I am about to have my first infusion. Please would someone tell me what exactly happens? Thank you.
Hi Tally, Not sure what you are being infused with but Iâve had 3 doses of Zoledronate now and itâs a breeze (kind of). A nurse inserts a catheter into a vein in your elbow crease, attaches a drip and the medicine trickles in over approx 40 mins. You will probably feel a scratch when they insert the needle but then itâs painless. I sit in a communal treatment room with other ladies going through exactly the same thing. Usually I chat to take my mind of it but some people just read or watch the TV. Also itâs only once every 12 months so you can get on with your life the rest of the time. Iâve been lucky to not experience any side effects (so far) but I canât guarantee that for anyone else. Hope this helps/reassures.
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Thank you for your reply, which is just the sort of info I was after
Sorry to say I did have side effects. A flare of my autoimmune condition, a few days of feeling unwell. Follow all the advice drink lots of water, rest. I think I was a bit too a ambitious as felt fine after the infusion.
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Hi I had the Zolontronic Infusion about a month ago. It was very easy as others have commented. I was settled into a comfortable chair in the infusion room where there was lots of other people, all different ages, recieving infusions for a variety of things. The staff were very nice and the procedure painless and straight forward. I had my vitals taken: blood pressure, temperature, etc and then the infusion took about 30mins in total and I was in and out in under an hour. I was very nervous before hand such that my initial blood pressure was sky high but they retook it after the infusion and i was back to normal. I was then waved off with a cheery âsee you in a yearâs timeâ.
That evening and the next day I did suffer a low background headache and aching bones. The biggest side effect was the complete lack of energy and constant drowsiness. I slept on and off most of that day. But the day after I was back to normal and now I have completly forgotten about it. Well worth one sleepy day for a year free from injections or meds. The hardest part was chasing a perscription for Vit D/Calcium supplements as you need to take high dosage of these as you will no longer be shedding bone. I eventually got these from GP but wished I had been prescibed them whilst on the waiting list as they check your vitamin D level at the point of insusion and will not procede if they are not high enough. The hardest part now is waiting 4 years before my next DEXA scan to know if it is working. Wish there was someway of monitoring this more frequently.
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Hi. The news about vitamin D and calcium levels needing to be high for the infusion is interesting. I was told last month my results were âadequate.â I would prefer optimal! Wonder if adequate is just that, adequate enough for the infusion.
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I was not prepared to wait so consulted Alison Johnson (Osteoscan) privately who carried out a REM Scan that she fully explained to me. Alison was also very helpful in giving me advice on diet, supplements and exercise. Information I was unable to obtain from my GP.
Hope this is of help to you.
Hi everyone,
Wishing a very warm welcome to the new members here 
It can be difficult to know what to expect when having an infusion for the first time, so we just wanted to drop in and share one of our BoneMatters videos, about taking zoledronate:
We hope that might feel helpful for anyone coming across the supportive conversation here Thank you to everyone whoâs kindly shared their own experiences here too!
For more videos about osteoporosis, see our BoneMatters page.
Wishing you the very best,
Lulu
ROS Moderator
I have now had the infusion. Very straightforward, hospital staff very kind and competent. Not mentioned to me before that I had to have a blood test 2 weeks before the procedure to check my calcium and vitamin D levels were okay, and I must have another 2 weeks after the treatment today. Not sure what they will be looking for with that. For anyone concerned about what happens, it doesnât hurt and doesnât take all that long.
As an info add-on, they took my blood pressure before starting the procedure, so anyone with high BP or taking meds for it nees to be aware it is an issue.
Didnât feel unwell after the infusion, but felt very poorly in the evening/overnight. Receive wisdom is to take Paracetamol. But always thrust at you if you are in hospital. I feel much better today. Hope it keeps that way.
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