A cheap oral therapy for Paget's disease of bone.
Nine patients with painful Paget's disease of bone were treated for 200 days with a drug combination designed to elevated plasma calcium, hence stimulating the production of endogenous calcitoning and suppressing that of parathyroid hormone. This combination was oral calcium, a thiazide diuretic, a low phosphorus diet and aluminium hydroxide. Eight of the nine patients experienced sustained pain relief after 20--70 days. The mean plasma alkaline phosphatase (expressed as a percentage of the pre-treatment level) commenced to fall after 30 days of treatment and at 120 days was 58% of the pre-treatment level; this fall was sustained at 200 days. There was a mean rise of 0-08 mmol/l in plasma calcium; there was no significant change in plasma inorganic phosphorus or plasma creatinine. In view of the extremely low cost of this drug combination and its lack of side-effects, it is suggested it be considered as a treatment for Paget's disease of bone.
D000368:Aged; D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002118:Calcium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008736:Methyclothiazide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010001:Osteitis Deformans / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D010758:Phosphorus; D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide; D008736:Methyclothiazide; D002118:Calcium