Alondronic acid

Thank you for the warning. This is the second person I have heard of this year with that problem. I will ask my GP about it. I hope your wife is OK

Did you know that one of the side effects of this drug is raw patches in your throat? My aunt nearly died because of this nasty drug.

I took Alendronic Acid for 6 years, then discovered I should have had a rest after five. I would have been on it still if I had left it to the doctor. I didn't have any problems with it but I think it was extra as I also take Adcal and the less 'stuff' I take the happier I am

I only took four doses but had problems lasting over one year including bone pain, pain in the roots of my teeth (which I still have) and flu like symptoms. When I started reading up on AA I was shocked to find so many people had problems after taking it, some of them serious such as Mike's wife. Does anybody know how long this drug stays in the body? My GP doesn't know, but my dentist said between five and ten years. He is reluctant to extract a tooth, even though it's 16 months since I took AA, because of the risk the wound won't heal. There's a serious condition called jaw necrosis, which we are told is very rare, but I'm not so sure. Maybe many people don't make the link or report problems to the manufacturer

Hi Susan

Take a look at the other discussions on this site about the health risks of Alendronic Acid. There's a mention there of how many years its meant to stay in your system.... Also I was told by my GP very recently that the 'rest after 5 years' rule is a very recent one, but I only discovered that when I decided to take myself off the drug after realising the risks. And I'd been left on it for about nine years!!

The jaw necrosis is meant to be very rare. I've had to have three teeth out in the last couple of years (my first teeth out, and I do wonder if AA has affected my gum health generally!), but I got no 'necrosis', and they seemed to heal fine. I've asked my surgery about getting a jaw bone scan to check if the AA affected it, but apparently such a jaw bone scan arrangement doesn't exist... Or rather, unlike the spine and hip scans, they apparently haven't done any research into what constitutes a good jaw bone density, so we would have nothing to compare our scans with... presumably!!

I'd love it if the several 'conversations' about AA could be amalgamated... I suppose it's just unavoidable that people will start a new conversation on the same issue, not realising that several exist already.

All the best to your wife, Mike and you Susan.

That sounds awful about your aunt Glynisrose! I presume that's possibly due to either the tablet 'sticking' in the throat for a while and causing acid burn, or maybe due to acid reflux??

Regardless, I think it's dreadful that the company responsible for this drug, haven't apparently been doing sufficient research into side effects... But that's pretty typical I think, once they've made their millions! I have no intention of going back on AA and have encouraged my elderly mother to stop taking it, as she's been left on it even longer than me! Judging by my bone scans over the years, it doesn't appear to have made much difference anyway!

I would encourage you all to consider seeing a medical herbalist, as I've been told that especially with the early stages of low bone calcium, this condition can be treated, and without the awful side effects.

Oh, and all of you, do look into the acid / alkaline body issue, as that's strongly linked with bone loss and arthritis (and there are links with cancer and other health issues). The conventional medical profession don't seem to be aware of it generally, but a growing number of other people are...

But you can get simple advice from these two sites that I discovered:

'Energise For Life' and 'Bobby's Healthy Shop' (set up by a man who cured his son of 'incurable' cancer, apparently)..

And a good basic book on the alkaline diet 'Treating Arthritis: The Drug-Free Way’. By Margaret Hills, SRN.

Thanks so much for your helpful reply.I will check out your suggestions. I am reading up on rebalancing body ph as I did a saliva test and found I was well into the acid side, even though I thought I was eating healthily. I am looking into getting a water ioniser. You need to be a detective to sort all this out!!

Hi Susan.

My pleasure. From what I've learnt and understood over several years, over acidic body systems are a major factor in bone loss. I just wish that conventional medical services would become more aware of this!

Apparently two quick, cheap and easy alkalising methods are:

1. Diluted fresh lemon juice (but dilute well and wash out mouth with water directly afterwards, as the lemon juice may possibly affect the teeth enamel otherwise, with long term usage). I know it's sounds crazy using lemon juice to alkalise, as lemon juice is highly acidic when fresh. However, all I've learnt is that the body converts it into a highly alkaline substance! You can find out more on those two sites I mentioned.

2. Drink Sodium Bicarbonate solution (about half a tea spoon shaken in water per day). But get the aluminium free version! Most of the shops sell Bicarbe with aluminium included. (Not good!). Bobby's site sell a huge tub of the aluminium-free version, for about £6. Lasts for ages. Much cheaper than in the supermarket

All the best.

Paws.