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Bad side effect from 1 70mg tablet

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Guest
Guest

I took my first weekly Alendronic 70mg tablet Saturday morning, and followed closely the instructions about not eating for 30 minutes beforehand and not lying down. Throughout the day, all seemed well. However, from about 9pm onwards, my tummy started to feel queezy, and soon I had to run to the toilet a few times with bouts of diarrhoea. But worse was to follow - during the early hours I was sick like I've never been sick before. Not putting too much detail into it - it was like from the bottom of my boots!! Last time was about 7am Sunday morning. I cannot put it down to anything I'd eaten, as my husband and family had all the same food throughgout the day. I will certainly consult my doctor before the next dose is due, but if this is the side effect I experience - I'll never take one again. Does anyone know of an alternative prescription?? I'm 52 and was prescribed this drug after a bone density scan had shown slight weakening of the bones in my spine.

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Minxy, sorry you've been so poorly. I have now taken 6 of the weekly 70mg Alendronate. I've found that leaving a good hour before eating and drinking other than water helps to reduce the side effects which I have experienced i.e. indigestion and sore gut. As I have the inflammatory bowel condition Crohns Disease I was particularly worried about starting on the drug but I have not experienced any increase of upset tummy. However, my GP and Gastroenterologist both said that I could alternatively try 'Strontium ranelate' ( think I have spelt that correctly! ) which will also do the job. I think it is more expensive and is a daily drug but with less side efects.
  • katiepea
    katiepea

    Posted

    Oh wow...I have been given Alendronic 70mg tablets on Monday and today Wednesday still haven't taken one.I hate putting any medication into me if I can help it apart from paracetomol for headache. I have just read some of the comments and to be honest it has really put me off.

    I fractured my ankle march 2006 and my rib April 2007 and this led to a bone density scan which showed the problem .I am coeliac aswell and after being ill with that for such a long time till diagnosed 5 years ago I feel that only have just returned to reasonably good health on my special diet.I do not want to feel like that again with symptoms that many have had with this drug very similar to what I have suffered for years....and I am just so scared to spoil how good i feel at the moment.

    Is there an altenative...healthy eating and the like any response would be glady received ..thanks so much

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Hello,

    I am surprised that you had such a violent reaction after one tablet.

    I've been taking alendronate every saturday morning for 3 years now and have never had a reaction like that. I wake earlr, take the tablet with a large glass of water. About half an hour later, I drink another glass of water. Then an hour after the tablet I have breakfast of muesli, soya milk and sliced bananas. In the mean time I keep myself busy with something like doing my emails at the computer so that the time goes quickly. Just occasionally in the day I'l feel a bit acidic in the stomach, but that is rare. I also try to remember to take my calcium supplements regularly on all other days since alendronate alone can cause low blood calcium even though it's keeping calcium in the bones.

    Don't give up if you can help it. Alendronate is a very good fracture preventer. Do try taking more water and waiting a bit longer before eating.

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Katiepea, I have now been on these weekly Alendronate tabs for nearly 3 months and I can honestly say that I'm not really getting any significant adverse side affects, with especial reference to the Crohns. I have a restricted diet in that I don't eat wheat, eggs or mushrooms and I too am loathe to take any unnecessary drugs. I don't have a lot of dairy in my diet either but still manage to eat healthily with the help of some supplements - the prescribed calcium and vitamin D and also a B complex tablet and evening primrose oil and fish oil. My docs advice was to try the tabs and see what happened and I think I was worrying too much. So I will carry on and hope that when I have my next bone scan there will be an improvement. I believe that taking the tabs will not be a permanent thing. Hope you get on well whatever you decide to do. smile
  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Thank you so much to those people who suggested waiting at least an hour before taking the tablet. I took my first tablet last week - folowing the instructions of half an hour before food - and had the most awful indigestion, heart burn, feeling nausea etc which went on for almost a week. Today I left over an hour before eating and have felt a lot better. Hopefully it will improve with time as I don't want to give up on Alendronic Acid as my GP says that it is the best.
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