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 Date 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 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 |
| 2 | beginning of osteoporosis | While I didn't experience any of the usual side effects listed on the warnings, I did have frightening episodes of my heart racing and irregular heartbeats. I reread the warnings thinking I may have missed that. I certainly think this should be added. | So thankful for this website to see other women have experinced the same symptons. And, after reading what everyone has been through will never take this medication again and will try to find alternative answers. | F | 50 | 3 months | 6/26/2008 | 1 | Doctor said I have Osteoporosis | My back pain became so bad I would have to sit down and I never had to sit down because of the pain, bloating and weight gain for no reason, left lower jaw pain where my bridge is which was done over 4 years ago. My bone density test is -2.7 T score so I guess that is not good for a 43 year old guy but this drug scares me so I think I will concentrate more on increase calcium and exercise and repeat the bone density test in a year. the doctors want me to continue the drug and take other drugs for the pain?? I do not want to end up in a wheelchair but the side effects could be just as bad. I'm very confused on what to do next. I only have taken 2 pills so far. 70mg/wk | M | 43 | 2 weeks | 6/25/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | Sever shoulder pain, couldn't dress, left hand swelled & developed lump. Then other shoulder froze and right hand swelled. Leg muscle pain. Stopped taking Fosamax two months ago and the pain stopped, however, left foot has been swollen for 2 months and now index finger on left hand and 2/3 of right hand are swollen. Pain in both feet when I first get out of bed and try to walk. Am taking several ibuprofen a day for the swelling. Had blood work done and everything is good - doctor agreed that it was the fosamax that was causing my severe pain. | Anyone considering taking Fosamax, please research for side effects and report any problems to your doctor immediately. My bone scan showed reverse of my bone loss - but the side effects negate the improvement. | F | 60 | 2 years | 6/17/2008 | 1 | to increase bone loss | Over ten years. Cracking sound in neck, cough, gastric irritation req. med. constipation, stiff gai, stumbling, burning feet, horrible, debilitatingleg cramps hs in feet and calves, blurred vision. Just stopped taking it. Dr. wants me to take Fosamax but I'll take my chances with supplements. My dentist has warned me about the jaw problems associated with Fosamax. | may b more than 10 years. The burning feet and cramps are horrible. MD's can't explain cause of problem. Have seen several in different specialties. | F | 67 | 10 years | 6/8/2008 | 1 | osteoporosis | My mother was taking fosamax from 1995 until 2005 for osteoporosis. I believe she was part of a clinical trial. Her osteoporosis improved. However, her medical records say she was barely tolerating the drug and that she had severe esophogeal ulcerations, nausea, jaw bone loss and vertigo from the inner ear. She was told to continue the drug. October 2005, she began to have trouble swallowing, she was initially told it was anxiety, but was then diagnosed with Esophogeal cancer and died nine months later in July 2006, she was 80 years old. | I have put this comment in for my mother, but have been diagnosed with osteopenia myself. I will not take fosamax if it progresses on to osteoporosis because I don't want to get esophogeal cancer like my mother. That was an experience too horrible for words. I am consoling myself that my grandmother was a skinny thing like me but never broke a bone in her 86 years. | F | 80 | 10 years | 6/2/2008 | 3 | osteopenia, osteoporosis | None that I'm aware of. | I am 62 years old, small-boned, white, and 5 feet tall. I began taking Fosamax 2 years after my last period when I had a BMD done and my bones were really bad for my age at that time - 52. I have taken Fosamax for almost 10 years, beginning with the 10mg a day, then switching to the 70mg once a week. I always take it as prescribed, and have tolerated it very well. After 2 years of taking it, my bone density improved without changing my lifestyle. I continued to get checked every 2 years, and the improvement has slowly leveled out. My last BMD (this month) showed no improvement. While I have had no problems from Fosamax, I am concerned about continuing on this medication if it's not doing any more good. I am considering stopping it, and continuing with my weight-lifting, good diet, good lifestyle. | F | 62 | 10 years | 5/30/2008 | 3 | osteoporsis | No side effects but I have only taken 3 pills-70mg. 2 years ago I took one per month for 2 months. I stopped because I read about jaw rot. I started taking more calcium, vit D, magnesium, zinc and eating healthier and excercising a lot including weight lifting. My cousin is an M.D. whom I trust and he urged me to go back on it because so many of his post-menopausal patients who didn't shrank. I'm getting a "widow's hump" and am an inch shorter. I took a pill last week, then got my bone density test back today and learned i now only have osteopenia so I don't know if i should take more. | F | 54 | 3 days | 5/30/2008 | 1 | prescribed by dr for osteopenia | I'm not sure if it is related to fosamax but did not experience any or these symptoms before. I have tenderness in upper back of mouth close to where wisdom tooth was. Jaws ache and pain sometimes under ears. Throat gets raw feeling at times. This comes and goes. It is very annoying. | I stopped taking fosamax. After experiencing this discomfort, I did some research and learned about all the side effects of fosamax. I was on this drug for about 3 years. Anyone else have these symptoms? | F | 59 | | 5/27/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia | In Feb. 2008 the World Health Organization (WHO) published its new Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) to identify individuals at high risk for osteoporotic fracture. This new formula takes into account 11 other clinical risk factors besides BMD to calculate your 10 yr. probability of a fracture. PLEASE complete the on-line assessment form and show a copy to your doctor. (www.shef.ac.uk/FRAX or "Google" : FRAX) Also check out "Hotline: New NOF Guidelines and the WHO Fracture Risk Assessment Tool or FRAX" for more information. | I refused to take any bisphosphonates despite the "urgings" of 3 different doctors over the past 2 yrs. According to the new WHO Fracture Risk Assessment Tool(FRAX) my 10 yr. probability of major osteoporotic or hip fracture is 0%!! I now have PROOF to show those doctors that I do not require "treatment" for my osteopenia. FRAX puts low BMD into perspective as only one of the many risk factors for fractures. This is small comfort to all those who have already suffered the horrendous side effects of unnecessarily prescribed bisphosphonates, but in the future it will spare many others the pain of unneeded treatment. | F | 59 | 0 times | 5/24/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia | Ladies (and gentlemen), PLEASE google "FRAX" and learn all you can about the new NOF (National Osteoporosis Foundation) Guidelines and the World Health Organization's Fracture Risk Assessment Tool: FRAX. Complete the on-line assessment to calculate YOUR 10 yr. probability of a major osteoporotic or hip fracture. Then (this is the IMPORTANT part) tell any and/or all of the following about FRAX: your doctor(s), health care providers, pharmacists, the pharmaceutical companies that make bisphosphonates and other medications to treat osteoporosis, the FDA, health insurance companies, the news media, your family, friends and neighbors. | P.S. Oh, and will somebody please tell Sally Field about FRAX, too! | F | 59 | 0 times | 5/24/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | took for 3.5 years. Early in taking 70 mg weekly, walked stiff legged at the ankles and experience weird taste in my mouth. Later on suffered from rib pain(inflammation). Also experienced the feeling of my bottom lip pulling (spasm). Into the 2nd and 3rd year of taking, starting having major palpitations (PVCs), so I now see a cardiologist. Finding about the jaw necrosis was the topper. This was not in the brochure accompanying Fosamax when I started taking it -- nor the palpitations. In further investigation, I see that 50% of women who take this develop A-Fibrillation/arrhythmia problems. My dentist told me even though I just recently stopped taking, that it's in my system and bones forever and that when ten years go by (even though I stopped taking it), I'm at risk now for bone problems in my jaw (especially if I ever need an extraction) HAD I KNOWN ALL OF THIS, I WOULD HAVE NEVER TAKEN THIS DRUG! I would never recommend this to anyone and would tell women to just keep on ex | F | 54 | 3 years | 5/22/2008 | 1 | osteopenia | Extreme facial swelling, especially the lips(15 times normal) and huge hives | One week after taking Fosamax I was in an emergency room receiving epinephrine. Physicians said it was a "food allergy" or an allergy to NSAIDS and not to stop Fosamax as an allergy to Fosamax was unlikely. I endured allergy testing, food elimination diets, eliminated all NSAIDS from medications,attempted eliminating salicilates from food, took 3 10 day doses of prednisone, lived on benadryl and clutched the epipen out of fear, and still the facial swelling and hives occurred almost nightly unless I took prednisone. After 5 mos of frustration and fear I stopped the fosamax myself. Now 3 1/2 years later I continue to be hive free, have no facial swelling and eat whatever. I am one of the rare people (<1% of the people in the clinical trials) who are severely allergic to this drug. Drug reps. insisted that this was unlikely and I doubt this ever was reported. I am lucky to be alive. My medical record documents this and there are photos. of the facial swelling. | F | 53 | 5 days | 5/12/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia and Osteoporosis | Suffering from aches and pains in my hand, back and shoulders and general joint pain. I have had a burning sensation in my eyes and swelling at times. Chronic heartburn and belching all of the time. Headaches, Dental problems, and feeling generally lousy all of the time. | I was prescribed for Osteopenia and Osteoporosis due to Celiac disease. After 12 weeks I decided to do more research about Fosamax and found this site. Low and behold, just as I thought others are having the same problems! I am stopping immediately. | M | 46 | 3 months | 5/8/2008 | 1 | bone density tests have gone down | I started to take fosamax about 1 1/2 yrs ago. After taking it for seveal months, I had such soreness in my rib cage. I quit taking it for about 3 months, and the soreness pretty much went away. My doctor urged me to start taking in again, and now I seem to have a "tightness" on both sides of my head...not really a headache, but this tightness all the time. I also feel "at loose ends", and kind of nervous. Could these be some of the side effects? | F | 62 | 1.5 years | 5/1/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia | They are finally noticing! From the FDA MedWatch: Bisphosphonates (marketed as Actonel, Actonel+Ca, Aredia, Boniva, Didronel, Fosamax, Fosamax+D, Reclast, Skelid, and Zometa) Audience: Orthopedic Surgeons, other healthcare providers, patients [Posted 01/07/2008] FDA informed healthcare professionals and patients of the possibility of severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint, and/or muscle (musculoskeletal) pain in patients taking bisphosphonates. Although severe musculoskeletal pain is included in the prescribing information for all bisphosphonates, the association between bisphosphonates and severe musculoskeletal pain may be overlooked by healthcare professionals, delaying diagnosis, prolonging pain and/or impairment, and necessitating the use of analgesics. The severe musculoskeletal pain may occur within days, months, or years after starting a bisphosphonates. Some patients have reported complete relief of symptoms after discontinuing the bisphosphonate, whereas | My ob/gyn urged me to take Fosamax after my first routine post-menopausal bone scan. Decided not to take this drug, after reading these comments and doing research. Increasing calcium intake and adding more walking, weight training instead. | F | 54 | 0 days | 5/1/2008 | 1 | treat osteoporosis | After reading the comments of others on your site, I now believe that many of my sypmtoms may be caused by Fosamax. Pain in joints, muscles, etc. Tired with chronic fatigue and severe anxiety. I have stopped taking it as my symptoms increased every time I took the pill. I think it is time to stop the Fosamax. I would rather have some quality of life, rather than quantity and nonfunctional. | Does anyone know how long it might take for the sypmtoms to stop? People might try Zyflamend which is an herbal antiinflammatory or a tricyclic antidepressant medication like Sinequan for fibromyalgia. My e-mail is below if anyone has any input for help. We would all appreciate it. | F | 64 | 7 days | 5/1/2008 | 1 | Osteopenia | Pain in right shoulder, arm, left and right rib cage, left hip and back plus joint between right thumb and lst finger. Pain is mostly in muscles and nerves. | This pain has been very debilitating. I am on constant pain medication and am now using a walker or wheelchair. All x-rays and blood tests have been normal. This started soon after I had a tooth extracted by an oral surgeon on 2/1/08. I have been taking Fosamax for 9 years. | F | 79 | | 4/21/2008 | 1 | Doctor recommended | Every joint in my body ached. Extreme right heel pain, upper teeth sensitivity to hot/cold and pain biting down. Loss of energy or desire to do anything but set on couch. Dizzy, unbalanced feeling and unable to focus on tasks. Developed hard bumps under my skin on my right palm. Body stiff and hard to straighten up after lying or setting for short period of time. Felt 100 yrs old with all the body aches I experienced. | I was on no other medications so I know this had to be the results of Fosamax. When I read the other posts I could not believe how many people have been affected by this medicine. I stopped taking it 10 days ago and hope the side effects go away soon. Especially the heel pain that makes walking painful. | F | 54 | 10 months | 4/19/2008 | 1 | "diagnosed" with osteopenia | Severe muscle pain and rigidity; increase in joint pain in knees and feet; inability to stand or walk for more than 15 minutes. | Doctor did not believe me when I reported problems. I went off the drug on my own and 4 months later am almost completely asymptomatic. | F | 58 | 2 years | 4/17/2008 | 1 | osteoporosis | Jaw pain, sinus problems | F | 63 | 2 years | 4/16/2008 |