When a person has kidney illness, lanthanum is administered to lower phosphate levels in blood. Problems with bones can result from high blood phosphate levels. Medications referred to as phosphate binders contain lanthanum. It holds onto the phosphorus your diet provides and stops your blood stream from absorbing it.

Both chewable tablets and an oral powder for ingestion are available for lanthanum. As prescribed by your doctor, it is often taken with or or after food multiple times each day. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Follow the lanthanum directions exactly. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Before swallowing, fully chew the tablets; do not swallow them whole. You can smash the tablets first and then chew them if you have problems doing so.

Add a tiny amount of applesauce or another comparable food to the oral powder, mix well, and consume right away with a meal. After combining, don’t keep the prepared mixture for later usage. Before using the drug, wait to open the oral powder package. Avoid combining liquid and lanthanum oral powder.

Most likely, your doctor will put you on a modest dose of lanthanum and gradually increase it, no more frequently than once every two to three weeks.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking lanthanum,

• If you have any allergies, including to any of the substances in lanthanum chewable tablets or oral powder, notify your doctor and pharmacist right away. Request a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products that you are now taking or intend to use. Your doctor may instruct you to adjust the doses of your medications, take them at specific times before or after taking lanthanum, or be more closely watched for side effects. Be sure to mention any of the following: calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine (Norvasc), diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia, Diltzac, others), felodipine, isradipine, nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Adalat, Afeditab, Procardia), nimodipine (Nymalize), nisoldipine (Sular), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Verelan, in Tarka). If you are taking an ACE inhibitor, such as fosinopril, captopril, enalapril (Epaned, Vasotec), benazepril (Lotensin, in Lotrel), ampicillin; a tetracycline antibiotic such as demeclocycline, doxycycline (Doryx, Monodox, Oracea, among others), minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin), or tetracycline (Achromycin V, in Pylera); lisinopril (Qbrelis, Prinivil, in Zestoretic), moexipril, or perindopril  (Aceon, in Prestalia); a drug for the treatment of malaria; a statin drug (which lowers cholesterol), such as atorvastatin (Lipitor) or rosuvastatin (Crestor); you need to take it at least 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking lanthanum, if you’re taking a thyroid supplement like levothyroxine (Levo-T, Synthroid, Tirosint, etc.). Fluoroquinolone antibiotics such levofloxacin (Levaquin), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), gemifloxacin (Factive), or moxifloxacin (Avelox, Moxeza) should be used at least an hour before or four hours after lanthanum. Be sure to inform your doctor and pharmacist about all of the medications you are taking, even if they do not appear on this list, as many other drugs may interact with lanthanum.
• Inform your doctor if you have fecal impaction (a significant quantity of dry, hard feces lodged in the rectum), paralytic ileus (a condition where digested food does not flow through the intestines), or any other condition where the bowels are obstructed. Most likely, your doctor will advise against using lanthanum.
• Inform your doctor if you have or have ever had an ulcer, ulcerative colitis (a condition that results in swelling and sores in the lining of the colon [large intestine] and rectum), peritonitis (inflammation of the stomach lining), Crohn’s disease (a condition where the body attacks the lining of the intestines and causes pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fever), peritonitis, or any other condition that causes sores or inflammation, gastrointestinal issues such persistent constipation, colon or stomach cancer, diabetes, gastroparesis (slowed food transit from the stomach to the small intestine), etc. Additionally, let your doctor know whether you’ve ever undergone any type of gastrointestinal surgery.
• Inform your physician if you are nursing a baby, intend to get pregnant, or are already pregnant. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking lanthanum.

You can be advised to eat a low-phosphorus diet by your doctor. Pay close attention to these guidelines. Consult your doctor regarding meals that are high in phosphorus.

Ignore the missed dose and carry on with my normal dosing routine. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Effects of lanthanum could be negative. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Discomfort in the abdomen
• Diarrhea
• Constipation

Some adverse effects can be very harmful. Call your doctor right away if any of these symptoms occur to you:

• Severe cramping or discomfort in the abdomen
• Bloating
• An abdominal ache and edema
• Unavailability to urinate or pass gas

Other negative effects of lanthanum are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch or by phone at 1-800-332-1088 if you have a serious side event.

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it at room temperature and out of the bathroom and other places with excessive heat and moisture.

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilizing a medicine take-back program is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programs in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back program, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Overdose signs could include the following:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your body’s response to lanthanum.

Before having any x-rays of your abdominal area, tell your doctor and the x-ray technicians that you are taking lanthanum.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.