Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi, I broke my femur in Novemember & after various test told I have osteoporosis of the hip. I've been taking medication to get my Vitamin D Levels up & now been prescribed the above. As I had a duodenal ulcer years ago & peridicaly took zantac I am worried about side effects of the above. A friend of my has been on Risedronate for 5 years and not suffered
0 likes, 13 replies
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Anhaga sue94147
Posted
Hi Sue. So sorry to hear of your problems. Can you tell me what your t-scores were? I suppose your doctor hasn't given you any guidance regarding improving bone strength, other than the usual calcium and D3?
sue94147 Anhaga
Posted
My T scores were -2.1 Lumber Spine & -3.1 Proximal Femur. I've been taking Invita D 3 to get my blood levels up prior to starting Risedronate. I'm also on chewable adcal. I read conflicting reports about the medication it really is worrying
Anhaga sue94147
Posted
You have to make your own decision about this, and I know you will be pressured by the medics to take the drugs. But with readings like that I would be tempted to say - give me a year to do the natural thing and see whether it helps. Certainly it did in my case, but my hip reading was -2, which isn't defined as osteoporosis (they wanted me on AA because I was taking prednisone for PMR). In spite of being on the pred I still managed to improve my bone density to -1.6 in one year. I took supplements, including and very importantly VITAMIN K2, ate a lot of leafy greens, and took up some new forms of exercise - more walking, Nordic walking, wearing a weighted walking vest, tai chi, and continued with my long standing yoga and physio exercises. I'm carrying on and hope that the next scan (not allowed for another three to five years) will show continued improvement. My body was very sensitive to the prednisone and I thought I probably would react to any other heavy duty medication the same way and quite simply I'm terrified of the osteoporosis drugs. I firmly believe that nutrition and exercise should be the first line of defence, the drugs only used if that doesn't work, and only as an emergency, short term measure, to avoid the bad side effects.
Sorry, that was a bit of a rant. I know you will make the best choice for you, and it may be like mine, or completely different. Just know we all on this site are here to help and support each other!
sue94147 Anhaga
Posted
thanks for your views, it is interesting to hear about others experiences. I'm going to walk as much as I can and start Tai Chi. I also attend Somatics, anything that is weight bearing I will try and do. I really would rather not take medication
Anhaga sue94147
Posted
sue94147 Anhaga
Posted
sue94147 Anhaga
Posted
well I took 1 tablet on Friday morning & have awful over the weekend, feels like flu symptoms & feeling sick. Obviously I could be coming down with something but I've been reading so much about the medication I'v been prescribed that I wouldn't be surprised if symptoms are caused my meds.. I don't know if I would ne affected after taking only1 Risedronate so really unsure as to take another tablet next week. I'm inclined to start taking vitamin K2 and rely on natural solutions
Anhaga sue94147
Posted
chest pain;
difficulty or pain when swallowing;
pain or burning under the ribs or in the back;
new or worsening heartburn;
severe or ongoing indigestion;
severe joint, bone, or muscle pain;
new or unusual pain in your thigh or hip; or
jaw pain, numbness, or swelling.
Less serious side effects may include:
mild stomach pain or upset stomach;
flu symptoms, muscle pain;
diarrhea, constipation;
mild joint or back pain; or
headache.
sue94147 Anhaga
Posted
Spoke to my GP following side effects of Risedronate. She wrote to hospital and I have an appointment in September. At present taking AD Cal & I purchased som K2 & doing as much walking as possible. I'm also wondering about taking Royal Jelly as well as a friend recommends it for all sorts of problems. Has anyone taken Royal Jelly and do you know if its safe to take with the other stuff I'm taking? I'm a bit worried what medication the hosptial will want me to take, maybe injections? are they any better than the tablets?
Anhaga sue94147
Posted
Sorry I don't know the answers to your questions but I'm sure someone else on here will be along in a while who can help. I read recently that yoghurt is a good food for those with bone thinning, perhaps because it is a fermented food, and contains calcium, so in one package it has calcium bone ready! I know that kefir is also good, and as it has more kinds of micro organisms it is even better for our gut health. Anything which helps us metabolize calcium effectively is bound to help our bones.
kathleen65757 sue94147
Posted
This is the first time I noticed this so had not responded til now.
Five years is far too long to be on Risondronate as findings are now discovering. After two years the bones become brittle.
Anhaga always has good information as she researches thoroughly being a librarian.
I can endorse her views.
I have never taken any of the drugs after research and my worst tscore is -4.3 in the lower spine.
I believe that the tscores only tell part of the story anyway.
Bones may be strong but lack density.
The most important vitamin to add is vitamin K2 as it aims the calcium onto the bones.
Diet is important because there is so much we can make sure we include in our diet.
Bony broths, jelly, yoghurt, leafy greens, cucumber skins, bananas, vegetables and fruit. Grass fed meats rather than grain fed are now marked here in Australia. Even mince can be grass fed.
Weight bearing exercise needs to be done which can be hard for some who are not very mobile. Walking is doable by most even in small amounts. Any exercise is better than none.
My sister has taken the oral drug as well as been give the injection via Prolia. She reacted badly to both. The latter is in the blood steam and body for six months so a long time to feel unwell every single day.
My advice is to think long and hard about any of the drugs.
The choice is always the patient's and you are the only one who is going through your unique situation.
Ask a chemist about interactions with vitamins and a chemist will even go through all your meds to check if something needs to be dropped. I have had this done. Here in Australia they will even come to your home to do the check,
Spindles sue94147
Posted
I haven't got much faith in Risedronate as I was diagnosed with osteoporosis and in 2005 I was told to "take it for life" as it would strengthen my bones. I had been taking it for seven years when in 2012 was advised to stop it by the doctor and have a "holiday" from it. Two years after stopping it I slipped and broke my femur and I read about a study that was done of people who had broken their femurs just by slipping off a kerb or falling etc. and 90% of them were on osteoporosis medication like Risedronate or Alendronic Acid in my case! After a scan I was told I should go back on it so started it again in 2014 but was quite reluctant. Now my doctor wants to speak to me about it because, according to her records, I have been on it since 2010 so perhaps she wants me to come off it again. However, I attend the rheumatology clinic at the hospital and they are urging me to have an injection that lasts for six months but I am extremely reluctant to have that because, as I told them, once it's in it's in and if I have a reaction or don't want it any more then I can't do anything about it whereas I can stop taking the tablets. It's not as if the Alendronic Acid has helped with my osteoporosis because I have got at least three compressed fractures of my spine as well as the broken leg so any protection this drug is supposed to give isn't as good as they say. It doesn't strengthen the bones it just hardens what's there which eventually makes them brittle. Hope this helps.
kathleen65757 Spindles
Posted
Thank you for reporting this.
Please try the natural route. Vitamin K2 is especially good as it aims the calcium onto the bones. Vitamin D3 and calcium need to be checked in your blood tests to check those levels. Yoghurt, prunes, avocados, skin of cucumber and bone broths are some of the foods to help.
There is more and more information becoming available and it is a good idea to research and find out as much as you can.
Read all the past posts on Patient as well.