The Untold Dangers Of Taking Osteoporosis Medication

The following drugs (called bisphosphonates) all fall into the same category and have a similar effect on bone in the body:

Fosamax alendronate
Didrone etidronate (not approved by FDA for oesteoporosis)
Boniva ibandronate
Actonel risedronate
Reclast zoledronic acid


It is important to know that the side effects of these drugs include…

• pain or trouble with swallowing
• chest pain
• very bad heartburn or heartburn that does not get better
• ulcers in your stomach or esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth and stomach)
• diarrhea
• pain in extremities (arms or legs)
• dyspepsia (upset stomach)

New research findings show that while these drugs can strengthen bone in the short-term, there appears to be little further improvement in bone building after three years of use….

After four to five years, they may actually cause weakening of bones--making people more susceptible to fractures!

As part of their action in the body, these drugs cause a severe suppression in bone turnover, so bone repair is decreased, and the quality of the architecture of the bone diminishes over the long-term. Thus, after several years, people become prone to unusual types of stress fractures in the legs and long bones of the body.

Healthy perimenopasual women who merely have below average bone density may wish to consider calcium (microcrystalline hydroxyapitate is the best form), magnesium, and
vitamin D supplementation, as well as alterations in diet and exercise, as a primary treatment instead of these drugs. It takes ten years to remove these drugs from your system after discontinuing their use.

For persons at high risk for bone fractures, parathyroid hormone therapy may be a better option, yet more research needs to be done on its long-term side effects. Consult your doctor for more information.

References

1. Cummings SR, Black DM, Thompson DE, Applegate WB, Barrett-Connor E, Musliner TA, Palermo L et al. Effect of alendronate on risk of fracture in women with low bone density but without vertebral fractures: Results from the Fracture Intervention Trial. JAMA 1998: 280(24):2077-2082.

2. Pols HAP, Felsenberg D, Hanley DA, Stepan J, Munoz-Torres M, Wilkin TJ, Qin-sheng G, et al. Multinational, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of the Effects of alendronate on bone density and fracture risk in postmenopausal women with low bone mass: Results of the FOSIT study. Osteoporos Int 1999: 9:461-468.

3. Tonino RP, Meunier PJ, Emkey R, Rodrigues-Portales JA, Menkes CJ, Wasnich RD, Bone HG, Santora AC, Wu M, Desai R, Ross PD. Skeletal benefits of alendronate: 7-year treatment of postmenopausal osteoporotic women. 2999. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 85:3109-3115.

4. Black DM, Thompson DE, Bauer DC, Ensrud K, Musliner T, Hochberg MC, Nevitt MC, Suryawanshi S, Cummings SR. Fracture risk reduction with alendronate in women with osteoporisis: The Fracture Intervention Trial. 2000. J Clin Encocrinol. Metab 85:4118-4124.

5. Orwol E, Ettinger M, Weiss S, Miller P, Kendler D, Graham J, Adami S, Weber K, Lorenc R, Pietschmann P, Vandormael K, Lombardi A. Alendronate for the treatment of osteoporosis in men. 2000. N Engl J Med 343:604-610.

6. Ravn p, Bidstrup M, Wasnich RD, Davis JW, McClung MR, Balske A, Coupland C et al. Alendronate and estrogen-progestin in the long-term prevention of bone loss: Four-year results from the early postmenopausal intervention cohort study: A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 1999: 131:935-942.

7. Bone HG, Hosking D, Devogelaer J-P, Tucci JR, Emkey RD, Tonino RP, Rodriguez-Portales JA, et al. Alendronate and estrogen effects in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab 2000; 85(2):720-726.

8. Lindsay R, Cosman F, Lobo RA, Walsh BW, Harrris ST, Reagan JE, Liss CL, Melton ME, Byrnes CA. Addition of alendronate to ongoing hormone replacement therapy in the treatment of osteoporosis: A randomized, controlled clinical trial. J Clin Endocrinol & Metabol 1999; 84(9):3076-3081.

9. Odvina CV, Zerwekh JE, Sudhaker Rao D, Maalouf N, Gottschalk FA, Pak CYC. Severely suppressed bone turnover: A potential complication of alendronate therapy. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metabolism 2005; 90(3):1294-1301.

10 .Ott SM. Editorial: Long-term safety of bisphosphonates. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metabolism 2005; 90(3):1897-1899.

11. Jennifer P. Schneider. Should Bisphosphonates be Continued Indefinitely? An Unusual Fracture in a Healthy Woman on Long-Term Alendronate. Geriatrics 2006; 61(1) :31-33,