Cancer drugs A to Z list
Ibandronic acid is a type of bisphosphonate. It is a treatment which prevents breaks (fractures) in the bones of people with cancer affecting the bone. You might have it to treat breast cancer that has spread to the bone (secondary breast cancer).
You might also have ibandronic acid to treat high levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcaemia) caused by secondary bone cancer.
Go to more detailed information about bisphosphonates
Ibandronic acid strengthens the bone and stops the bone from breaking down.
You can have ibandronic acid into your bloodstream (intravenously) or as a tablet.
You might have treatment through a long plastic tube that goes into a large vein in your chest. The tube stays in place throughout the course of treatment. This can be a:
central line
PICC line
portacath
You might have treatment through a thin short tube (a cannula) that goes into a vein in your arm. You have a new cannula each time you have treatment.
Finding out more about having medicine into your vein
You take ibandronic acid tablets in the morning with a full glass of water. You take them at least 6 hours after you last had anything to eat, drink, or any other medicines (with the exception of water).
You will need to wait a while before you have your first food and drink and before you take any other medicines. Your pharmacist will tell you how long to wait.
You take the tablets sitting or standing. After taking the tablets you should not lie down for 1 hour.
Only take ibandronic acid with water. If you live in a hard water area use bottled water instead.
Speak to your pharmacist if you have problems swallowing the tablets. Do not crush, chew or suck them.
Whether you have a full or an empty stomach can affect how much of a drug gets into your bloodstream.
You should take the right dose, no more or less.
Talk to your healthcare team before you stop taking a cancer drug or if you miss a dose.
You might have ibandronic acid as a:
drip into your bloodstream for 2 hours if you're having it as a treatment to lower the calcium levels in your blood
drip into your bloodstream over at least 15 minutes, every 3 to 4 weeks if you're having it as a treatment to prevent or reduce bone damage
tablet you take once a day
You may also have to take calcium and vitamin D supplements if your levels are low. You will have regular blood tests to check your levels.
How often you have this drug depends on your individual situation. Speak to your healthcare team to find out more about this.
You have blood tests before starting and during your treatment. They check your levels of blood cells and other substances in the blood such as calcium and vitamin D. You might also need to do urine samples for testing and have tests to check how well your kidneys are working.
Your doctor may ask you to see a dentist before and regularly while you're having ibandronic acid.
Side effects can vary from person to person. They also depend on what other treatments you're having.
Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will go through the possible side effects. They will monitor you during treatment and check how you are at your appointments. Contact your advice line as soon as possible if:
you have severe side effects
your side effects aren’t getting any better
your side effects are getting worse
Early treatment can help manage side effects better.
We haven't listed all the side effects here. Talk to your healthcare team if you have any new symptoms that you think might be a side effect of your treatment.
Remember it is very unlikely that you will have all of these side effects. But you might have some of them at the same time.
Common side effects happen in more than 10 in 100 people (more than 10%). At the time of this review, there have been no reports of common side effects for this treatment.
These side effects happen in between 1 and 10 out of every 100 people (between 1 and 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
It may include high temperature, shivering or shaking, headaches, aching muscles, joints or bone aches.
These symptoms might go away in a few hours or days and may not need treatment.
Increased risk of getting an infection is due to a drop in white blood cells. Symptoms include a change in temperature, aching muscles, headaches, feeling cold and shivery and generally unwell. You might have other symptoms depending on where the infection is.
Low calcium levels in the blood can cause painful muscle spasms, cramps or muscle twitching. You might also get numbness or tingling in your feet, hands or around your mouth.
Let your doctor or nurse know if you have headaches. They can give you painkillers. Don’t drive or operate machinery if you feel dizzy.
Taste changes may make you go off certain foods and drinks. You may also find that some foods taste different from usual or that you prefer to eat spicier foods. Your taste gradually returns to normal a few weeks after your treatment finishes.
A cataract is clouding of the lens of the eye which leads to slow loss of vision. You might experience:
cloudy or blurry vision
trouble seeing in the dark– night driving may be difficult
colours may appear faded or dull
lights appear to be too bright, or there may be a halo around lights
double vision, which gradually gets worse
Let your doctor or nurse know if you have any of these changes.
Heart problems include changes in how your heart works. These changes might cause you to feel faint and dizzy.
Much less commonly, it might also cause , high blood pressure or a heart attack.
Tell your doctor or nurse immediately if any of these happen to you, or you have chest pain.
Your throat might get sore. It may be painful to swallow drinks or food. You can have painkillers to reduce the soreness. Take them half an hour before meals to make eating easier.
Tell your doctor or nurse if your throat is sore.
Contact your advice line if you have diarrhoea. For example, in one day you have 2 or more loose bowel movements than usual. If you have a , you might have more output than normal. Your doctor may give you anti diarrhoea medicine to take home with you after treatment.
Try to eat small meals and snacks regularly. It’s best to try to have a healthy balanced diet if you can. You don’t necessarily need to stop eating foods that contain fibre. But if your diet is normally very high in fibre, it might help to cut back on high fibre foods such as beans, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, bran and raw vegetables.
Drink plenty to try and replace the fluid lost. Aim for 8 to 10 glasses per day.
More rarely, ibandronic acid can cause inflammation of the bowel from infection.
Feeling or being sick is usually well controlled with anti sickness medicines. It might help to avoid fatty or fried foods, eat small meals and snacks and take regular sips of water. Relaxation techniques might also help.
It is important to take anti sickness medicines as prescribed even if you don’t feel sick. It is easier to prevent sickness rather than treat it once it has started.
Contact your doctor or pharmacist if you have indigestion or heartburn. They can prescribe medicines to help.
You might get tooth problems while having this drug. Make sure you’re brushing your teeth at least twice a day. Have regular check ups with your dentist. Report any problems with your teeth to your doctor or nurse.
Tell your treatment team if you have this. They can check the cause and give you medicine to help.
Skin problems that might happen include a skin rash, dryness, itching. You might also get skin colour changes that are flat and look blue or purple in colour like a bruise. It is because blood has leaked from very small blood vessels. It usually gets better after a few weeks.
Much more rarely you might develop a non cancerous skin growth or rash with this drug.
Some people might have a severe skin reaction called Stevens-Johnson syndrome. This is rare but can be life threatening. It may start as tender red patches which leads to peeling or blistering of the skin. You might also feel feverish and your eyes may be more sensitive to light. Contact your healthcare team straight away if you have these symptoms.
You might feel some aches, pains and stiffness in your joints, bones and muscles. This can make it difficult to get around. Speak to your healthcare team about what painkillers you can take to help with this.
You may have swelling of your hands and legs due to a build up of fluid (oedema).
This is usually mild. You can do things to help yourself, including some gentle exercise. It’s important not to push yourself too hard and eat a well balanced diet.
Talk to your doctor or nurse if this effect is stopping you from doing your usual daily activities.
Let your doctor or nurse know if you feel very thirsty or have dry skin. This might be due to dehydration.
Try to drink 8 to 10 glasses of fluid a day. This helps to keep you hydrated.
You might have liver changes that are usually mild and unlikely to cause symptoms. They usually go back to normal when treatment finishes.
You have regular blood tests to check for any changes in the way your liver is working.
You might have some changes in the way your kidneys work. You have regular blood tests to check how well they are working.
This side effects happens in fewer than 1 in 100 people (fewer than 1%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
inflammation of the bladder (cystitis) symptoms include pain and burning feeling when you pee, or a frequent and urgent need to go
inflammation of the vagina (vaginitis) that can cause pain when passing urine or during sex, soreness and itching, discharge and light bleeding
fluid on the lungs. Let your team know if you have symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain.
low levels of red blood cells in your blood (anaemia)
low levels of and enzyme called alkaline phosphate (ALP) in your blood
problems sleeping
mood changes and feeling anxious
bleeding in the brain or a stroke
nerve problems such as numbness, tingling, weakness, sudden sharp pain
memory loss
migraine – symptoms can include a severe throbbing pain, feeling or being sick, dizzy and faint and sensitive to light and noise
changes to touch, taste and smell
mouth problems such as ulcers, infection, swollen lips
loss of hearing or being sensitive to noise - this may be permanent or temporary
changes to breathing including wheezing
inflammation of the stomach due to infection – symptoms might include feeling or being sick, stomach pain that burns, indigestion, bloated tummy or loss of appetite
difficulty swallowing
gallstones
hair loss – this is usually temporary and will grow back when treatment has finished
fluid filled sac (cyst) on your kidney
a low body temperature (hypothermia)
weight loss
inflammation or injury of the drip site in people who have this drug into their bloodstream
Damage to the bones (for example in the jaw or thigh) is a rare but serious side effect. Contact your medical team if you have any of the following:
jaw pain
discharge from your ear
an ear infection
pain in the mouth, teeth or jaw
loosening of a tooth
pain or weakness in your hip, thigh or groin
We have more information about side effects and tips on how to cope with them.
Read more about how to cope with side effects
Cancer drugs can interact with medicines, herbal products, and some food and drinks. We are unable to list all the possible interactions that may happen. An example is grapefruit or grapefruit juice which can increase the side effects of certain drugs.
Tell your healthcare team about any medicines you are taking. This includes vitamins, herbal supplements and over the counter remedies. Also let them know about any other medical conditions or allergies you may have.
It is unknown whether treatment may or may not harm a baby developing in the womb. It is important not to become pregnant or get someone pregnant while you are having treatment. Let your team know straight away if you or your partner become pregnant while having treatment.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about effective contraception you can use during treatment. Ask how long you should use it before starting treatment and after treatment has finished.
It is not known whether this treatment affects in people. Talk to your doctor before starting treatment if you think you may want to have a baby in the future.
It is not known whether this drug comes through into the breast milk. Doctors usually advise that you don’t breastfeed during this treatment.
If you are having tests or treatment for anything else, always mention your cancer treatment. For example, if you are visiting your dentist.
It is important to see your dentist before you start ibandronic acid, and regularly during your treatment. You should avoid any invasive dental treatment such as extractions while you are having treatment. You can have fillings and routine cleaning.
If you need dental treatment talk to your specialist about whether you should stop your bisphosphonates beforehand. But don't stop taking them without talking to your doctor first.
For further information about this treatment and possible side effects go to the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) website. You can find the patient information leaflet on this website.
You can report any side effect you have to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as part of their Yellow Card Scheme.
Last reviewed: 19 Mar 2024
Next review due: 19 Mar 2027
Secondary bone cancer is when a cancer that started in another part of the body has spread to the bones. It is also called bone metastases.
Bisphosphonates are drugs that can help prevent or treat bone loss and reduce the risk of fractures. There are several different types of bisphosphonates, and they each work slightly differently.
Search for the cancer type you want to find out about. Each section has detailed information about symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, research and coping with cancer.
Cancer drugs have side effects and these can vary from person to person. But there are things that you can do to help you cope.
Coping with cancer can be difficult. There is help and support available. Find out about the emotional, physical and practical effects of cancer and how to manage them.
About Cancer generously supported by Dangoor Education since 2010. Learn more about Dangoor Education
Search our clinical trials database for all cancer trials and studies recruiting in the UK.
Connect with other people affected by cancer and share your experiences.
Questions about cancer? Call freephone 0808 800 40 40 from 9 to 5 - Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can email us.
