Drug Ratings for ACTONELAverage Rating: 1.4 (1356 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by Date Rating Was Added 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 |
Charts & graphs: Reviews Summary for ACTONEL | Top 10 Adverse Effects (reported to FDA)
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ACTONEL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 1 | osteporosis | Generally felt awful. Couldn't swallow, terrible heartburn. Very weak. Later diagnosed with severe anemia which I believe is somehow related to the actonel although my doctor disagrees. | M | 56 | 1 years | 8/19/2008 | 1 | osteopena | Ended up in hospital! Healthy exercise enthusiast who could not get out of bed several days after taking 150 mg. Actonel. Severe pain in hands, especially the thumbs and wrists. Can hardly move head sideways. Doctor wanted to do a spinal tap, said Actonel could not be the cause. I am positive my symptoms and pain were caused by Actonel. 16 days later and I still feel like I have the flu. I can't get my rings on and cannot turn my head because my neck hurts so bad. I am drinking lots of water to try to flush this out of my system. | I would NEVER take or recommend Actonel. I paid for a 3 month supply and am going to throw them in the trash where they belong. This was my first horrible reaction to any medication. | F | 69 | 1 days | 8/17/2008 | 1 | osteoporosis | Took one monthly dose and immediately felt terrible. Horrific stomach upset that went on all day, and now just terrible gas pains and bloating and pain. I did research and realized that this drug does not build quality bone. What it does is clump together the weak bone so the bone density tests look better! I discovered somethign called Strontium. It's used all over Europe to build bone with great success and can be taken safely like any vitamin. A friend swears by one of those vibrating exercises, but they can be pricey. Isn't it a shame that doctors push this stuff? I pray I'll feel better faster and in the meantime, I ordered Strontium and signed up for a session with a person trainer so I can learn how to safety do weight bearing exercises! DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG! | A terrible drug. Remember how doctors pushed HRT on women and now they are finding out it caused cancers? This drug does not build quality bone! | M | 56 | | 8/17/2008 | 4 | osteopenia | No side effects from 35 mg. pill. | Took a bone density test after 2 yrs. and showed a pretty big improvement in my hips. i'm not even in menopause yet but the dr. said my numbers were that of a 70 yr. old woman.....didn't make me feel to good so i started on actonel and have no problem, thank goodness. | F | 52 | 2 years | 8/13/2008 | 1 | minor bone density loss | I took my first monthly Actonel dose yesterday morning. Had a perfectly normal day until around 8pm and began to feel achy and feverish. 24 hours later I'm still on the couch with the pain and discomfort. Took extra strength Tylenol to get through last night, but couldn't stop moaning from the pain and still had trouble getting comfortable. I've been taking Aleve every three-four hours today, but when it wears off the pain is just as bad as last night. Also have had sharp pains in my toes, pain when taking a deep breath and shortness of breath. Felt very dehydrated as well. | My doctor had told me that the Actonel might actually alleviate some minor bone pain I'd been having! In my estimation, Actonel is not worth taking when there are vitamin therapies (i.e. Calcium plus D3) available that are much safer. | F | 58 | 1 days | 8/13/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | My doctor gave me a sample to try. I took it as directed, and that night I woke with a terrible headache. The next day, two of my fingers were very swollen and hurt constantly. Now, three days later, two fingers and a thumb ache constantly, and are inflamed. I have never experienced anything like this before. I have also experienced heart palpitations. Not even icing the fingers relieves the pain. I will never take this drug again! | F | 66 | 3 days | 8/12/2008 | 5 | Osteoporosis | NONE! | I have had no problems with this drug, I make sure I take it properly as directed. My Dr said that 1 in 4 people that have a hip fracture die within 12 months- I don't want to end up in a nursing home and I don't want another fracture. | F | 62 | 2 years | 8/10/2008 | 2 | osteopenia | Tingling in both legs that won't go away--day or night | Was taking Boniva without problems. Bone density showed improvement over the past 3 years. Doctor switched me to Actonel because research indicated better results. I'm switching back to Boniva. | F | 61 | 3 months | 8/10/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia | Lump in throat, joint pain, jaw pain, exhaustion and fatique. | I was started on Actonel following a diagnosis of Celiac Disease. A dexa scan showed mild osteopenia. My gastroenterologist and GP both agreed that Actonel would be beneficial because I'm pre-menopausal they felt I had a good chance of building up my bones before menopause. Unfortunately just as I began to feel like a person again, after two years of misdiagnosis for Celiac Disease, I've starting feeling bad each week. I was beginning to think that I had inadvertantly ingested gluten. But my antibody tests came back on Thursday indicating I haven't had gluten. Today after my weekly dose I started feeling bad and started looking up more information on Actonel. I'm done. I'll stick with the calcium, vitamin D, soy milk and exercise. | F | 42 | 5 months | 8/10/2008 | 5 | First time I took it, gave me stomach ache, but I had reflux at the time and chronic gastritis My doctor gave prilosec and it stopped. My left hip was at risk on the red side and my back S1L-5 and 4 were herniated from falls. I have reumatoid artritis and have astma for which I got cortisone. Cortisone is the worst medicine for bones on artritic persons it deteriorates the bone loss more. I started a diet and excersise plan using Tai Chi and pilates(low impact exercices) the astma stopped , so I stopprd using cortisone, my stomach was better without Prelone and the actonel started doing its work. I had a lot of pain on my back and joints but that is the pain you get from artritis not actonel, I did a lot of research myself about the drug and found nothing bad with it, just that people get anxious when taking something new and anything they feel they blame it on the new stuff. I had the actonel for one year and a half and the results on my bone scans were marvelous, my back went to norm | If you take the pill and sit to feel yourself for any kind of symptom you are going to get it because you read all the crap here and you beleived it. Hoe come I do not get any of those symptoms? My artritis is really bad.Ever since I started practicing Tai Chi after six months the pain was gone.No more pills or drugs or ibuprofen, nothing. But my bones still need the actonel I have seen the results and my bones are much better I forgot to say I also have hypotiroidism, this one did not make fat (the actonel). | F | 56 | 2 years | 8/6/2008 | 1 | very minor bone denisty loss | If ONLY I had read this website before I took my first pill. I just turned 61 and I was given the 150mg dose to try after I had taken one Boniva and everienced relavtively minor lower back pain for about a day and a half. That was a cake walk. This is unbelievable! Took actonel carefully following the directions two mornings ago. Felt great all day. About 9pm I noticed that my lower back was starting to hurt. Awoke at 3am aching all over-my back, my neck, my ribs, my left thumb. Took an ibuprofen and tossed the rest of the night trying to find a comfortable position. Awoke in worse pain. Spent the day in and out of bed, on the couch, tried walking around a lot to relieve the pain. Nothing worked and I did not go to work. Last night I took an Alieve. Made me sleep better till about 4am. I am taking a new approach today. It was all I could do to shower, shave my legs but I did. And, I am going to put on makeup and truly try to make a very important 1:00 appointment. My upp | I am calling my doctor right now and insisting that she read every entry on this website, She gave me two samples of this drug. I am going to give her back the second one and suggest very strongly that she take it or make the damn drug rep who touted it to her to swallow it. I will hold that drug rep's mouth open. | F | 61 | 1 days | 8/1/2008 | 1 | Bone scan indicated some osteoporos | Terrible pain in ankles, knees, arms, legs, shoulders, etc.. I could hardly walk. I stopped taking it ten days ago and most of the pain is gone and I feel so much better. Will never take any of the osteoporosis drugs again--will take calcium pills, milk, yogurt, cheese, etc. Originally started Actonel one and a half years ago--spliting headache day one and disorientation. Developed Polymyalgia rheumatica. Doctor stopped Actonel. Sixteen months later back on Actonel with the above results. That's the end of it for me. | Bad stuff. | F | 78 | 14 weeks | 7/30/2008 | 3 | osteoporosis | hair loss, pain and swelling, especially hands, diarrhea and constipation, flu-like illness and have fainted while so ill | Have you had significant hair loss on this product? I am quite sure it is this product. I would like to read if others have. | F | 54 | 6 months | 7/26/2008 | 1 | osteopinia | Fever, chills, headache- my entire body hurt. Joints in hands, particularly thumbs swelled. Throat felt lilke it swelled on the inside for first two days after taking one monthly dose. Will not take this again. | F | 47 | 1 times | 7/22/2008 | 1 | post-menopausal osteopinea | Muscle and joint pain throughout body (hands, hips, back neck) especially thru night and upon getting up; leg cramps; frozen shoulder. Low white blood cell count...tests show nothing wrong. | Have linked symptoms to Actonel only after reading others' comments and reflecting on when symptoms began. Actonel is the only prescription drug I take. I thought it was the "aging process"! Feel like an OLD WOMAN in the morning. Had to give up early morning walking and activity just to get my body started. For past 8 months have been working to correct a frozen shoulder. I will stop taking Actonel and see if symptoms improve and WBC improves. | F | 61 | 16 months | 7/22/2008 | 2 | osteoporosis | One day I had a muscle spasm and tightening in my upper back that was so debilitating that I thought I was having a heart attack. It lasted about 30 seconds during which time I considered calling 911. However, since I have low blood pressure and had a recent checkup, I waited. When the pain finally subsided, I felt like I had strained myself at the gym. My back muscles were extremely sore for several days. My neck and shoulder muscles had been bothering me for several weeks, while my hip had also been sore. I recalled that joint and muscle pain were side effects of Actonel and called the office of my rheumatologist. I was told to discontinue the medicine for 3 months. It has only been a few weeks, and my neck pain is easing. I was told to do exercises to ward of osteoporosis, but my joints were always too sore to do very much. I'm hoping that as time passes, I will start feeling better. I've also gained a lot of weight on the medication, but it could be that I haven't been ex | I was on Fosomax for awhile, but ended up with swallowing problems. As a result, my doctor switched me to Actonel saying that it was easier to tolerate. I was always particularly careful to follow the directions, even allowing more time before eating in order to reduce the side effects. | F | 59 | 3 years | 7/19/2008 | 3 | For calcium in the bones | So far I have experienced no side effects | Recently I have developed sever pain in my left leg. It travels from my thighs all the way down to the ankle | M | | 7/17/2008 | 1 | MD said I might break a hip. | If I had back pain on the first dose I guess I attributed to something else. My second dose -- I thought I had fractured my hip. I could hardly move for the pain. I searched my memory for what I could have done to fracture my hip. I awoke one night remembering I had taken Actonel. I found the slip that came with it and read that it could cause sever pain. Ah Ha! I drank a lot of water and by the end of the week I felt no hip pain. It was awful. A terrible thing to do to a person. | Never again!!!!!!!!! | F | 88 | 7 days | 7/17/2008 | 1 | Osteoprosis | This medicine has terrible side effect that I couldn't stand. I had 102 F fever and severe joint, body pain on the next day after I took it. I felt that this medicine was killing me. I couldn't go to work for a couple of days. I don't know how this medicine got approved by the FDA since it has such worst side effects that the human being can't tolerance to it. I hope that this medicine will be pulled soon so that other people will not experience the terrible side effects. | F | 51 | 1 days | 7/14/2008 | 4 | prevent bone loss from Femara | 23 months on Actonel Weekly. 1st year had some occasional joint pain (knees). That has gone away. Attibute insomnia on the night I take it to Actonel. | I have been rebuilding from chemo & radition (20060. This July 4th I worked 6 straight hours both Fri. & Sat. doing yard and garden work. First time for that much since chemo. I'm feeling back to normal so I don't think it has any long term affects for me. | F | 54 | 23 months | 7/11/2008 | 4 | osteoporosis | The first doses were very painful, (joints burned, fingernails lifted, but I continued to take it for a year. My test results are MUCH improved. I don't like it, but will take it. | M | 52 | 1 years | 7/6/2008 | 1 | spinal bone loss from cancer meds | Since starting this 35mg weekly dose of Actonel last October, I have experienced chronic chest and rib pain, back, knuckle, toe and head pain, as well as sore right breast and neck. My tailbone is so sore I can barely sit and have to lean to the side. Sleepless nights and shoulder, neck, head pain all night. Intermittent significant blurry vision, stabbing abdomenal pains, kidney and liver area pain, dry, itchy skin and heart palpitations. I am a recent cancer survivor and all this pain has had me plenty worried... I have been terribly worried that the disease was back and had spread. | I have taken my last Actonel. Why would a doctor prescribe such a medication and provide no follow up? Shameful. | F | 52 | 8 months | 7/6/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia | Digestion problems, gas and esophagus problems that I never had before this medicine and most recently jaw pain! | I've had 3 bone scans while on Actonel and the last was the worst which shows this medicine has not helped at all. In fact it has made my hips worse! | F | 54 | 3 years | 7/5/2008 | 3 | osteoporosis | stomach upset, achiness, generally not feeling well when taken, trouble swallowing at times, very tired all the time.And weight gain I never had before. | I have gone from osteoporosis to osteopena in 2 years. But after reading all the reviews I am not sure I am doing the right thing taking Actenol. I am 55 and post menopausal | F | 55 | 2 days | 7/4/2008 | 1 | osteoporosis | Extreme muscle pain in chest and ribs, fatigue, swelling, deterioriation in vision, and acid reflux. | My doctor prescribed the once a month Actonel pill to maintain what little improvement I got after taking daily Forteo injections for 2 years. All the symptoms I described appeared the evening after taking the first morning dose. I followed all instructions very carefully. It felt like I had been beaten with a baseball bat. 3 days later the pain is still with me but subsiding somewhat. I am going to tell my doctor that my body cannot tolerate Actonel (or any biophospenate). | M | 54 | 1 days | 7/4/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | After several weeks of unusually severe joint and bone pain, which began suddenly and which I attributed to lack of exercise, I remembered that this is one of the possible side effects of Actonel, which I had been taking for 6 months. I stopped taking it at the end of May, but still have pain in my left knee, lower back, hips, shoulders and one elbow in addition to over all aches and pains. This can't just be lack of exercise or "old age"...I've always been healthy, active and have had nothing like this before. I feel like an old lady, and I'm not! | F | 60 | 6 months | 6/30/2008 | 1 | doctor misleading | This is a terrible medication. My doctor lied to me. | I took this medication as my first time. I Finished it as doctor's instruction in the early morning when my stomach empty of food. My body is o.k. til to the time when got in bed about 9:00pm. When I was in bed in that time, I felt so cold that like flu,malaria, or typhoid, muscle serious pain and bones pain and crushed, my fever last for two days so that I can't go to work or help my family. Now I feel my muscle like after a brutal beat. Pleasse help don't let this medication still used by any one include any doctor. When a doctor mislead any patient to take this medication, this is a serious crime. Doctor make money can't use patient as scraptgoat. | M | 64 | 1 days | 6/22/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | rapid heartrate, severe back pain, UTI, high blood pressure, tempeture of 102, paralyzed in bed for 3 days in the hospital, flu like symptoms, and stiffness | do not take this pill. I will never take this ever again. | F | 51 | 1 times | 6/20/2008 | 1 | Osteoporosis | I took Actonel 2 months and started experiencing severe pain in my thumbs and hands and then it went into both my big toes. This pain lasted 3 months. After reading these ratings, I determined it had to be the Actonel and stopped taking it. It took 4 months after taking it to get it out of my system but the pain finally stopped. I literally sat for 3 of those 4 months using Icy Hot, my hands in electric mittens and took Motrin 800 PLUS two Tylenol for Arthritis 3 TIMES A DAY for the pain. It finally took Darvocet to ease the pain. | A R.A. specialist diagnosed me with carpel tunnel. It was unbelivable to me that I could have carpel tunnel in both hands at the same time with identical pain AND in both big toes. I would never take this drug again ever. My PCP told me to take calcium + Vitamin D3 for now and she'd check me again later. I'm also afraid of Fosamax and Boniva for this reason. | F | 69 | 2 months | 6/17/2008 | 1 | Osteoporosis | I was experiencing migratory bone and joint pain that I did not attribute to the Actonel at first. After a week or two, I got out the fact sheet and realized it was from this drug. I am on no other medication and had no pain of any kind before starting this medication. My body has also been sensitive to touch (painful); this has also been periodic and migratory. I don't know if that is from the Actonel or not, but I didn't have that problem prior to use. | Fearful that the side effects would increase in number and severity, I stopped taking Actonel. My doctor wrote a script for Boniva. After continuing to search the internet, I've decided to not try another bisphosphonate. | F | 56 | 3 months | 6/16/2008 | 1 | As part of a drug viability study | I was part of a "guinea pig" study to determine how long this drug stays in the body. I am a 30 year old male, who is in excellent shape. I do some bodybuilding and was participating in the study for extra money. I took 1 dose and followed all directions because it was a controlled study. The following morning I woke up and as was said by others on this site, I felt like I had been beaten with baseball bats the entire night. As the day wore on, the pain moved from my shoulder blades to my chest. I had difficulty breathing and literally any movement at all is painful. The pain is debilitating, and so I looked up the side effects and found this site. I am so angry right now that I had to post this comment to warn people about this drug. I wouldn't recommend this to my grandmother if she had the worst case of bone deterioration known to man. I only hope the pain goes away before too long. Needless to say, the money isn't worth me finishing this study... | M | 30 | 1 times | 6/15/2008 | 1 | Drug study | inner ear burning and ringing, dizziness, vomiting, diahrrea, blacking out, severe abdominal pain, joint pain | I only took one dose of this medication and I was in agony. | F | 23 | 1 days | 6/15/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia | After 2nd dosage of 35 mg ( once a week)had excrutiating pain in mouth of stomach not letting me sleep. Also the sencond day after dosage had sharp intervnal chest pain. Wll stop taking actonel. Please do not take Boniva the side effects are worst than Actonel!!! | F | 62 | 2 weeks | 6/7/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | Heartburn, indigestion, painful swallowing, severe and increasingly incapacitating knee pain. Ended up having 2 knee replacements for severe arthritis. | Knee pain continued 2 years after surgery, though x-rays showed no problems. Stopped actonel because of painful swallowing. 4 months later knee pain had vanished. I am healthy and can walk again, but believe my knee arthritis was worsened by actonel. Had only mild arthritis before starting this drug; surgeon wondered why my knees got so bad so fast; nobody connected the dots. Wish I had found this web site sooner. Will never take biophosphonates again. | F | 66 | 7 years | 6/1/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | I have experienced every sympton that is possible,i did not know of these devestating side effects.I have been on this medication for 7 years and have had 7 years of torture and now the doctor thinks that the damage is possibly irreversible.I think the pills should not only be pulled but there should be a lawsuit as will!!!on top of that they did absolutely nothing for my bone density only made it worse.i am in pain day and night but took the drug because my mom suffered untold agony with osteo but i wish to god that i had been better informed! | M | 53 | 7 years | 5/28/2008 | 1 | osteoporosis | headache,flu like symptoms, bones hurt, felt like vomiting all day, teeth hurt, etc | would never take it again | F | 38 | 3 weeks | 5/27/2008 | 1 | osteoporsis | for the first 3 yrs I did not think I had any side effects although I did not like being on a medication that does not have long term studies. Recently I began experiencing heart palpitaions and chest pain. I at first suspected that my thyroid levels might be off since I am also on Synthroid for Hypothyroidism. After having my TSH levels checked, my levels were perfect, I heard on the nightly news about Actonel and Fosomax being responsible for atrial fibrilation. I did some internet searching and found this website. I stopped taking Actonel against my doctors reccommendation, 3 weeks ago. I am still having racing heart. I have cut out all coffee which has seemed to help but I am not encouraged by all that I am reading about how long it takes for this drug to leave the body if it ever does. | I am so angry with myself that I have trusted my doctors and not my own instincts, putting drugs into my body that I don't have a good feeling about. My intial dexa showed osteo 7 years ago in lower spine. Subsequent dexa scans have shown no change for better or worse after being on Actonel for 4 years. Maybe my bones were always this way. How are we to know what our bone density is when we were 20 or 30 or 40? What IS NORMAL? for thin people or people with small bones to begin with. | F | 57 | 4 years | 5/25/2008 | 1 | bone loss | bone pain in my ribs 2 days after my first pill. I have enough pain with gout Rh. arthritis and Osteo Arthritis without adding more. | Actonel is taken once a week and by the 2nd day I knew that I wouldn't be taking another one. | F | 72 | 6 days | 5/3/2008 | 5 | Bone density loss | Have been on Actonel for 1 year and i have only had very slight bone pain..No other problems other than trying to remember to take it | So far so good, just hope it is working | F | 39 | 1 years | 4/24/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | Knee pain and inflammation within one or a few days of first weekly dose; pain increased to include swelling and pain concentrated on right knee -- very disabling. Stopped taking after five weeks -- took that time to connect symptoms with the actonel -- and pain and swelling subsided over next three weeks. | I am a healthy and physically active woman turned into a limping old lady by this drug; I am thankful the effects manifested immediately, so that it was easier to connect them to the drug, and that the effects do not seem permanent and I can run and play tennis again. My GP and the knee specialist that I consulted seemed quite clueless about the connection of symptoms to Actonel. | F | 61 | 5 weeks | 4/17/2008 | 1 | osteo | jaw, neck pain back pain, headache, sleepness, depression, joint dislocation of joints, stomach, loss of weight, numb feet, | This medication is killing people. It hasn't been out long enough to tell the real destruction it is doing. | M | 69 | 2 years | 4/11/2008 | 1 | osteporosis | EXTREME PAIN EVERY WHERE... Woke up in middle of the night with so much pain I couldnt stand it. This is happening with my first dose I have taken. I am in so much pain it is unbearable and from the sounds of everyone else this will not go away. I have called my doctor twice today but no call back yet ?? Humm wonder why ?? I am about ready to go to the emergency room. And I mean I hurt in every bone I have. Breathing even seems to be difficult as the day goes on. | thsi medication sucks dont take it | F | 45 | 1 days | 4/7/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia | Dry, red eyes (both). They almost look bloodshot. had never happened before. Diarrea/gas. Some upper leg pain. | Went to the eye doctor because I thought it was allergies or pink eye. Misdiagnosed me with graves disease. I'm getting a little pissed off at the men who leave comments on this site - saying they all follow the directions. What do they think we do?? I also followed all the instructions for this crappy med and I still have these effects. The red eyes were the last straw. I'm out. | F | 46 | 3 days | 3/29/2008 | 3 | osteopenia | I have been taking this drug for about 3 years. Had another bone density test about 6 months ago and I had some slight improvement. The past 4 weeks I noticed on the days that I take it, that I experienced mild dizziness and shortness of breath and rapid heart rate. It took me 4 weeks to associate it with the Actonel. I will not take it this week and see what happens. | F | 57 | 3 years | 3/19/2008 | 1 | Osteoporosis | I want to thank you all for this site. I haven't begun treatment yet for my bone loss. I already walk 5 miles a day, And hiked all the mountains in the Northeast, take calcium and vit. D. I continue to lose bone density and I'm only 47. I don't know what to do from here. I already have reflux somewhat and a hiatal hernia which is under control with diet. Any suggestions would be great. I'm also post-menopausal and they're telling me that I have the bone density of a 70 year old already. I do feel fine, except for minor back pain from arthritis and an automobile accident I had in 2004. Should I be doing more? I'm very afraid to take any of these medications after reading all these comments. The verdict is overwhelming except for the very very few it worked for. | F | 47 | 0 days | 3/18/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia | 10 hours after my first dose, I experienced fever, chills, and the worst joint pain I have ever had! It has been 3 days since my one and only dose of this "poison" and I am still hurting and having to take 600mg Ibuprofen every 3 hours just to stand the pain. My left knee is swollen and is very painful, my hips, ribcage, neck and toes are all very painful. This is unbelievable. I went from a healthy, active individual with no pain to being stooped-over, groaning, limping, and in horrible pain. IS THERE AN END TO THIS MISERY????? | I accessed the FDA's website (www.fda.gov) and filed a report (health watch report) on my side effects with them. This med needs to be pulled immediately! | F | 51 | 1 days | 3/16/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | Have been on Actonel for almost two years. After taking the once a week pill, I was nauseous for the first couple days for several weeks. My current side effects are all over aching, joint pain in my knees, hips, shoulders and ankles. I'm seeing my doctor on Tuesday to tell her I don't want to take Actonel anymore. | F | 56 | 2 years | 3/14/2008 | 1 | osteoporosis | About 1.5 years ago, I took my first Actonel pill. One day after taking my first pill, I had aches all over my body as if I had a flu. The aches lasted for several days; however, I was not sure whether I did really get the flu or it was the pill. I took my second pill the following week and experienced the same pains, mostly in my arms and legs. That same reaction confirmed to me that it was the Actonel and I stopped taking it. My T scores are now worse and I was going to try once more, but after reading the comments here, I am not going to do so. I am not sure what to do as my doctors are all urging me to take one of the bisphosphonates. | F | 52 | 2 weeks | 3/14/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia | The side effects were horrid! The pain was indescribable. I was being treated for cervical C3, C4 & C5 & C6 vertebrae problems and it got so bad I then thought it was an RSI (repetitive stress injury) I pleaded, screamed, cried, no one believed me. My symptoms started with headaches within 4 weeks of taking it, next I complained of neck pain. Three MRI's....chiropractor, three sets of shots, epidural steroid injections, facet block joint injections, only VICODIN would relieve the pain, Physical Therapy....everything I tried failed except for the VICODIN, but that would only help about 88%. For 2.5 years plus I suffered with this pain and weird muscle spasms that would arrive un-announced and incapacitate me, that I could not move, walk, dress or drive. Again, I would beg for narcotics, but the doctors all pooh-poohed my cries and hysteria. I turned into a monster. Actonel turned me into a monster, I was in bad moods every day, no one understood my pain and how excruciatingl | The reason nothing ever worked as far as treatment was because I would get treatment, then swallow that damn pill on Sats. and it would start all over. It was a nightmare. Now I am having jaw and dental problems and the dentist said I cannot get any extractions because I could end up with dead jaw--- ONJ. He said about ONJ that if you get it--it's so bad that it could drive someone to suicide. I am still taking two separate pills of narcotics to ease the pain which I STILL SUFFER from-- Oxycontin and Vicodin. I have been off Actonel 10 weeks. Do not take this bone pill it is poison, I had no quality of life for over two years. Me a vital, healthy womanm, now I am 55 and I cannot sustain any kind of exercise. I am not overweight either. The other side of my neck hurts now with this weird bone growth in my jaw....post-actonel. I grew a weird bump on my knee that nobody can explain. They say if they take a picture (X-ray) of these bumps they mimic tumors, but they aren't tumors. I | F | 55 | 3 years | 3/10/2008 | 1 | Osteoporosis | Severe muscle pain and joint pain. My thumbs wouldn't move as they should and they hurt immensely. My arms, back and knees were also very painful. I didn't stay on it long enough to see if it helped the osteoporosis or not! | F | 62 | 2 days | 3/5/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | I've almost completed 3 years of taking this drug.I haven't experienced problems until a couple of time last year and just recently, I have had episodes that have resembled heart attack pain. The last one was the worst. I ended up in the hospital for a heart catheterization.Thankfully I learned I have the heart of a teenager. I have had pressure in my chest and back, along with burning and the feeling that something is stuck in my throat. I had a gall bladder scan which showed no problems.I just had an endoscopy which revealed I have a hiatal hernia. My primary doctor took me off the Actonel my GYN had prescribed for low bone density. The gastroenterologist also said to stay off the Actonel. After reading this website, I am now relating my low back pain, aching of right hip during the night,periodic insomnia,breathlessness when climbing stairs, and some really bad headaches to this drug. | I am 59. I swim, boat, bike, and work out at a gym. I have never had digestive problems before in my life. I think Actonel is responsible for the hernia and many of my other aches and pains. Is there a class action suit against Actonel? If so, how does one participate? | F | 59 | 3 years | 3/4/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia | I took one pill 5 days ago in the morning at 6am.I had a normal day,went to work,errands at lunch,cooked and had dinner. At 9pm I felt an "ache" in my back,then around my shoulders,then my chest. I thought I was getting the flu so I immediately went to bed. During the night I woke up about 1am and the pain had tripled and I thought I was having a heart attack. The pain in my chest and around my shoulders were unbearable.I could only move my head from left to right. I immediately thought I had a stroke. I didn't have my phone on my nightstand and I live alone. So, needless to say it was a chore sitting upright.I had to clasp together under my right thigh and pull myself up. It was at that point I had "remembered" I took Actonel in the morning and I had remembered in the "patient information" sheet it stated "joint,muscle back pain, severe etc etc" and then I started putting the puzzle pieces together.By Wednesday evening the pain started slowly | I can only say that this is how my reaction is to Actonel. When the patient information states possible side effects this is exactly what it means,possible side effects! | F | 56 | 1 days | 3/1/2008 | 1 | Osteoperosis | The first week I took it I did not notice any major side effects. The second week of taking the medicine was when I stopped. I took it at 7 am and by 4 pm I started having joint pain, I thought nothing of it at first because I did not realize this was a side effect of this medicine. Then as the night went on it got worse, before be around 10pm I could barely walk up the stairs to bed. I woke up around 2 am and could barely move. I had severe cramps in my legs and had to have assistance getting out of bed. I went to the Emergency room it was so bad. I will never take this medication again or recommend it to anyone! It has been about 13 days since I took the final dose and I still am having trouble walking and bending over from the pain in my legs and lower back. These side effects are not worth it. | F | 24 | 2 weeks | 2/28/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | It started with sciatica type pain running down one leg. My foot would feel tingly in the morning and I would have to walk off the pins and needles. Pain has now moved to right shoulder blade and down one arm. It felt like I had been hauling around a 20 lb. sack. I'm so tired and want to sleep 9 hrs. and still not rested. My arm/hand feels like it is going asleep. I stopped the Actonel 2 weeks ago and haven't noticed any improvement yet. I was on Actonel for 6 months. I am 50 years old and exploring the HRT option for bone health and hope to feel better enough to get back to exercising. | No thank you. | F | 50 | 6 months | 2/25/2008 | 4 | osteoporosis | None - no pain, no headaches, no stomach, no esophagel or dental problems. I am very pro-active. Take with measured 8 oz of distilled water. Stand for the first hour and stand or sit the second hour - after taking. Do not lay down or bend over. Do not eat for 2 hours after taking Actonel. I am on the daily Actonel because it works best for me. | My current DEXA t-score is -2.3 for hip (better than 6.5 years ago) and spine -2.9 (same as 6.5 years ago). I have fallen twice about 2 years ago. One of the falls was very hard, on cement, hit my hip and shoulder, broke glasses -- no fractures or breaks. I have learned much. If I had it to do over, I would have requested a vitamin D test sooner (and taken 10,000 units plus of vitamin D3 daily until I was at least mid-range on the test), tracked my progress with Ntx tests sooner (or c-telopeptide), did weight bearing exercises (there are now Osteoporosis videos available), made certain the calcium I took -dissolved (regardless of what it said on the bottle!!) and ate more dairy (combined with supplements). But since I didn't know these things when I started out, the Actonel saved me, while I learned. I am not certain where I will go from here. I may "take the summer off" of Actonel and track with the Ntx test. I have done that once before, to no seemingly adverse effects. But | F | 55 | 6.5 years | 2/20/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia | I have been having memory loss and was wondering why. I am post-menopause and had stopped having hot flashes then started all of a sudden. Now when I think back, the hot flashes probably started again when I started taking Actonel. Another web page mentioned hot flashes so I decided to look more and found this web page. My legs will be stiff sometimes for a day or two after I take the pill. I also have been extra tired all the time and yet will go to bed and only get three to four hours of sleep a night. | I have been taking Actonel for almost two years. I plan to quit taking it and try lifting weights. I have been running four miles a day or walking and my last bone density even with taking Actonel was worse than before. I have osteopenia in hips and back. My back stayed the same but my hips were worse so the Actonel is not working on me. After reading all the comments, I plan on quiting the Actonel and see if my symptoms clear up then I will know it was the Actonel for sure. | F | 59 | 2 years | 2/20/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | Took the two day per month dosage for the first time last week. Have had diarrhea everyday since and for the last two nights have been awakened by severe pain in my shoulders (cannot lay on them). Attribute this pain to the Actonel because I had shoulder surgery on my left shoulder three years ago and never experienced pain again after the surgery. Now they both hurt! | I'm an active 50 year old who runs 2-3 miles per day five days per week and I play golf on the weekends. I did not have aches and pains before taking this drug. I feel like an old woman. This drug is crap! | F | 50 | 9 days | 2/20/2008 | 1 | osteoporosis | side effects were felt all over my body. They include shooting pain, burning sensation, dry mouth and nose ,depression, G.I. discomfort, rash along nerve pathways. | I will never take this drug again. The half life of Actonel appears to be 20 days. After I have discontinued the drug, it has taken three weeks to start to see improvement. | F | 63 | 5 months | 2/19/2008 | 1 | osteoporosis | Second day after taking my first dose,I experienced severe lower abdominal pain, all night and the next day. Also stiff neck leading me to think I had slept wrong. Next dose the following week, same symptons, only more severe. I couldn't sleep or barely turn over in bed. Called the pharmacist where I work, and was told these are normal side effects of this drug, and to call my doctor and discontinue further use. Checked on line, and find I am not alone with this. It has been a week since my last of the two doses I took, and I still have severe pain in my neck and shoulders. No more stomach cramping, for which I'm extremely grateful. | I really fail to see how this medication remains on the market with so many having such severe problems. | F | 81 | 2 days | 2/17/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia - mild | My doctor put me on Actonel 7 months ago and I've been in pain ever since. Bone, joint and muscles hurt as if I'd been beaten. My back, shoulders, legs, ribs, fingers, wrists - you name it. The pain pops up in different places so I ache all over all the time. I just read a statement issued in January 2008 by the FDA warning doctors about all the bisphosphonates. The FDA states that these drugs have been "linked to severe and incapacitating bone, joint and muscle pain." They issued the warning because doctors aren't connecting the dots between the severe pain and these drugs which is "delaying diagnosis, prolonging pain and impairment and necessitating the use of analgesics." Many doctors are ordering expensive and unnecessary tests trying to diagnose this condition. To read the whole warning, Google FDA Actonel Warning or go to www.newsinferno.com/archives/2326. The FDA website provides an online form where you can submit a complaint and tell them about the problems | 57 | 7 months | 2/13/2008 |