Prescription medication · Calcitonin (Nasal/Injectable)

calcitonin

Also sold as Miacalcin, Fortical. This medicine is used to treat certain bone conditions.

Data updated 2026-05-15

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calcitonin (Miacalcin) is a prescription Calcitonin (Nasal/Injectable). This medicine is used to treat certain bone conditions.

Calcitonin is a medicine that helps manage calcium levels in your body. It comes as a nasal spray or an injection.

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What it does

This medicine is used to treat certain bone conditions.

Common side effects

No common side effects listed.

Key warnings

No specific warnings noted. Always follow your prescriber's instructions.

The sections below are summarized in plain English from calcitonin's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.

How It Works

Calcitonin is a hormone that lowers calcium levels in your blood. It works by slowing down the breakdown of bone. This helps to keep calcium in your bones and out of your bloodstream.

Known Drug Interactions

7.1 Aminoglycosides and Calcitonin Caution is advised when bisphosphonates are administered with aminoglycosides or calcitonin, since these agents may have an additive effect to lower serum calcium level for prolonged periods.

Mechanism: Both of these medicines lower the amount of calcium in your blood. Taking them together can cause your calcium levels to drop too low for a long time.

This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.

Common Questions

What is calcitonin used for?
It is used to treat certain bone conditions and manage high calcium levels.
How often should I take calcitonin?
You should take it two times per day.
Should I take calcitonin with food?
Take this medicine 15 minutes before meals.
Can children take calcitonin?
Yes, the dosage varies depending on the child's age.
What is the adult dosage for calcitonin?
Adults and children 12 years and older should take 20 drops in a little water, two times per day.
What does calcitonin do in my body?
It lowers calcium levels in your blood by slowing down the breakdown of bone.
Does calcitonin interact with other medications?
The registry has 1 documented interaction rows for calcitonin. Notable source-record pairings include zoledronic acid. These rows are not a complete medication review.
What drug class is calcitonin?
calcitonin belongs to the Calcitonin (Nasal/Injectable) drug class. It requires a prescription (Rx). This medicine is used to treat certain bone conditions.

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What the FDA Data Shows for calcitonin

The FDA label for calcitonin (sold under brand names such as Miacalcin, Fortical) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Calcitonin (Nasal/Injectable) class. This medicine is used to treat certain bone conditions. Labeling covers dosing, contraindications, and monitoring requirements derived from clinical trials.

Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. Voluntary reports accumulate over the lifetime of a drug and reflect wide-ranging clinical use. The database also lists 1 documented drug interaction derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. Acquisition-cost data is surveyed weekly by CMS and updated as manufacturers report changes.

Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.

Data Sources

Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.

Last updated: November 14, 2022

PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.

Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.

All federal data sources used on this page