Etidronate Disodium and Zidovudine

• Generic Name: etidronate
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Didronel, Didronel IV.

Used in the treatment of moderate to severe symptomatic Paget disease of bone (osteitis deformans).

Efficacy not established in asymptomatic patients. May consider prophylactic treatment in patients with extensive involvement of the skull or spinal column and the possibility of irreversible neurologic damage or in those with extensive involvement threatening major joints or weight-bearing bones.

Less effective than risedronate or alendronate in the treatment of moderate to severe Paget disease of bone.

Relapse generally tends to occur within about 3–24 months in patients most likely to relapse (e.g., higher pretreatment markers of bone turnover).

Resistance is most likely to develop in patients receiving >1 course of therapy per year or those with higher pretreatment indices of bone turnover.

Used in the prevention and treatment of heterotopic ossification (myositis ossificans, ectopic calcification, periarticular ossification, or paraosteoarthropathy) following total hip arthroplasty or resulting from spinal cord injury.

Efficacy not established for treatment of idiopathic heterotopic ossification or heterotopic ossification associated with conditions other than total hip arthroplasty or spinal cord injury.

Bisphosphonates, including etidronate, have been used effectively for the prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

• Generic Name: zidovudine
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Retrovir

Zidovudine (also known as AZT) is used together with other medicines for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. HIV is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Zidovudine is used to slow the progression of disease in patients infected with HIV who have advanced symptoms, early symptoms, or no symptoms at all. Zidovudine is also used to help prevent pregnant women who have HIV from passing the virus to their babies during pregnancy and at birth.

Zidovudine will not cure or prevent HIV infection or AIDS, however, it helps keep HIV from reproducing and appears to slow down the destruction of the immune system. This may help delay the development of problems that usually result from AIDS or HIV disease. Zidovudine will not keep you from spreading HIV to other people. People who receive zidovudine may continue to have the problems usually related to AIDS or HIV disease.

Zidovudine is available only with your doctor's prescription.