especially suitable for elderly people with degraded liver and kidney functions. However, because everyone's blood calcium levels are different, the dosage of calcitriol will also vary. Therefore, before taking medicine, it is best to consult a doctor based on your own situation and choose a treatment plan that suits your situation.

In addition, during the period of taking the medicine, you should do more reexaminations, pay close attention to various indicators, and follow the doctor's instructions. Before the disease is completely controlled, even if the symptoms are relieved, do not change the medication rules privately to avoid aggravation of the disease and secondary damage.

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