Starting Rayaldee® (calcifediol) Extended-Release Capsules
If you’re just getting started with Rayaldee, here’s a quick introduction and overview. Rayaldee is an oral medicine prescribed to treat adults with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD), and low vitamin D levels.
Before starting Rayaldee
Before you start treatment with Rayaldee, your healthcare provider will check the levels of certain vitamins and minerals in your blood. These may include:
- Vitamin D
- Parathyroid hormone (PTH)
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
Rayaldee is not for children. Rayaldee is not for people who have stage 5 CKD or are on dialysis.
After 3 months (and beyond)
After you have taken Rayaldee for about 3 months, and then every 6 to 12 months afterward, your healthcare provider will check levels in your blood again. The dose prescribed for you may change based on these results.
Lab Test Timeline
If the level of PTH or vitamin D is outside the targeted range, your healthcare provider may increase the dose of Rayaldee to 60 mcg (2 capsules) by mouth daily at bedtime.
Take Rayaldee exactly as prescribed. Levels in your blood may be affected if you don’t. If you have questions about your dose, call your healthcare provider.
Is anything getting in the way of taking your dose as prescribed?
Support is available.
- Let your healthcare provider know about side effects. There may be ways they can help.
- For help with affording your medicine, talking with insurance companies, or navigating copays, contact OPKO Connect.
Rayaldee has not been proven to completely get rid of vitamin D insufficiency nor control SHPT. Remember, if untreated, SHPT can lead to serious health issues such as
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Kidney stones
- Osteoporosis (weak, brittle bones)
- Bone fractures