The U.S. FDA approved Calcium chloride on Jan 28, 2000. Calcium chloride is a mineral salt. This medication is used to increase the blood calcium level in the body and get a normal working heart (cardiac arrest) when potassium levels are extremely high. 

Calcium chloride is used as a part of the Cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedure (CPR) to rescue people from cardiac arrest, and it is used to treat low calcium levels.

This medicine is given only in a hospital setup by a healthcare provider. Calcium chloride will be given to you by your doctor. It is given intravenously (into a vein), either as single injections or as a continuous infusion (a drip). Your physician will decide the dosage and frequency of this injection based on the severity of your disease and other factors.

The common side effects that are experienced while you are on the treatment with Calcium chloride are chalky taste in the mouth, hot flushes, lowered blood pressure, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, constipation, stomach pain, weakness, mental disturbances, extreme thirst, increased urination, bone pain, kidney calcium deposits, kidney stones, irregular heartbeat, coma, and even the formation of blood clots in veins, as well as the possibility of elevated blood pressure.

Inform your doctor if you are allergic to calcium salts or any of the ingredients present in them, heart problems, kidney problems that result in low calcium levels, excess calcium in blood or urine, breathing problems, or dangerously fast heartbeat (ventricular fibrillation), high levels of vitamin D (sarcoidosis) and kidney stones. Consult your doctor if you have breathing problems or a dangerously fast heartbeat (ventricular fibrillation). It is not recommended in treating asystole (heart to stop pumping) and electromechanical dissociation (Pulseless electrical activity of the heart).

Inform your doctor if you have a local “burning” sensation and symptoms of low blood pressure (dizziness, weakness, nausea, or blurry vision) because this medicine may cause a drop in the blood pressure level. Consult your doctor if you are planning to get pregnant or think you may be pregnant or while you are breastfeeding. Elderly patients with liver, kidney, and heart should be cautious while taking the medicine.

Inform your doctor if you have taken heart (digitoxin), bone disorders (e.g., Paget’s disease), bacterial infections (tetracycline), blood pressure and fluid retention (thiazides), e.g., indapamide, calcium channel blockers. Consult your doctor if you feel breathing difficulty or lung disorder, and you may be advised to monitor your electrolyte level (calcium) at regular intervals. There is a risk of a drop in the blood pressure as a side effect.so it is recommended to monitor your blood pressure before treatment. Individuals who have kidney problems should be cautious while taking medicine because it contains aluminum, which impairs kidney function.

1. Aurum Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC), [Revised on Jan 2018] [Accessed on 28th Sep 2023], https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.4126.pdf
2. Hospira Healthcare Corporation, US Food and Drug Administration, [Revised on  April 2017], [Accessed on 28th Sep 2023], https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2018/021117s015lbl.pdf

The drug information on this page is not a substitute for medical advice, it is meant for educational purposes only. For further details consult your doctor about your medical condition to know if you are eligible to receive this treatment.