Drug Ratings for FOSAMAXAverage Rating: 1.4 (1142 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by Age from youngest to oldest (no age reported listed first) Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Charts & graphs: Reviews Summary for FOSAMAX | Top 10 Adverse Effects (reported to FDA)
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR FOSAMAX | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 5 | Osteoporosis of the hip and spine | Slight heartburn at times,occasional loose stools,some itching at times. Bone density has increased, side effects very low. | Been taking for 6 years. Mother has extreme oteoporosis. Has been wonderful for me | F | 6 years | 1/16/2006 | 5 | Seen people with osteoporosis | Please listen to what your doctor says about your health condition before reading these comments as everyone is different and therefore respond differently to the same medication. Fosamax is a great drug and I've seen heaps of people whose bones were kept strong and healthy because of it. If it weren't for Fosamax, they wouldn't be able to walk around and do that sort of things as they do so now. If you do find you have any complaints or feel that you experience any side effects, it's always best to tell the doctor and he'll help you figure out an alternative. Booklet instructions are always a great helping tool, and it's good to follow the guidelines on Fosamax, e.g. take half an hour before breakfast and a big glass of water, etc. Please don't just stop taking it just because you hear other people do so, they could be causing alot of problems to their health because of it .. don't make the same mistake! | F | | 7/30/2005 | 4 | osteoporosis | No side effects noted that I could relate directly to Fosamax. Suspect it may have helped with mild hot flashes. | I was already taking Evista after postmenopausal hystarectomy and Fosamax was added after broken shoulder and ensuing bone density scan which diagnosed osteo. | F | 2 years | 8/7/2006 | 1 | osteoporosis | Severe muscle pain, awakened me every night. | Doctors don't seem to know about side effects. I discontinued after a year. | F | 1 days | 2/6/2006 | 1 | osteopenia | Severe headache the first day. Second day I felt like I was 100 years old. All my bones & joints ached. I had chest pain & ended up in the the emergency room the next day. I will never take this medicine again! Be warned!!! | | 8/22/2006 | 1 | I | F | | 3/19/2006 | 1 | Osteopenia | I took the medicine for 3 weeks and was severely sick with severe joints and muscles pain and fever that disabled me to work for the 3 weeks until it was discovered that Fosamax caused me the problem. | M | 3 months | 10/11/2006 | 1 | Change in bowel habits, and after 6 months ulcer symptoms. Actonel was worse! | I was fortunate enough to find Gillian Sanson's book: The Myth of Osteoporosis, What Every Woman Should Know About Creating Bone Health.Please see:www.gilliansanson.com. These drugs have a half-life. We do NOT know the long term effects of taking them. More importantly, are they doing harm, and will they PREVENT fracture? I think NOT! | M | 6 months | 12/26/2004 | 1 | | 7/11/2006 | 1 | I stumbled across this website and was reading the comments on Fosamax. I am writing to let everyone know of an article Ingerman & Horwitz, LLP wrote about Fosamax and its link to jaw decay. The article is very informative and can be found at http://www.ihlaw.com/topics/fosamax/consequences/ . I encourage anyone interested to take a look at it. | | 1/22/2007 | 1 | osteoporosis | Get the latest news on Fosamax side effects and share your experiences at http://gotbones.healthdiaries.com | F | | 7/5/2006 | 1 | | 4/28/2005 | 1 | bone density | There is a woman on this board with whom I exchanged emails who I am trying to contact again. I think her name is Judy. She was sending around a letter about complaints people have with Fosamax. I lost her email address and I couldn't access this letter. I want her to contact me again. Please contact me again at: iveryfine@aol.com | F | 5 years | 5/31/2005 | 1 | osteopenia | aching in my joints, heart burn, bone spurs on my toes | | 1/21/2008 | 1 | Osteoporosis | Headache,bloating,gas,face pain,jaw pain and neck ache | I took the generic form of fosamax for 4 months. I developed headaches that began about 6 weeks after the first dose. The headaches were dull but never went away. My neck hurt as did my face. I have stopped taking it 3 weeks ago and the face and jaw have stopped hurting. My neck is still stiff and I still have head pain, especially on the top of my head. I had my sinuses x-rayed today and show no sign of infection. Next week a CT Scan to see if it could be something else causing the head pain. I think it is the medication. Hope as the weeks go on the symptoms will go away completly. | F | 22 weeks | 12/3/2008 | 1 | Serious Fosamax Side Effects - Osteonecrosis of the Jaw Although some of the aforementioned Fosamax side effects can potentially manifest themselves in a severe nature, the most serious Fosamax side effect is the development of a bone disease called osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), or "dead jaw." Osteonecrosis is a type of bone disease that is commonly associated with large joints like the hips, knees, ankles or shoulders. The onset of ONJ is linked with the temporary or permanent loss of blood to bone tissue, leading to death of the tissue and the eventual collapse of the bone. There are approximately 10,000 to 20,000 new cases of osteonecrosis diagnosed each year in the United States, most of which occur as a result of some type of bone injury such as a fracture or dislocation. Fosamax users run the risk of developing a serious case of osteonecrosis of the jaw and suffering through the extreme pain associated with the death of jawbone tissue. The pain associated with | F | | 3/14/2009 | 1 | osteoporosis | | 7/7/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | rapid heartbeat...I believe atrial fibullation | F | 7 months | 8/20/2008 | 1 | For osteoporosis | I have stopped taking fosamax after 4 years. Because My tteeth started to crumble. However after stopping I am experiencing e crucifying aches and pain ion both sides - mostly in my behind! The ache gets so bad I have to sit down and massage my butt muscles. It's awful/ STOP taking fosamax. | When will this ache stop. How long do these side effects last? Almost | 0 days | 7/8/2017 | 2 | Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type 1 | My 8 yr. old daughter takes Fosamax for 3 years. After 1 1/2 years we noticed a considerable amount of weight gain. During the last 2 months her hair is now falling out in the hairline area and some patches on the top center of her head. We are concerned as doctors continue to tell me that this is not a side effect. That it is something else. I really do not believe this. | I would like for anyone reading the materials on this and if they have any side effects that are not listed on the | F | 8 | 3 years | 5/24/2005 | 3 | Osteopenia | I have experienced random spells of major dizziness and they have occurred while I have been sitting down, which I found rather strange and somewhat scary. I'm not sure if this is related to Fosamax. The longer I am on Fosamax the more I notice I am dealing with some nausea, but it isn't anything I can't deal with. I have also noticed that my legs and toes | So far I am able to deal with the side effects I am noticing, so long as dizziness does not occur while I am driving. I don't know if I can really speak for most people taking Fosamax considering my age, I just wonder if anyone else has experienced the | F | 21 | 2 months | 11/4/2004 | 3 | Osteopenia | I have experienced random spells of major dizziness and they have occurred while I have been sitting down, which I found rather strange and somewhat scary. I'm not sure if this is related to Fosamax. The longer I am on Fosamax the more I notice I am dealing with some nausea, but it isn't anything I can't deal with. I have also noticed that my legs and toes | So far I am able to deal with the side effects I am noticing, so long as dizziness does not occur while I am driving. I don't know if I can really speak for most people taking Fosamax considering my age, I just wonder if anyone else has experienced the | F | 21 | 2 months | 11/4/2004 | 2 | Osteopenia | I have not experienced side effects that I'm positive could be linked to the fosamax | i was having hip and back pain, got a bone density scan and diagnosed with osteopenia related to my celiac disease. I was put on fosamax over a year ago. I have not noticed any cessation of my pain but i have also not noted any increased pain or other side effects. I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia this past december. Is that one of the side effects, affecting blood sugars? | F | 21 | 1 years 1X W | 3/18/2010 | 3 | Ulcerative Colitis | None, but taking 5mg daily, and it's hard work taking it properly every day, alongside my other meds (that I have to take with food) - getting ready for work now takes about 2 hours instead of the usual 40 minutes. Sigh! No more lie-ins! | I take Fosamax every time I'm on steroids for my ulcerative colitis (quite often recently!) Obviously, haven't noticed any difference (DEXA was OK) but it's nice to look to the future and know I'm doing something to avoid yet more health problems! | F | 23 | 4 years | 9/30/2005 | 1 | Osteoporosis | I was taking the weekly pill (70 mg) for about 8 months with no serious side effects except for some muscle pain in the first couple of months. In the 8th month I started to experience hip joint pain in my left hip. Some days were worse than others. A couple of weeks later I started to get pain in my right hip and was having difficulty walking. A month or so later I needed a cane to walk. I started to get joint pain in my shoulders and knees as well. It progressed to point where I was in constant pain and could barely walk with a cane. | I told my doctor about the pain since it first started, but he didn't want to believe it was caused by fosamax. Eventually I convinced him that I should stop taking the pill for a month or so just to see. The joint pain didn't stop right away. After 1 month I was 75% better, still having frequent, but not constant pain. Now after 2 months off the pill I'm about 95% better. Now I need a different cure for my osteoporosis. | F | 23 | 10 months | 6/27/2006 | 2 | osteoporosis | severe bloating , indigestion constipation and gas | i wish i had come across this site before i took this drug. im not going to take it any more, i hope these side effects pass soon. they are so embarassing. | F | 27 | 6 days | 10/23/2007 | 1 | Osteopenia | Back, neck and shoulder pain with soreness in ribs/chest area. Flu like symptoms. | I was just started on Fosamax last Tuesday. I'm supposed to take the next dose tomorrow, Tuesday but will not be doing that. My bones became tight and were so stiff they were making cracking sounds. Pain was awful in the back, shoulders and neck. On the 2nd day, my ribs hurt and felt heavy. I'm just starting to feel back to normal. My bone loss is related to malabsorption of vita D/calcium due to DX of ulcerative colitis. I really hope there is something else out there. | F | 27 | 1 days | 11/30/2009 | 1 | complex regional pain syndrome | horrible bone pain in ankles and wrists. can barely walk or put weight on ankles. ankles feel like they might break. | took 3 times. pain kept getting worse. stopped 2 wks ago. pain is the same | F | 27 | 3 weeks 70mg 1X W | 10/16/2014 | 1 | wrongfully prescribed by pharmacist | My local nationwide pharmacy gave me someone else's Fosamax prescription with my same name. What I was supposed to receive was a new medication to treat a possible yeast infection. The pharmacist asked me if I had taken the Rx before and I said no (b/c I had never had a yeast infection before nor received any treatment) and he proceeded to teach me how to take the Rx and everything. It was a generic form so I had no idea that it was not for the medication I was supposed to pick up, not did my dr ever tell me the name of the medication he was prescribing for me. So I assumed that it was my Rx that my doctor prescribed just like every other time I've been to the pharmacy & I took it and began to have SEVERE side effects. (I have already been tested in the past for stomach irritations & my stomach is already more sensitive than most which is why I had the severe reations that I had.) I took the medication at the beginning of December & have had severe stomach problems | M | 27 | 1 months | 1/28/2009 | 1 | osteoporosis | jaw pain and severe headache | I was diagnosed with osteoporosis about a year ago. My doctor stated it was due to the fact I was on the Depo injection for over 10 years. I was never notified of this type of side effect from that form of birth control, but when I had a bone density test my doctor told me I had bones of an 80 year old. I have read bad reviews of Fosamax and Boniva but my doctor pushed and pushed until I agreed to take Fosamax. He originally wanted me to take Forteo but I was not going to give myself daily injections. I agreed to take Fosamax and for the past two days I have been in pain. I am only 27 years old and was not having any type of joint pain before taking this medication. I will never take this drug again!! | F | 27 | 2 days | 1/28/2010 | 1 | Osteoporosis | Bone pain, jaw pain, cramps in my feet and abdominal cramps, fatigue, knee pain | I took Depo Provera for 5 years which caused the osteoporosis. My Dr. told me that I would have to take Fosamax for life. I took it for 15 months until I read about ONJ. I'm terrified. I've had 2 crowns and 1 root canal this year. I've been off of Fosamax now for 5 months... some symptoms still remain others have gone. I'm 27 and I feel 80. I used to be healthy, but the prescription drugs have poisoned my body. I hope I haven't done permanent damage to myself. I will never take another prescription drug again. | F | 27 | 15 months | 9/25/2006 | 5 | Osteoporosis | When I first started talking the pills I had Flu like symptoms and joint pain. I would take the pill on Sundays so that I had the whole day to relax at home to deal with the symptoms. After several months those symptoms went away. Now it have been three years and I am having stomach issues. I take Protonix 40mg to help deal with the upset stomachs. | While this pill does have some bad side effects I would not stop taking it. When I was 19 years old the doctors found sever osteoporosis. My Bone density was at -2.51. For years my doctors tested me for every strange diease and tried several drugs to increase my bone density. Nothing worked. After just two year on Fosamax weekly my bones went from -2.51 to -1.9. I am due for another yearly bone density scan in a month and I can't wait. There is a good change that by now my osteoprosis is gone. The effects are worth being cured from osteoprosis. | F | 28 | 3 years | 9/11/2006 | 1 | Osteopenia | Severe pain: muscles, hips, buttocks, hands, legs, head, chest,eyes; swelling of abdomen, legs, hands. I was diagnosed with Osteopenia three months ago at such an early age and was put on biphosphonates 70mg/once a week | It is terrifying, I know you'd be so surprised to see someone my age in the ratings, but I just wanted to make a warning, that all those symptoms cannot occur because of my age,disease, or anything of that kind. It can happen also to a 28 yo young women, who's never had a muscle, bone pain in life.How can doctors be so merciless? It is frustrating... I am off it for two weeks, but I have more terrible symptoms, will they ever go away? I took the drug, because of the fear of osteoporosis, but now I wish I can turn back time and just through the pills away. I see that no one goes back to say if their symptoms faded, I am so scared... | F | 28 | 8 times | 2/12/2009 | 2 | Kidney Failure / Prednisolone stero | A third of the way through my course of Steroid treatment (2 months) I began waking up in the middle of the night with pain in my Knee - then knees - the pain then spread the whole way down my legs. the pain was excruciating - not just muscle pain but it felt like it was in my bones. I remember 'imagining' this to be a similar pain to reumatoid Arthitis and thinking what absolute hell it must be where quality of life would be close to ZERO ?! Nobody new what it was and when i eventually came across a doctor at the hospital after my second emergency visit that seemed relatively concerned he decided to send me to arthritis/bone specialists - unfortunately I never made it as the pain went before my appointment came through (typical NHS)! I reluctantly kept taking them but I missed out a few. I think some part of my brain was telling don't swallow these pills. | My Kidney failure has returned for the second time and I have just begun another grueling course of Steroids but have not begun the fosamax as of yet. I am very apprehensive ... so before I begin i want to have more discussion with a Nephrologist at the hospital this week. I reckon I know what they will say - but I won't be hushed into taking them regardless! | F | 29 | 5 months | 9/2/2007 | 1 | Avascular Necrosis | The first evening after taking the generic version of Fosamax, Alendronate Sodium, I began to have pain in my neck and shoulders. After a poor nights sleep I thought I had just slept wrong and had a "stiff neck" a paracetamol later the pain in my neck subsided and then I began to suffer pain in my rib cage. My chest felt crushed as if I had done a belly flop onto concrete. The pain was especially severe in my sternum. The pain spread to my arms and lower back. I went to the pharmacy to ask if it was normal, the pharmacist said that "flu like" symptoms and musculo-skeletal pains were common. Besides the pain in my bones and muscles I also have cramping in my bowels. Despite the little comfort knowing that something else wasn't really wrong with me, I felt horrified that this drug caused so much pain after a single dose. I toyed with the idea that I would take my next scheduled dose, but after a sleepless night where even prescribed opiates didn't dull the pain and a | M | 30 | 1 times 70 1X W | 10/6/2010 | 2 | Osteopenia | Nausea, abdominal cramps, hip pain, headaches and bloating | I was thinking of stopping this drug before reading the comments on this site, and having considered the comments, I now believe that I am right to do so. I have only been taking Fosamax 5mg daily for 8 days and I am feeling worse daily, especially in relation to the nausea. I was advisedby my GP to start taking this as I am steroid medication for asthma and I am small framed. A DEXA scan showed osteopenia in my hips. At first I appreciated the care that was being taken to protect my bone health, however, I am now wondering whether I should continuing taking this for several reasons apart from the side affects. I am particularly concerned about how this may affect my fertility or pregnancy, which my GP did not seem to advise me about. In fact, had I not read the instructions, I would not have realised that you need to take Fosamax first thing in the morning, as when I was told that I could take it any time of day, including at night. I am hoping to get a second opinion as to wheth | F | 31 | 8 days | 10/16/2006 | 1 | Osteoporosis | Terrible back pain. All the muscles and bones in my back have been hurting for the past 2-3 weeks with no relief. I have been off the drug (generic) for 2 weeks now and am still having symptoms. Wondering when the pain will go away. | Do not take this drug. Vitamin D and Calcium are better. | M | 32 | 2 months 70 mg 1X W | 1/30/2014 | 1 | osteopenia/severe in left arm | I only took half of the 70mg tablet just to see how I would feel after reading about the side effects...nausea, cramps joint pain, flu like symptoms ect. I also saw this web site. I didn't have any effects from 1/2 the pill, but will not continue to take it. | I was prescribed actonel but my insurance would not pay for it, I asked how much it would cost out of pocket, the pharmacy told me $111.99 for 4 pills!! I laughed so hard, I could not believe it. I would not have taken actonel either, from what I've read about it. I was prescribed the generic for fosamax which was covered by insurance at a much cheaper cost. I did my homework and I read about the lawsuits against fosamax and reading this website. I called my Dr. and told him I would not take the fosamax. He tried to convice me to take it. I'm puzzled by some of the comments and why some people say they have extreme pain and other debilitating side effects but continue to take the pill. I don't know, but it makes sense to stop taking it and not suffer or try something else. I'm much younger than most people taking pills for bone loss, I play tennis and I work a lot and I want to continue to do both. It's seems like if I take these pills I will not be able to work or play tennis because of the horrible side effects or the potential for them. | F | 32 | 1 times | 9/26/2009 | 1 | Osteoporosis prevention | Abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, dizziness, headache, itching, and the feeling of being bitten or stung by an insect. No aches or pains yet...my Prednisone must be helping out there. | I was precribed Fosamax for osteoporosis prevention due to long term Prednisone use. I took my first weekly dose on March 22, 2008. If I had researched this drug that is no more than poison...I never would have taken it. I am deeply regretting the fact that I took that pill. I know that one pill was my first and last. I'll just be sure to get all the calcium and vitamin-D I can and hope for the best. The fact that this drug will be in my system for about 10 years is depressing. | F | 33 | 1 times | 3/28/2008 | 1 | Transient Osteoporosis of the Wrist | Muscle and bone pain(so severe that I have been living on Painkillers for 3 days) fatigue, diarrhea(not severe but it is there for about a week), later developed herthburn | A bit about me: I am 34 years old and I have been training hard all my life(sports). Unfortunately I developed some traumatic bone marrow edema on my wrist/hand bones(advice: NEVER start punching a boxing bag without hand protection, especially if you have been building strength without training your punching technique) and since the pain refused to go away in a reasonable amount of time(1 year) the Doc decided to try to increase my bone density with this damn drug. Usually I review the drugs i am about to take but this time I did not. So basically I am a relatively healthy man that is relatively accustomed to pain(contact sports) Took it as prescribed on day 0 In the morning of day 1 I woke up with mild pain on my shoulder blade(like a sprung muscle) By 11:00 same day my sternum was hurting so badly that i needed to go home from work(school teacher) and start the painkillers(metamizol bases). the pain was so bad that I could not turn in the bed, but luckily it was just stabbing when I was breathing deeply or moving. Day 2 started with the sternum pain+groin pain(suspect the hip) so badly that i could not tread straight. And that while still on painkillers(by this time I decided that double the dose might work so I was on double the prescribed dose). From day 3 and 4 luckily the pain in the bones slowly diminished and by day 5 I was able to resume my daily running routine. Now, at day 6 I am mostly asymptomatic(except for the heartburn and the mild diarrhea that developed | M | 34 | 1 days 70 1X W | 12/13/2014 | 3 | osteopenia | Burning,aching,lower back pain when I lay on my back. I have to lay on my side when this happens. And it seems to happen frequently. I never had this before Fosamax. I feel really tired. Maybe it's time for me to quit this drug. | F | 35 | 1 years 70 1X W | 2/26/2010 | 3 | Osteoarthritis | So far no side effects. The first week I start taking the Fosamax I started to feel less pain then I started to do some brisk walking for less than an hour and realize all the stiffness in my joints was gone. Now I will just feel like 1% of stiffness now and then. I take the medication the right way it should be taken along with vitamin D & Calcium and my other regular vitamins including herbal liquid supp. In the morning when I take my first few steps I will be in pain for like a minute then it will go away. Not trying to visit my dentist no time soon just proper oral hygiene and I should be fine. I will update on my progression. | F | 36 | 3 weeks 70 | 6/12/2013 | 1 | Osteoporosis | Flu like symptoms, shooting pain in my back, arms, legs, severe headache, diahrea. | I will never take this medicine again. I was prescribed this medication by my oncologist because I have Estrogen positive breast cancer and due to my meds, am showing signs of osteoporosis. I received my first dose on 2/23/09. I took it in the evening around 6 pm - by 9 pm I was getting severe stomach cramps and severe pains in my bones and muscle in my legs. I woke up the next morning with a severe migraine - my eyes hurt if I moved them. Couldn't get out of bed at first because of the severe headache. I went to work for about an hour, and left. Went to my Chiropractor and he said my body was revolting because of the poison in the medicine. I had to flush my body with water all day in order to try to rid my body of this medicine. WILL NEVER TAKE THIS AGAIN!! | F | 38 | 1 days | 2/25/2009 | 3 | bone loss | After taking the 70mg/wk tablet for 1 month I began having mild left hip pain. After 2 years on this drug I still have hip pain and developed severe bone and muscle pain in my lower left leg. | Why even go to doctors! I have never hurt so much in all of my life. I used to be a young healthy male, but now I feel like a 100yr old grouch. This crap should be pulled from the shelf. Every doctor I've seen and mentioned that I am on fosomax just pooh-pooh's me off and says It ain't the drug. Well I think it is since all these symptoms started after I was prescribed Fosomax. | M | 39 | 3 years | 9/3/2005 | 2 | osteopenia | jaw locks, severe shoulder pain in both shoulders | I am only 39 years old and my doctor told me that I have osteopenia. Because my mother and my father had osteoporosis, she prescribed fosamax for me. I have taken this medication as directed for about 2 years. During these two years my family has joked with me about having more doctors appointments than my 94 year old grandmother. My shoulders are constantly hurting me. I have had MRIs and Physical therapy for them. One day I picked up my Fosamax from the pharmacy and read the side effects sheet that comes with it and it occurred to me that my pain started slowly 2 years ago when I began taking this medication. I have 3 young boys and I cant even throw a baseball with them. I am not sure what is going on with my jaw but it seem as if it also worsen with time. | F | 39 | 2 days | 10/4/2007 | 1 | for osteoporosis | tingling of hands and feet,cramp type pains in feet and legs,pains in joints of fingers,stabbing pains behind eyes,pains in ribs and chest,difficulty swallowing on three occassions-very severe,terrible problems sleeping | I took this drug for one year and started to get joint pain in left hand.Woke up in night having difficulty swallowing-very frightening and next day had numb feeling in left leg -stopped taking fosamax.Suffered for months with tingling/burning in hands and feet,cramps in feet and legs and pains across ribs -felt desperate.Now take amitriptyline 10mg at night prescribed by Neurologist which helps.Side effects are less frequent but I still get them more than 2 years after stopping the drug.I WOULD NEVER TAKE IT AGAIN! | F | 39 | 365 days | 3/27/2006 | 1 | low bone density result | I have only taken this pill 2 times and i am not taking the third dose. My stomach pain is so unbearable and gets worse when i eat. I also feel strange and a bit weak, I am only 39 years old and have never had such terrible stomach pain. I also take naproxen for my lower back for a slightly bulging disc, and i cannot take that medicine because my stomach is so upset and I also have alot of heartburn. If I knew about this website before i took the fosomax 70 mil I would not have taken it, and I hope they never approve it for pediatrics because I could not see a child suffering with this kind of stomach pain. I wish we could do something about these pharmacutical companies that profit from using us as guinea pigs, especially when they know it is harmful!!!!!!! | I will never take this pill again and i can only hope that this stomach pain subsides and I can get back to feeling normal again. I have been going to work and hoping that my stomach doesn't bother me while I am there, but it does and I have to sit for awhile to try not to let it bother me. My son who is 8 wants me to play with him and I can't because I have difficulty standing up straight because of the stiffness in my lower back that has started, which i never had this kind of stiffness before with my lower back even though I have a slightly bulging disc. I just feel strange muscle pain and joint pain that I did not have before starting this medication. | F | 39 | 10 days | 7/18/2007 | 1 | bone loss | Headaches, hair loss, itchy eyes, abdominal pain, blurred vision, swelling of eyes | The drug company's group study is a very small population and the side effects to vision are not even mentioned in the literature given to patients. | F | 40 | 2 years | 12/12/2005 | 1 | osteoporosis | immediate pins and needles in legs, chronic numbness and neuropathy below waist, Raynaud's phenomenon in both feet | Stopped taking drug after 4 days symptoms have continued for over 2 months with no identified cause. Just had a complete spinal MRI to rule out MS and demyelinating disorders, but neurologist says these are unlikely on basis of physical exam. I had no symptoms before taking Fosamax, and I am positive there is a connection. There is no medical remedy. Will never take this drug again. | F | 40 | 4 days | 7/6/2005 | 2 | Osteoporosis | Muscle pain in the neck and wrist pain. Pops in the neck. I stopped taking it and it still hurts though symptoms diminished. I am 41 years old and have bones of man of 105 years according to scan. | I am not sure and I am not a doctor but an engineer. That puts me in a position to investigate in a wider spectrum. I found in some documents that calcium in the blood is needed also for the functionality of the muscles. Fosamax in my view will desperately deposit all the calcium available in the blood, while depriving the muscles including the heart muscle from the necessary calcium. This leads to muscle pain as a logic result. For some reason I believe that the root cause of my osteoporosis is the inability of my intestines to absorb calcium. So I tell the doctor and he measures my calcium in the blood and says: your calcium level is ok. So I ask him is the calcium coming from the bones or from the food? Is it drained or supplied? To me the test says nothing. He did not understand the question. So I investigated and found that if there is not enough calcium in the blood for the muscles to work, then the parathyroids will generate a hormone to extract the calcium from the teet | M | 41 | 60 days | 2/28/2009 | 1 | have osteoporosis | I am still experiencing side effects, pain in my back, arms, hands, legs, shoulders, chest and rib area, a day afterwords I felt weak, feverish chills | I would not recommend any one take this at all. it should be taken off doctors lists | F | 41 | 1 times 1X W | 5/28/2010 | 5 | Fibrous Dysplasia | Occcasional heartburn and acid reflux - related to Fosamax?? | This medication was the best thing that happened to me since I was diagnosed with this rare disease at age 18. The pain is GONE and I can have a normal active life. I have some of the problems mentioned in other posts, but don't we all? I can't really lay the blame on Fosamax. And I take 40 mg daily!! My insurance company has a fit but my doctor makes a personal appeal on my behalf. He is worried how long-term use at this high dosage may affect my liver. I go for annual check-ups and things are good after 7+ years at this dosage. | F | 42 | 7 years | 9/7/2005 | 5 | extreme osteoporosis | This is the easiest drug to take--I've experienced no side effects at all. Just have to take a full glass of water and delay breakfast for 1/2 hour once a week. My sister, however, had heartburn from her first dosing and discontinued. This is a well known possible side effect that affects some people. | Unfortunately, my extreme genetic osteoporosis is not improving very much--but it's also not getting worse. I'll keep taking for a few more years to see if things improve or switch to another drug for better efficacy. | M | 42 | 2 years | 2/5/2005 | 3 | stress fx in neck of femur x 2 | I hadn't had a lot of side effects until recently, my muscles ache a lot in my lower extremities especially. I had been taking calcium supplements much better and have not been good in the last few months. I have had to stretch constantly or I hurt bad and it seems to be getting worse and worse and in more muscles. | I don't know if it is from my Fosamax and if the lack of not taking extra calcium is making my symptoms worse. I just don't know if it is worth the risks. | F | 42 | 2 years 70 1X W | 2/1/2014 | 1 | osteopenia | I experienced EXTREME bone and joint pain - feet, upper & lower legs, pelvic bone. | I am a VERY active 42-year-old. Part of my weekly routine includes running, cycling, ultimate frisbee. A few weeks after beginning Fosamax, I started getting the bone pain - not in the muscles. It hurt to run - I couldn't keep up. The pain increased, and I didn't tie it to the medicine at first. I thought maybe I was pushing my body too hard, so I let up a little. That wasn't the problem - the pain just increased. I went from a healthy athletic woman to limping and unable to walk down stairs without holding the railing and taking them one step at a time. So, after taking this for only 2 months, I'm stopping. I hope I can return to | F | 42 | 2 months | 4/21/2005 | 1 | Osteopenia | Well the doctor stated I had bone loss and put me on the once a week dose of Fosamax. After about three weeks I started getting joint pain in my right pinky. Everytime I bent it it popped. That was at the beginning. As I progressed with the drug the pain in the pinky worsened and spread to both hands. I quit after reading this website two months later. I could not figure out what was causing all the joint pain and one day it clicked. | At the time of quitting I have joint paint everywhare from head to foot. My eye sockets are killing me and when I keep my eyes open for an extended period they burn. I am still young and never experienced any joint pain prior to taking this drug. I am exhausted all the time and sleep does not help. This garbage should be banned. | M | 42 | 2 months | 5/7/2005 | 1 | Osteopenia | Severe bone pain, headache, and severe jaw pain. I felt like my jaw was crumbling away. I still can't bite down. Very weak. Also felt like me right eye was about to pop out of my head. I didn't leave my recliner for two days after the second time I took Fosamax. | I will never take Fosamax again. I was very scared by the pain I had. The doctor has put me on a nasal spray, but haven't used it yet. | F | 42 | 2 weeks | 3/28/2006 | 1 | Osteoperosis | After 3d dose I experienced chest, shoulder, an stomach pains. It has been 10 days since my last dose and I still have severe pain in my shoulder. I am hopeful it will go away. | Will never take it again. | F | 42 | 3 weeks 70mg 1X W | 5/11/2010 | 1 | osteopenia | Terrible jaw pain, TMJ, Osteoarthritis recently diagnosed, lower back and hip pain, neck pain, terrible stomach pain, rapid pulse (160 beats a minute at rest), chest pain | My first issues were the tachicardia and stomach pain. Now, have ostseoarthritis in hand and lower back and neck pain. The new thing that's happened now is terrible pain in my jaw and headaches. My Dr. has now advised me to stop taking Fosamax immediatly due to some "scattered reports"of these side effects from Fosamax. | F | 42 | 6 days | 9/18/2005 | 2 | low bone density | I have been on fosamax for a year and have been recently suffering from extream low back pain, stiffness, leg weakness, and tingling. I also feel flu like and as if someone slamed into my back. I have had this condition for 2 months and just went on this site and I stopping fosomax. I had an mri which showed some slight disc protusion but the neurosurgon said this is not what is causing my pain and that it is muscular. I have gone though hell with the pain and my doctors think it is not related to fosomax but can not give me an answer as to why I have this pain, stiffness and weakness. I will find another way to improve my bone density. I wonder if we'll be reading about Fosomax as the next drug pulled off the shelves. | F | 43 | 1 years | 12/18/2004 |