I saw this on our local news tonight and thought everyone should know (if they don't know already). I don't take any drugs for bones and, frankly, never will, preferring to stick with weight lifting, good diet with minerals (but not calcium because I don't think it is near the problem they claim and there is evidence we are overdosing on it, which causes other diseases).

Are we are just a bunch of cash cows to Big Pharma?

Keep in mind that though the following is from a local law firm, I read about it several months ago in one of my alternative health newsletters, so I do not question its validity.

"Fosamax may cause you to lose teeth, suffer from rotting jawbones and deteriorate your jaw to the extent that bone is exposed. Fosamax is manufactured by Merck & Company, the same company that manufactured and then pulled, Vioxx from the market. Fosamax was approved by the Food & Drug Administration in 1995. It is commonly used to treat patients with osteoporosis.

Fosamax has been linked to a serious bone disease called Osteonecrosis of the jaw or "ONJ." ONJ may cause rotting and decay of the jaw bone leading to exposed bone and/or lost and rotting teeth.

Fosamax, and similar bone-strengthening drugs Aredia and Zometa, belong to a category known as bisphosphonates. Pursuant to an FDA request, Merck revised its Fosamax information in July 2005 to include a reference to ONJ. The ONJ reference is, however, only found on page 13 of a 22 page document that is provided to pharmacists. We believe that Merck may have withheld and/or misinterpreted Fosamax study information on the drug's link to ONJ.

Not surprisingly, Fosamax is Merck's second best selling drug behind Vioxx. Fosamax sales were anticipated to be $3.3 to $3.6 billion in 2005."

Everything has a price

I am going with the resistance exercise and good diet and sunshine thing

Did you know that pharmacy is from the Greek root - pharmkon meaning poison....mmmmm

Thanks for this info

Mele

Hi, Mele.

I didn't know that, but I have always believed that most "medicines" are poisonous! Now, crisis medicine is definitely a good thing (emergency treatments for heart attack, trauma, etc.), but the track record for treating chronic diseases with pharmaceuticals is really abysmal (and I'm guessing at the spelling for that, LOL). Very, very few cures, they just "maintain" the illness.

Sorry I misspelled Fosamax.

One only has to read the list of possible side effects of most drugs to know that they are poison. I now try more natural remedies. I am in the process of weaning off of my beta blocker and I feel so much better since taking less of it.

It doesn't surprise me one bit. It seems every other day we're hearing of another pharmaceutical with dangerous effects. I'm scared of them, and don't take any (neither does my husband). I hope (fingers crossed) I'm never faced with a difficult decision of whether or not to take something like this. All my life I've believed in natural and alternative healthcare, and I'm hoping it takes me well into my future years.

RedFox

A local law firm makes a statement, that's a source of information with an agenda.

For anyone on Fosamax, Actonel or Boniva realize the ONJ cases were a few in Aridia and Zometa patients which is a 30-4hr IV infusion of medication for patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Guess the news reporters didn't ask for more clarification. The ONJ cases also involved significant dental surgery where a patient broke their jaw.

The FDA is currently looking for a correlation between oncology medications and bisphosphonates. You never know when you mix medications what can happen and this may be a case where you give high doses of IV bisphosphonates with a chemo regimen and get some strange interaction.

If you have cancer you should consider switching off the bisphosphonates. If not, then coming off the bisphosphonates will accelerate your bone loss leading to compression fractures in the spine and height loss. Osteoporosis can be stopped, but some people don't want to accept this pandemic by the surgeon general.

Hmmm. I know that Andrew Weil, M.D., went into detail on this in his newsletter and advises against Fosamax. I consider him very qualified to examine the evidence and give an expert opinion.

Thanks, DesRothchild!

My Mom has been of fosamax for at least 10yrs or more...no problems whatsoever. In fact about a month ago she was at the mall and tripped on an uneven piece of concrete/cement step on to the sidewalk...she fell right there on her hip and thigh. She didn't break or fracture anything...but she did get a horrible bruise that was black/blue and huge...at least 15inches long and 8 wide....just awful looking. They did x-rays and something else on this awful contusion. She was hurting from that bruise but thank goodness she didn't break her hip and thigh! She is 78yrs old and this type of fall can kill someone at this age.

Many dentists are refusing to treat people who are on these drugs, most especially if an extraction or implant is needed. Only now is jaw necrosis being reported and written about - it took awhile to make the link for many dentists and patients. These drugs stop the body's natural process of rebuilding bone. They encase old bone, but no new bone is made. Teeth are attatched to bone and when surgery is done in the mouth that bone is affected. How is that to heal if no new bone is being created? Just like a broken bone anywhere else, new bone must form to heal the break. Imagine now what happens if you break a bone somewhere else in your body? Sadly, I have read of cases where that bone does not heal in patients taking these drugs. And, there are reports by prominent doctors that bones might actually be more prone to breaking as fragile bone in a casing is not strong. Breakage is not just about bone densisty. Bone needs to be flexible as well and there is no way to measure that right now. I broke two bones in the last five years (wrist and hand) - both from hard trauma falls - no different than a child with the same fall. I healed in exactly the right amount of time and with no problems. I also have had five teeth extracted this past summer with no problems in healing. I know that with my family history that teeth are an issue and always have been for me. It chills me to think what might have happened had I been taking one of these drugs. Dental pain and trauma is bad enough without not healing - ever! And, as a side note, a person does not die from a broken bone. Most deaths from broken bones, especially hip fractures in the elderly, are due to pneumonia as the patient can not get up and walk around which causes fluid in the lungs.

I take osteoporosis very seriously, however I have read a great deal over the last five years and I am finding the reports very frightening when it comes to these drugs. My reading does not come from lawyer advertisements, but rather prominent medical professionals. Even the two gynecologists I have seen have not fought me on not wanting to take these drugs. Are they beginning to realize the dangers too? One has to wonder as previously they were strongly pushed by my doctors. I am not an ardent follower of Dr. Weil, but have noted that he at one time suggested using these drugs, but has since changed his stance.

To see what other patients are saying about these drugs, or any drug, go to askapatient.com. Simply type in the name of the drug and you can read what people have to say about using them - pro and con.

I am not anti drug at all and think that many drugs on the market do indeed save lives. But, I also think that we have to be smart, have to research, and have to make wise choices. These drugs, for me, hold too many risks (even heart problems being reported now). And sadly I think we are the victims of a huge marketing campaign. I do not wish to tell anyone what to do nor think I am always right, but I do hope that women will be very, very informed before agreeing to take anything. And, I hope women will realize that there are other ways, such as weight bearing exerise and to live their lives strongly and without fear. I have been very afraid of osteoporosis, but have come to realize that living strong and wise is the best choice for me.

An excellent book is "The Myth of Osteoporosis" by Gillian Sanson. Yes, it is a bit slanted as the title suggests, but it also contains excellent information. It is most interesting to note that her daughter was diagnosed at 16 for no apparent cause, as were both parents. They continue to live, thrive, and work hard without any breakage. This book is well worth a read, even if only to help reduce the fear and give positive insight.

Dor

Sounds like a good book...I am reading everything I can about peri and meno and all our hormones.

I guess only time will tell on these drugs...I admit I don't know much about them as I have never done much research to know at this point. I can only look at the example of my Mom as she is the only person I know taking fosamax....as a child my Mom broke both her arms several times! No clue way....she just seemed to break her arms very easily. Where as us kids never broke anything and were far more active than my Mom ever was. I am just glad for her it is working and not in a negative way...being nearly 80yrs old this is when much of these fatal fractures happen as our balance gets off....I can only say for her it saved her from a hip and thigh fracture...I can't even imagine if she could have survived that...she has chronic emphysma (sp?) from years (45+) of smoking...thankfully she did quit when diagnosised but it was to late at that point.

This is such a important topic for women...in my family osteoprosis is on both sides...that terrifies me!

Hi,

I am in the process of reading my new hormone book by Uzzi Reiss:
“The Natural Superwoman: The Scientifically Backed Program for Feeling Great, Looking Younger, and Enjoying Amazing Energy at Any Age”.

Dr. Reiss has a chapter on osteoporosis in the books that is so interesting. He talkes about the jaw necrosis thing in the book and gives the reasons why he do not give drugs like Fosamax. It is very interesting reading because he gives alternatives which include fish oil, magnesium, high-dose Vit. D3, Vit K2 (MK-7), strontium, boron, weight-bearing exercise, hormones (estrogen, DHEA, HGH, testosterone, progesterone,) and Calcitonin.

Kathy