Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:
- digoxin (Lanoxin)
- bisphosphonates (Fosamax, Boniva, and others)
- thyroid drugs such as levothyroxine, Synthroid, and Levothroid
- sotalol (Betapace)
- tetracycline antibiotics (Minocin, Achromycin, and others)
- quinolone antibiotics (Levaquin, Cipro, and others)
- calcium supplements (Citracal, Os-Cal and others)
- calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac) or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan)
This is not a complete list of PhosLo drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Serious side effects have been reported with PhosLo. See the “Drug Precautions” section.
Common side effects of PhosLo include:
- nausea
- constipation
- loss of appetite
This is not a complete list of PhosLo side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
If you take too much PhosLo, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories – A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.
PhosLo falls into category C. No studies have been done in animals, and no well-controlled studies have been done in pregnant women. PhosLo should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.
Active ingredient(s): calcium acetate
Inactive ingredients: polyethylene glycol 8000, fd&c blue no.1, d&c red no.28, titanium dioxide, gelatin
- Take PhosLo exactly as prescribed.
- PhosLo comes in gelcap form and is taken three times a day with meals.
- Take with food.
- Do not chew, divide, or break PhosLo gelcaps. Swallow gelcaps whole.
Serious side effects have been reported with PhosLo including the following:
- Mild hypercalcemia (elevated calcium levels). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of hypercalcemia
- constipation
- loss of appetite or start losing weight (anorexia)
- nausea and vomiting
- Severe hypercalcemia (highly elevated calcium levels). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of severe hypercalcemia
- confusion
- delirium
- stupor
- coma
Do not take PhosLo if you:
- are allergic to PhosLo or to any of its ingredients
- have hypercalcemia (elevated blood calcium levels)
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.
It is not known if PhosLo crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using PhosLo.
Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of PhosLo, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.
Store PhosLo at room temperature at 25°C (77°F). Temperature may vary between 15-30°C (59-86°F).
Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.
Before taking PhosLo, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:
- are allergic to any ingredient in PhosLo.
- have or have had hypercalcemia.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Take PhosLo exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.
The PhosLo dose your doctor recommends will be based on the following:
- the condition being treated
- other medical conditions you have
- other medications you are taking
- how you respond to this medication
The recommended starting dose of PhosLo is 2 gelcaps with each meal. Based on blood phosphate levels, the dosage may be increased as long as the patient does not develop elevated blood calcium levels (hypercalcemia). Typically, patients take 3 to 4 gelcaps with each meal daily.