Fosamax...anyone taking this? Options

[Jiliebeane]

[TCML355]

Hi, I took Fosomax for a couple of months but, was not able to tolerate it. Unfortunately I am left with Evista which is ok for the spine but, not very effective for the hip and I have low bone in both. Terri

[Gran]

Hi: Im taking fosamax. I have been taking this med for three years now. At one time I was on fosamax and evista but now my doctor says this combination is not beneficial.

[Meryl]

I take Actonel because my poor little esophagus couldn't tolerate the Fosamax. It's been a couple months, and it seems okay.

[Gran]

What kind of symptoms did you have?

[Meryl]

Hi. I have a hiatal hernia and bad reflux, so it just exacerbated the burning pain I get in the middle of my back from all of this.

[Cesca]

I've just taken my 5th dose. First 2 made me nauseous. I've learned to drink ALOT of water with each pill and sit quietly for the required 30 minutes. I'll put up with the nausea - at 54 I already have osteoporosis and osteopenia. I fit the profile - tall, slender white female. My father (whose body type I inherited) had osteoporosis, so I take this very seriously. I could cry when I see elderly women bent almost double, struggling to walk across a street. They didn't have the benefit of the research and information we have.

[Jannylu]

I take Actonel for Osteoporosis once weekly. I am 3 years post meno and 51. My mother is one of those hunched up fragile ladies. She refused to take fosomax due to constipation. I am not going to make the same mistake. So far, I have no side effects and am so thankful that we have these medications. It doesn't make sense to be non-compliant. All I have to do is look at my mom. She broke a hip just walking up the stairs. I never want to be in that kind of shape. If you're diagnosed PLEASE find a med that works. The results of this disease can be devastating!

[Meryl]

I agree. Actonel seems like the drug with the least side effects. I have not had any problems with it at all. Protect your bones!

[sdepue]

I have been taking Fosmax 1 weekly for 3wks now. After the 2nd dose I started getting severe gas & stomach pains with the gas, it all starts about the same time every day. Anyone else have this prob?

[beebs]

I have been taking Fosamax for 1 month and am have been having severe joint pain, muscle aches and stomach upset and gas. I am going to the doc to find out if there is something with less side effects.

[lizlama]

I was prescribed Actonel six weeks ago. Since then, every week I hurt somewhere else. First it was my lower back, then calves, now for the past 3 days I can hardly move my left arm. It feels like someone punched me real hard in the upper part of it.
I had no idea that all this misery might be caused by my medication.
Calling my doctor tomorrow and see if she thinks I should continue on Actonel.

[ashlynn]

I'm also taking Fosamax. Have been for three years now. I have osteopenia. Just recently I had a bone density test on my hips and I still have osteopenia. No improvement. So I'll continue to take it I guess. (I've taken alot of steroids for medical conditions so I'm very suseptible) I also take lots of calcium daily for my condition.

[sally13]

i have taken fosomax, actenol and both did my stomache in badly. Finally had to go to a yearly infusion of zomado. Only side affect is that your bones ache for a couple of weeks but that isn't bad compared to what it did to my gut! I unfortuanately have osteporosis which is not reversable at the age of 49. My gyn did not think it necessary and said insurance would not pay for dexa scan when I asked him at the age of 45. Said insurance won't pay for it at that age but I could get a "hand scan" in the office. The hand scan is obvisoulsy not such a good predictor as it said I had the bones of a 17 year old. Anyway had a family history mom etc with Osteoporosis and finally at age 49 told him I would pay for the scan, since two of my sisters younger than I had ostopenia diagnosed that year. Bottom line -have osteoporosis in my neck, spine and both hips! guess that hand scan wasn't so good! the best I can now hope for is to stop the progression. I can't reverse it.

[Cesca]

Hi Sally,
I know what you mean about scans and their inaccuracy. My first scan was of my ankle and the result was that I had the bones of a 39 year old. A few years later I had a wrist scan and it showed osteoporosis - was I ever surprised and scared! Took results to my doc who quickly ordered the dexa scan - osteoporotic in my spine, osteopenia in hips. Guess my ankles are strong because I don't drive and walk alot. I've been taking weekly Fosamax with few side effects. It will be interesting to see whether my next dexa shows any improvement. I strongly suggest that women concerned about this disease forego any lower body scan and have the dexa done - it is a more accurate measure.
Cesca

[ashlynn]

Yes I was also surprised that I had osteopenia in my hips but not my spine. I didn't know that from the previous test, not done on my hip.

I will now make sure that I get the appropriate scans. Why do we have to tell our physicians this? <_<

[devadasi1]

Confused about bone medications

I've been taking Fosamax for about 5 years for osteopenia - I take my calcium 3X daily too.. but my last DEXA scan showed my spine had lost BMD, so my new doc prescribed Miacalcin too to go along with everything else.

Is anyone but me disgusted with having to take so much stuff for your bone health? I wish they had just 1 pill.

I'm nervous about bio-identical hormones but was thinking about shifting to Evista if my doc says yes.

What do you all think of the various bone medications out there?

Devadasi

[sally13]

ask your doctor about the once a year infusion. Also have you had your vitamin D level checked? you can take all the calcium you want but if you are low d then you run into problems absorbing the calcium.
As for medication- I am sick of the number of pills we have to shove down our throat to maintain our health for sure! calcium, d, stuff for digestion, AHHH! if men suffered from this problem I think they would find a better solution! <_<

[Dor]

I have been diagnosed with osteopenia and have been told to take fosamax. I have done quite a bit of research and am not comfortable taking this drug. Both Christiane Northrup and Susan Love say that it should only be taken for true or extreme osteoporsis. And, several doctors on Susan Love's web site say that osteopenia is not a disease. In fact they said that osteopenia was invented to make women more aware of their bone health, which it has done, but it has also scared women and doctors into taking major steps which are not necessary. They suggest that osteopenia falls within the normal range for women 50 and above. So, I feel very uncomfortable taking this drug when I have read comments from women about major side affects - even years down the road. I am also quite annoyed with the drug companies for pushing so hard for things that may not be needed and turning "normal" into scary or a disease. I was brought up to do what the doctor says, so these decisions are hard for me to make. There is no history in my family, I am a dance teacher so exercise is not an issue. I am a smoker which is. How do women make these kinds of educated choices and feel comfortable with them? When do we say no to the pressure from drug companies and doctors and do what is right for us? Any thoughts would be most helpful.

[sally13]

ostopenia is NOT something made up. It is what happens to your bones BEFORE you end up with osteporosis. And it IS reversible at the point you have it. However, without either fosomax, actenol or one of the other drugs you will continue to loose bone mass. . YOu have to take one of them. Actenol I found was easier to tolerate. However, in time I ended up not being able to take any and get an infusion once a year, which is suppose to be as effective as fosomax. Also if you don't do work outs you should start- resistance training can help rebuild bone mass too.

[devadasi1]

Can you tell me if this once-yearly infusion is Zometa? I thought it wasn't yet approved for osteoporosis, but only for metastases to the bone from breast cancer? Can't find anything on the Zometa site about osteo use.... please tell me more! Thanks!

[TCML355]

<_< I was told by my enocrinologist that osteopenia is not catagorized as a disease. As a matter of fact he corrected the laboratory who put me in the severe osteoporosis catagory.
I believe that the endo. is correct since osteoporosis is his specialty.
I would be careful when selecting the right doctor.
Terri

[Bet]

[COLOR=yellow]


I have been taking Fosamax for three years. I have not had a problem with it and have a bone density scheduled for next week to see if I've improved. It's only the second one I've had. I have osteoporosis in my left hip and some my back. Will see how it goes. Bet

[Lassie]

I have looked up osteopenia on the internet and I still do not understand exactly what it is and how it is related or different then Osteoporisis. Can someone explain this to me. Thank-you

[ashlynn]

I've been on Fosamax for three years and just had a bone density test. I did not improve but stayed the same. So why should I continue to take Fosamax? I don't know if it even helped.

[ashlynn]

How do we even know if Fosamax helps our osteopenia. My test, after taking Fosamax for 3 years, showed no improvement. Stayed about the same. So why should I continue to take it?

[MaryO]

Ashlyn, you may have lost bone if you hadn't taken it. Sometimes, just holding on to what we have is a good thing. So, for you, Fosamax may be more of a preventative medicine than anything.

Generally, osteopenia is the precursor to osteoporosis, marked by bone thinning.

[Lassie]

Thank-you MaryO I was feeling ignored.

[perl]

Hi my name is perl. I am new on the board and I hope that I am doing this right. Anyway, I was diagnosed with Osteopena too. I also broke my hip. I am fully recovered now and I am not taking fosomax. I do not believe in it at all. In fact I was taking prempro at the time and was working out, very healthy, etc.

[AimeeDecorates]

I have been diagnosed with osteopenia and have been told to take fosamax.  I have done quite a bit of research and am not comfortable taking this drug.  Both Christiane Northrup and Susan Love say that it should only be taken for true or extreme osteoporsis.  And, several doctors on Susan Love's web site say that osteopenia is not a disease.  In fact they said that osteopenia was invented to make women more aware of their bone health, which it has done, but it has also scared women and doctors into taking major steps which are not necessary. 

I've read the same thing by many doctors that I respect (I am constantly researching). I read that women who are small boned or petite to begin with would NEVER have had the bone density they are told they should have at 50 and beyond, even when they were 18!

It's like everything else with Big Pharma; for example, they have now lowered what our LDL cholesterol should be so that, guess what? they now have millions more people who "qualify" to take their statin drugs.

I do not trust the majority of pharmaceuticals, particularly the newer drugs. Look at all of the ones that have been taken off the market. 100,000 people die every year from properly prescribed, properly taken medicines. Death is considered an acceptable side effect by the FDA. (But just let one single person die from an herb and it is banned.)

And if you look at * (maintained by the physician from Public Citizen), you will see the list of drugs they believe should be withdrawn from the market (I think there are 156 of them).

I honestly believe that if the population changed their eating habits (a complete overhaul) and exercised, drugs would rarely be needed. There wasn't any Type 2 diabetes at the beginning of the 1900's, but now it is an epidemic. Sugar consumption is up 3,000% since that time. And I doubt we'd need much in the way of supplements if we made radical dietary changes.

Sorry for the rant! With my period starting unexpectantly today and my complete and total distrust of the medical-pharmaceutical machine, I just started to rant.

Hope everyone can find their own pathway to healing.