Osteoporosis/alendronic acid

Thanks for your reply Robin.  I wasn't even given calcium or D3 tablets and it was only after reading up on it that I decided to take them off my own back.  I'm finding the pain in joints is just begining to subside a bit (yes, been taking paracetamol) but the biggest side effect was dizziness!  I thought I had an inner ear infection that was going on for weeks and weeks - the room was spinning and I nearly fell several times, and that's going now.  It's 10 days since my last alendronic acid tablet.  I don't want to go back on to any of them now!

Robin, I thought my side effects from the AA had stopped but it was only reading your post that I realised the aching around knees, that doesn't feel like the typical arthritis pain, is probably due to that, so hopefully it will go eventually.  But the dizziness that was so awful seems to have mostly gone now.   Has anyone on here had a blood test or anything for calcium levels?????

Hi Allison I could put up with feeling like a zombie for a couple of days after having taken AA for 5 months. But that is not what I felt like. I was in continual pain in my ankles,knees,hips znd shoulders which was very debilitating and I decided to stop taking the pills. I have had to take paracetomol to keep the pain away and now I am down to 2 paracetomol per day after 4 weeks off the AA.

As stated my doctor has prescribed Risedronate Sodium but I have not taken any as the side effects are mostly the same as AA.

THERE IS NO SAFE ALTERNATIVE to Alendronic Acid or any of the other medicines in the same group.

Just for Chris has your doctor sent or told you to have a dental check up? as these meds can cause problems in that area also. By the way mine didn't.

Yes to the dental part. My dentist is keeping a special check. I have also had radiotherapy for a brain tumour a few months ago and that can also cause problems with teeth. But so does osteoperosis. Everything aches for me too but having 2fractured vertebrae causes me more pain and I dont want more fractures. As individuals, we need to weigh upthe positives against the negatives and with the pain from the tumour and the aches in my joints as well as the pain from the fractured vertebraes, for me, prevention of more fractures is most important. There is no perfect answer. But, you might not have the same side effects on the RS. Your body could react differently and I could be worse if I took them. Good luck

Hi Alison, thank you for this explanation - it does all make sense and I CAN understand why alendronic acid was given.  I am torn, I'll admit, but after the dizziness, and nearly falling over a couple of times (the last thing you want if you've got osteoporosis!) it's put me off somewhat but I am wondering if there is any alternative.  I did read that a very high dose of Vt D3 helped reduce fractures and am rather hoping that might be a way forward for me. 

My doctor never mentioned the dental aspect and I'd only had permanent crowns fixed on to two implants in April.   But then I expect very little from my GP, having had endometrial cancer last year after being overdosed x 3 on estrogen, saying I had back problems and two of them telling me it was arthritis without even looking, then being sent for physio for arthritis only to find out the exercises for arthritis were probably doing more harm than good as I have ehlers danlos (hypermobility) and because of the osteoporosis, so I've just about given up on the GP.

I should have mentioned, I had horrible bloating too.  Was constantly burping up acid for a couple of days after taking the tablet.  Anyone else get that?

Hope this won't be confusing to others reading our posts, as I am "another Allison" (with one "l"). You are right that the drug is intended to remain in the bones for bup do a decade, but that is also its formidable downside, as side-effects, which can be catastrophic, will not necessarily resolve in a timely way (or at all). I was advised by several doctors to take one of the drugs for osteoporosis; I have consistently refused, as my personal belief is they are far too dangerous, with data still accumulating about their dangers, to justify a hypothetical benefit. Which brings me to you last point, that "trials have shown the drugs to be very effective in preventing fractures." While there are data showing the drugs may indeed increase bone density in some (though not all) who take them, there is no documentation that can be definitively tied to actual fracture prevention. Prevention can simply be hypothesized, based on a statistical concept known as as "number needed to treat" -- in other words, how many people must take the drug in order for a single fracture to be prevented. From the numerous articles I've found, the equation isn't especially impressive; quite a few people must take the drug in order to (hypothetically) prevent even one fracture. There are no studies backing up how many people took one of these drugs and avoided fracture when they fell. A person who falls, especially someone who is elderly and/or frail, is likely to sustain a fracture, drug or no drug. Also, the increased bone density gained by some who take the drugs is not necessarily equivalent to what you refer to as "bone stronger, long term." In fact, researchers have begun to question whether the atypical femoral fractures that are increasingly being reported in conjunction with the osteo drugs may be occurring to the "stronger" bone actually being more brittle due to the action of the drugs. "Long term" use is now actively warned against by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as after three to five years (duration still unknown), the risk of catastrophic side effects increases while the drugs' benefits with long-term use remain uncertain. I would tend to agree with you that supplements are inadequate in prevening fracture. Osteoporosis and fracture remain worrisome realities. Hopefully, a much safer class of drugs will emerge before long so that there is a real alternative to those of us caught up in this conundrum. As of now, in my opinion, all of the drugs on the market are unacceptably dangerous.

Unfortunately you are correct. The fact that I have hesitated so much and put off taking fosamax for a few months now is not like me. I take drugs for diabetes, Crohns, etc and never felt like this before. The side effects for this one cannot be compared to the risks when taking other drugs. They are using faulty measures if they are doing what you say when reporting success rates. There should be proper studies undertaken. 

My calcium tablets do state on the label that they do help treat osteoporosis so I think natural measures while not being a cure could help whereas fosamax does harm to some people.

Phew, I've found all these comments so useful!  There are certainly some studies that show that high Vt D3 and Calcium help reduce risks of fractures in osteoporosis, so at the moment I'm thinking that's the best route to go down until anything convinces me to try a different treatment to the AA that didn't work out well for me.  I think I'll look up the K2 as well and maybe get hold of some of that.  I do intend to ask for D3 and calcium levels to be monitored though because I'm aware that you can overdose on these, especially the calcium.  I'm taking calcium citrate - read that's better than the other calcium?  Any thoughts on that?

i agree the stats don't seem to measure what we really need to know to be able to make an informed decision on these drugs. In particular as you say how many people have had a fall whilst on these drugs and not sustained a fracture bench marked against those using natural remedies who have had a fall. 

I realise there would be many factors to consider in this study for example the range of T scores.

Is anyone aware if there are any tried and tested 'discreet' protective wear such as in the case of the spine a back brace one could wear that could at least minimise the likelihood of fracture?