Brand Bonviva - Idrofos Injection

Bonviva is used for osteoporosis in women who have passed the menopause.
Bonviva injection contain the active ingredient ibandronic acid, which is a type of medicine called a bisphosphonate. Bisphosphonates are medicines that prevent the breakdown of bone.
Bone is not a static structure. It is continually shaped, reformed and rebuilt by cells called osteoblasts and osteoclasts. These cells continuously deposit and remove calcium and phophorous, stored in a protein network that makes up the structure of the bone. Old bone is broken down by the osteoclasts and new bone is formed by the osteoblasts.

In women at the menopause, blood levels of the female hormone oestrogen start to decrease. This results in an increase in bone breakdown by the osteoclasts, which can lead to a loss of bone density. Bone loss is particularly rapid for the first 10 years after the menopause and it may lead to the development of osteoporosis – a condition in which the bones become weak and brittle and break (fracture) more easily.
Ibandronic acid is used to treat osteoporosis in women who have passed the menopause. It works by binding very tightly to the bone and preventing the calcium being removed by the osteoclasts. This stops the osteoclasts from breaking down the bone, which helps to keep the bones strong and less likely to break.
In women who have passed the menopause, ibandronic acid has been shown to reduce the risk of breaking a bone in the spine, but it is not known if it is effective at preventing hip fractures.

Bonviva can be administered by mouth or by injection into a vein. Bonviva injection can be administered every three months.
As this medicine slows bone turnover and so prevents calcium being rebsorbed from the bones into the blood, it can cause the amount of calcium in your blood to fall too low. If you are having this medicine as a three-monthly injection, you will need to take calcium and vitamin D supplements to prevent this. If you are taking this medicine as a monthly tablet, your doctor will usually only ask you to take supplements if your dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D is low.

Side effects
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
Common (affect between 1 in 10 and 1 in 100 people)

• Headache.
• Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, acid reflux or abdominal pain.
• Pain in joints, muscles or bones (musculoskeletal pain).
• Muscle cramps.
• Flu-like symptoms.
• Rash.