1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Alendronic Acid

alendronic acid

Posted , 6 users are following.

humpalumpa
humpalumpa

Hello Peeps, i have recently been diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica and have been taking steroids ie Prednisolone for over eight months now, i have also been given a calcium tablet to take and more recently been put on Alendronic Acid , and herein lies my problem , i am suffering terribly with reflux pain for which i was given omeprazole years ago , i only took this drug occasionally but since being on the steroids i have been told i must take it daily to protect my stomach, which i have done , but since starting on this Alendronic Acid i am crippled with this pain and have today up to now taken two omeprazole .

i suppose my questions are, has anyone else suffered with indigestion like symptoms whilst taking this drug and is it safe to take more than one a day.

Im also not sleeping to good and am feeling pretty depressed on it as well .

any help or information anyone can give me would be most helpful.

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • lilian05079
    lilian05079 humpalumpa

    Posted

    Hi humpalumpa

    I was diagnosed with PMR and put on Alendronic Acid but I was put on it to protect my bones following a bone density scan...not for stomach problems..AA causes stomach problems..i read about the side effects of this drug and did not take it for that reason...I take vit D and Calcium for my bones.....if it is causing bad side effects for you stop taking it...if you have been taking it for some time you will have to wean yourself off it and consult your doc...best wishes...

  • Anhaga
    Anhaga humpalumpa

    Posted

    First things first.  Have you had a DXA scan to determine your bone density?  Unless you have severe osteoporosis you should not have been offered OP drugs.  Latest recommendations are that people with low bone mass aka osteopenia should not receive OP drugs.  You can improve bone density through natural means (diet, suppplements and appropriate exercise).  

    If you do need something to protect your stomach when taking pred ranitidine is an older medication with fewer side effects than omeprazole yet just as effective.  However many people find that eating a little plain yoghurt when they take their pred is helpful enough.

    It is unfortunate that many doctors decide right away that as soon as their patient is on pred they must also receive osteoporosis medication and along with that another med to protect the stomach and esophagus.  A bone density scan is a must before risking the serious side effects of drugs like AA.

    • humpalumpa
      humpalumpa Anhaga

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply Anhaga , yes I had my Dexa scan and my ESR levels where raised but only slightly over the NICE recommendations so I suspect that I haven't got full blown PMR and that I have OP which is the reason why I refused to take it for a month but on my last Pred review my GP strongly advised me to take it and iv never felt right since !!!

      I'm going to see them again tomorrow to discuss this further . It's comforting to know that I'm not alone in my view on this drug xx

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga humpalumpa

      Posted

      Inflammation levels are not always raised in PMR so it's a relatively useless diagnostic tool.  Go by your symptoms.  My doctor does.  She does monitor my ESR but says my symptoms are the key.  She wanted me to take AA, but I refused, did a lot of reading and was most encouraged by a friend of mine who was diagnosed with opsteoporosis, also refused the drugs and embarked on a regimen of exercise and supplements.  She succeeded in moving into the osteopenia range, and continues to improve after several years.  This has been proven by her later DXA scans.  So it can be done.  Pred makes things a little more difficult.  I expect to get results from my second scan next week and will post the results.  Fingers crossed I've at least held my own!  

      Cheers!

    • Evelyn59
      Evelyn59 Anhaga

      Posted

      Hi Anhaga

      I was going to ask if anyone (who regularly posts) was due for a 2nd Dexa scan soon and you happened to mention in your reply above that you were due scan shortly It would be great to hear positive results from those of us who are on the natural (supplements,food,exercise) regime instead if the OP drugs.

      Hope your results show an improvement. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. You are such an inspiration with the information and updates you supply us with along with the sincere advise to those newly diagnosed with OP.

      Thanks and good luck

      EvieB

    • lilian05079
      lilian05079 humpalumpa

      Posted

      Hi humpalumpa

      My inflammation levels were extremely raised when I was diagnosed by my rheumatologist with PMR and it was the rheumatologist who arranged a bone density scan and the AA....the rheumatologist is far more qualified than a GP in diagnosing autoimmune diseases and I have regular checks with my rheumatologist not my GP ........best wishes with coming off AA......

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga Evelyn59

      Posted

      I had the scan a couple of months ago but owing to the weird way they don't want to give me my results, just a useless summary which recommends bisphosphonates, I have to wait to see my doctor, which I expect to on Monday.  Really hope that the results are encouraging, and I will share either way.  

    • humpalumpa
      humpalumpa Anhaga

      Posted

      Good afternoon Anhaga ,just returned from my doctor, and she agreed with me that i should come off the AA, saying unfortunatly i have been one of these patients who have had bad side effects ie, gastro intestinal pain , she didnt doubt for one minute that i hadnt taken this drug as specified ( i am an ex RGN )  
  • ihavenonickname
    ihavenonickname humpalumpa

    Posted

    Always take steroids and NSAIDs after you have eaten and take them with at least 4 oz of water.

    NSAIDs, steroids, and aspirin are known gastrointestinal tract irritants. Do not take them forcthe two hours prior to bed time...elevate just the head of your bed 5-6 inches to keep stomach acids in your stomach and out of you esophagus...

    Yes, steroids can cause the blues...lack of sleep makes everything worse...my neurologist taught me that the body releases melatonin in preparation of sleep. But all of our lights and screens inhibit this release. I now take melatonin 3 mg two hours before bedtime....took a few days, but I sleep very soundly now.

    hugs

  • angela00502
    angela00502 humpalumpa

    Posted

    Hello one of the main side effects of Alendronic acid is reflux. I was put on this drug and told to take it an hour before food or drink and to make sure I stood up for an hour after taking the medication to avoid reflux. I am sure you should only take one omeprazol a day, if this drug is causing you such severe pain you are at increased risk of oesophageal problems and other side effects of reflux. I have to say I only took Alendronic acid for a couple of weeks due to horrible side effects including depression, crying for no reason, chronic pain in my legs and hips to mention a few. Perhaps you should go back to your GP or the medic who prescribed the medication. Good luck hope you are soon feeling better xx
    • humpalumpa
      humpalumpa angela00502

      Posted

      Hi Angela 00502 yeah I have done all those things in fact I took mine with Half litre of water just to be on safe side I stood and done my ironing for an hr ( good advice from my GP ) , but still the reflux and oesophageal pain came and increased in severity each time , the muscle and joint pains also increased and all this happened after only three doses of AA .

      I am pleased to say though that after seeing my GP again she has said I have just been an unfortunate case who has suffered severe side effects from this drug , she has only increased my Omeprazole by one, for a month then she hopes I should return to normal ( well as normal as is possible for me )

      Many thanks for your support and advice .

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.