The main function of the kidneys is to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood. Your kidneys play a major role in regulating levels of calcium, phosphorus and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in your body.
When you have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), your kidneys aren’t healthy. As a result, they are less able to filter waste products and maintain the right balance of fluids, minerals, and other substances within your body. You need phosphorus and calcium to keep your bones and teeth strong and you also need PTH to regulate the amounts of these minerals. When your body has too much or too little of one mineral, it can cause other minerals to get out of balance. As your kidney function decreases, this imbalance becomes more of a problem. When you have CKD, maintaining the right balance of phosphorus and calcium, and the right level of PTH is one of the goals of your healthcare team, and it’s an important part of managing CKD.
*The safety and efficacy of Renvela in CKD patients not on dialysis have not been established.
Genzyme Renvela
Important Treatment Considerations
Renvela® (sevelamer carbonate) is used to control phosphorus levels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis
Do not use Renvela if you have a history of bowel obstruction
Talk to your doctor if you have had digestive tract surgery or other digestive disorders, including severe constipation
Uncommon cases of bowel obstruction and perforation have been reported
Your doctor should monitor bicarbonate and chloride blood levels • Vitamins D, E, K (clotting factors), and folic acid blood levels should also be monitored by your doctor
The most frequently occurring side effects observed with sevelamer carbonate tablets were nausea and vomiting
Side effects with sevelamer carbonate powder taken three times a day were similar to those reported for sevelamer carbonate tablets
The most common side effects with sevelamer hydrochloride, which contains the same active ingredient as sevelamer carbonate, included: vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, dyspepsia, abdominal pain, flatulence, and constipation
Cases of fecal impaction and, less commonly, ileus, bowel obstruction, and bowel perforation have been reported
Take Renvela with meals and adhere to your prescribed diet
Talk to your doctor when taking Renvela with other medications • Promptly contact your doctor if you experience severe abdominal pain, new or worsening constipation, or other severe intestinal symptoms while on Renvela
Genzyme Corporate
