FOSAMAX Reviews (ALENDRONATE SODIUM)Average Rating: 1.4 (1230 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare FOSAMAX with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Age oldest to youngest. 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 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 |
More on FOSAMAX: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR FOSAMAX | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 1 | dexa scan left hip | Very Fatigue, loss of appetite, ringing in ears, not feeling myself, didn't want to be by my self, crying, short of breath at time. and my heart would beat fast. at times | 2004 started taking actonel, obgyn changed me to alendronate 70 mg one a week, because of dexa scan, after 7 weeks started noticing my ears were ringing, obgyn told be to check with my pcp. had my ears tested -tennitus in ears. told my pcp thought is was alendronate 70 mg. I told the pcp that I wanted to go off of it for 3 months. which was ok , I will not go back on it, after finding this site, and reading the comments, I feel I am not going off the deep end. thank you. I think it will take sometime to get out of my system. I now have to deal with tinnitus | F | 61 | 8 weeks 70mg 1X W | 10/7/2011 | 1 | To prevent osteoporosis | My lower back and knees hurt and it hurt to turn my neck to even look over my shoulder when driving. I took myself off Fosamax and no longer had the back and neck problems, but the knee pain persists and is the worst pain I've ever had. Now my feet stiffen up and like someone else wrote, upon rising in the morning or sitting for awhile, it takes quite a few steps before the pain and stiffness are gone from my knees and feet and I can walk normally. I attribute all these problems to Fosamax as I've always been healthy and never had anything like them before. I, too, feel like it must stay in your system forever. | As I apparently have several of the risk factors for osteoporosis, I had been on HRT for at least 12 years before being prescribed Fosamax and felt great the whole time. I wish I would have taken my chances and stuck with it or not taken anything but vitamins and a calcium supplement like I do now, but the person who took me off HRT was adamant that I take Fosamax. Now I know from my own experience and reading what everyone else is writing about it, that it's some bad stuff! | F | 61 | 8 months | 11/21/2005 | 1 | Osteopenia | Bone pain, neck pain, leg cramps, blurred vision, some stomach upset, ringing in ears. Reading all the posts and seeing so many of my own symptoms has convinced me that Fosamax is responsible. I have had these symptoms for years - I guess I thought I was just getting old, stressed. But something in the back of my mind thought that Fosamax could be responsible. I asked my doctor last visit if I could go off, and she said no. Does she get a payback? This is the only medication I take beside Ibuprofen. | I'm going off Fosamax today. At least I will notice if I'm feeling better. I wonder how long that will take. I will walk more and watch my diet, and vitamins. Thanks to everyone for their posts. | F | 61 | 8 years | 11/8/2006 | 1 | Dr. Order | I have servere joint pain, fingers, wrists, elbows knees back feet, I can't even get up and walk with ease and my feet feel like I am walking on rocks they hurt so bad. I have never experience joint pain like this, my fingers hurt so much that I can hardly bend them.I have had arthritis for many years. I am going to take myself off of this drug. | I don't think they should just give this medication out without more studies on it. I am still on hormone therayp and doing fine I thought until the dr. took a bone density test that showed I had severe osteoarthrisit but I was not in the pain that I am in right now, and I have had 4 weeks of this drug | F | 61 | 4 days | 2/22/2006 | 1 | osteoporosis | Pain in left eye, 2 week duration, dark spots and flashing lights. Also in last month have had headaches that come and go, and vague feeling of nasal stuffiness. | After doing some research I see that eye pain and other visual complications (some serious) are a rare side effect of Fosamax. Nothing is worth losing your eyesight. | F | 61 | 6 months | 4/19/2006 | 1 | Osteopenia | I was on Fosamax for three years and I have previously rated this medication. I had foot and ankle pain that did not respond to cortisone shots or physical therapy. The next option was surgery. I had huge knots on my Achilles tendons that the foot doctor told me must have been from torn tendons. I had never torn any tendons. Every muscle in my back, arms and neck hurt. When driving, I would have to rest one arm and drive with the other hand on the steering wheel and then change hands when the aching got to be too much. I have been off Fosamax for two years and most of the pain has gone, including the knots on my Achilles tendons. But, I still have hand, wrist and arm pain that so far is not responding to physical therapy or pain medication. | I advise everyone I talk to about Fosamax to watch out for ANY symptoms such as foot, back, neck or arm pain. I never see the symptoms that I had mentioned as side effects on any of Merck's information sites and yet I read about them on this website all the time. Does anyone know how to contact someone at Merck and get some answers on this? | F | 61 | 3 years | 5/3/2006 | 1 | osteoporosis-osteopenia | I've had 3 stress fractures to feet/toes and one stress fracture to right femur. I had a severe, almost spiral fracture, to left femur in 2007 | I was placed on Fosomax @ 1997. I am the perfect profile for osteoporosis,small frame,family history,early menopause. I started out daily and changed to weekly dosage 2004.I've had constant aches & pains in legs,a couple of minor accidents,fell down three steps & broke ribs, three separate stress fractures on feet from a jarring step movement. Never thought much about it until 8/08 when I twisted my left leg while shopping & broke left femur in two places, requiring surgery, pins and a rod. Then in 2/08 I jarred same side foot coming off a step& developed a stress fracture that won't heal. I now have a stress fracture on the right side femur after walking on the beach and going up and down hills in Hawaii. Both femurs burned, as does the the foot, before the fractures. I forgot the Fosomax on my trip and haven't gone back on it! I never thought it was my bones, thought it was pulled muscles! None of my doctors saw any connection with Fosomax extended use. I'm waiting t | F | 61 | 11 years | 10/13/2008 | 1 | Osteoporosis | 1st day taking this Fosamax. Followed instructions to sit on the chair for 42 minutes. After breakfast I felt dizzy, back of neck and lower back pain hurting badly, muscle pain, abdominal pain, then vomitted for 45 minutes and nothing to vomit anymore except acid. Never had this problem taking any meds. Will stop taking this med and just risk with osteoporosis. Had bone scan and was told in 10 years I will have osteoporosis. Will risk and try anything just by not taking this med. | F | 61 | 1 days 70 mg tab 1X W | 7/8/2018 | 1 | For my bones | My whole skeleton/joints hurt. Shoulder, chest sore much pain. Back pain, hips hurt. Weird feeling. Couldn't sleep because of pain. Hurt to turn in bed. Feel like I have been beat in the worst way. | F | 61 | 1 days 70mg | 6/7/2018 | 5 | osteopena | I have been taking Fosamax for 1 year. The 1st pill I took I had severe vertigo for about 2hrs. The 2nd pill I took I had severe stomach cramps, especially at night, after the 6th day they stopped & I have not had any stomach cramps since. occasionaly I will have heartburn. No other symptoms. I have had problems with both of my hips for years (think it's arthritis), however, have had no pain in my hips since taking Fosamax. | although I have not had any major side effects, I am willing to put-up with the side effects, unless they are life threating. My sister at the age of 56, got into her bathtub one day, and her hip completely collapsed into itself. After having her hip replaced it was determined that she has severe osteoporosis. She had no idea she had osteo. She took Fosamax for a year, her hip had improved, but her spine was worse, so her doctor switched her to actinel. She has not had any side effects from either one. My mother who is 82 has bone loss and has been taking Fosamax for 2yrs. and has had no side effects. I talked to my doctor & my sister talked to her doctor about the jaw problems & they both said there was a problem there before these people started using fosamax. My doctor said there has been very few cases of the jaw problem. Much rather put up with the minor side effects than not be able to walk. | F | 60 | 1 years | 11/2/2006 | 5 | Osteopenia | No side effects | I started taking Foxomax(first once a day and then once a week) more than 5 yrs ago due to the diagnosis of osteopenia. My first scan, after taking, it showed increased bone mass and it has pretty much remained consistent. I am now off the drug, per my doctor, as you are only supposed to take it for so many years. I had no side effects, whatsoever and it worked for me. | F | 60 | 1X O | 4/14/2010 | 5 | extreme bone density | A lot of leg cramping and stiffness, especially hips and legs. | I was told 8 years ago by gyn that if I didn't take Foxamax I would end up in wheelchair. I had a very bad car accident and all bones were broken 15 years ago. I did everything I was told, I exercise and eat right but think I will stop taking the drug after reading the comments. I never thought the drug was causing the other pains. | F | 60 | 8 years | 4/8/2005 | 4 | osteoporosis of spine | The only side effect I have is a change in taste. Since day one, my taste buds taste metallic! This is annoying but I can live with less good taste than to risk my health with not taking the drug. I witnessed a senior go downhill from osteoporosis and die from not taking medication and it scares me to know this. | F | 60 | 11 weeks | 6/4/2005 | 4 | M | 60 | 4 months | 11/26/2002 | 3 | osteopenia | There may be some side effects from Fosamax. I have not yet determined that for sure. I do have a couple little joint problems, but I had had that before Fosamax and at this point consider it injury related. One thing I note in some of the comments was the discontinuation of HRT. After the big HRT scare, I asked my doctor to take me off it. We moved to Evista. My hands started becoming very stiff. We tried Actonel and the stiffness progressed to the point that I had to force my hands open each morning. As time went on, my feet and knees became stiff. I did a little mental review, discontinued the Actonel, and put myself back on Prempro, as I still had some left. Within 8 days the stiffness was mostly gone and within 14 days it was entirely gone. So think back... when you started Fosamax, did you discontinue HRT? There could be a connection there. Ask your doctor. Now I do take the Fosamax, but continue the HRT. Aside from the aforementioned joint pain in the arms and shoulders, I have had no problems. | The liquid Fosamax is such an improvement over the pills! | F | 60 | 6 months | 4/9/2005 | 3 | Osteopenia | Lower digestive upset; fatigue | I have only been on Fosamax for 1 month. I will probably stop taking it if I get any more severe side effects than I have had. My main comment is in agreement to those that incicated the reason why the doctors are prescribing Fosamax so freely. I trust my doctor very much, however, when mentioning the bad side effects his speech speeded up, as if to "get that part over with". Normally he is very excact to make sure I understand all that he is saying. For now, I'll continue to take Fosamax, mainly because if I progressed to osteoporosis or began having fractures, I'd feel bad about not continuing. HOWEVER: If I get new side effects or if the minor side effects that I have worsen, I will discontinue taking it. | F | 60 | 4 weeks | 9/27/2007 | 3 | Osteopenia | None from the Brand name Fosamax as long as I followed the instructions to take it with a lot of tap water, don't lie down etc. However, when I changed to the generic Fosamax, I developed a rash and itching that cannot be attributed to anything else. I am super sensitive to the inactive ingredients which are different in generics. | I have been on it for 7 years and my bone density had not really improved a lot until I stopped drinking DIET COKE. This is the thing that most women don't know. COCA COLA or any dark soda with phosphates is the WORST thing you can do for your bones. In 6 months after stopping the Coke - my BDS improved drastically. | F | 60 | 7 years | 12/30/2009 | 3 | osteo prevention | none - but I'm very irregular about taking it. Doctor first prescribed Actonel - and that caused ringing in my ears. Then the once a month $85 Boniva pill - and I experienced unbelievable intestinal pain for about 4 days. There were times I couldn't stand up. Thinking that perhaps it was not the Boniva, I tried it one more month. Excruciating PAIN!!! If you're looking for an alternative to Fosamax, I don't recommend either Actonel or Boniva. | F | 60 | | 2/24/2006 | 2 | Osteopenia | I have been taking Fosamax for over 10 years. Everything was going fine until last Nov 5 2006 when I fell trying to roller skate and fractured my tibia and fibula and all the tendons in my right ankle. When my surgeon opened me up the bones completed shattered "like glass". My surgeon told me that this condition was probably brought on by the Fosamax. Today is Feb 19 2007 and I finally had the last of my stitches removed post op from the hardware removal. The 5 inch plate was left attached because of the severity of the fracure. | I am 60 years old, healthy and energetic. I have been on Fosamax for so many years I'm not sure what I should think about what effect it had on my ankle bones. I understand the half-life of Fosamax is ~~ 8 years. So even if I changed to another medication the damage from Fosamax has already been done. | F | 60 | 10 years | 2/19/2007 | 2 | osteopenia | Constipation, bloating, weight gain - - After only three weeks on the once a week 70 mg, I had gained 5 pounds, was bloated and constipated. I had not had these problems before starting to take Fosamax. I suspected it was the medication and - so - after reading comments at this site I have stopped taking it. I will continue my daily long walks, assume the 5 pounds will drop off as my diet has remained the same before and during the treatment with Fosamax, and will see how this situation develops. If necessary I will go on a tuna, lean beef, chicken, salad, vegetable etc. diet - high protein and leafy "roughage" - until I am back to normal- hoping activity and excerise will help my osteopenia - i.e. - I will go back to my normal non-medicated life. | F | 60 | 3 weeks | 3/22/2006 |