FOSAMAX Reviews (ALENDRONATE SODIUM)

Average Rating: 1.4 (1230 Ratings)

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 BISPHOSPHONATES

 Type: Rx Drug

  

FOSAMAX  (ALENDRONATE SODIUM):  Alendronate is used to prevent and treat certain types of bone loss (osteoporosis) in adults. Osteoporosis causes bones to become thinner and break more easily. Your chance of developing osteoporosis increases as you age, after menopause, or if you are taking corticosteroid medications (such as prednisone) for a long time. This medication works by slowing bone loss. This effect helps maintain strong bones and reduce the risk of broken bones (fractures). Alendronate belongs to a class of drugs called bisphosphonates.   FDA Approval Date: 2000-10-20 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

  

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Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

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RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR FOSAMAXCOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 1  osteopenia I took the first Fosamax plus D,70mg, a couple of weeks ago. It didn't bother my stomach except for severe bloating that day but I thought I could live with that. I didn't feel well in general. I had a flu like achy feeling all over my body. I thought maybe I had been doing too much and it would go away. Then last Friday I took the second dose(it was the once a week form) and by Friday evening was feeling awful all over but still no heartburn even though I have a hiatal hernia. I didn't sleep well and by Saturday morning every joint in my body ached and my hands were swollen. My jaw joint ached severely in addition to my hands and wrists. I could not close my jaw for almost a week. It seemed to be "stuck" as well as in pain. My left wrist and hand is still in pain. I would not recommend this medication. In this case, because of the potential side effects of Fosamax, I have decided to just take a calcium with magnesium and vitamin D supplement. F 54 2 days
9/28/2007
 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
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 1  osteoporosis eye pain with swelling, diarrhea. Eye pain started 4-5 days before the swelling happened. Hugh ulcer on lower portion of the eye- both top and bottom lids also swollen. Had MRI and it showed swelling next to the optic nerve. Doctors are calling it a pseudotumor and treating it with a 6 day course of steroids. I have never had eye pain like this before. I had just taken my fourth fosamax pill. In their leaflet they list one of the rare side effects being eye pain. Like many of you I will now try exercise, and vitamin supplements along with a better diet to improve my condition. I WAS taking the fosamax, 70mg plus D 1X a week for 1 month. NO MORE!! I understand to a certain point taking a drug to help with bone loss. But not when people are suffering worse effects. Why is it that the doctors are so ignorant about this medicine they so freely prescribe? Not one doctor in my state believes this condition could be from the fosamax. Are they all getting a kick back? M 66 4 times
9/26/2007
 1  osteoporosis and bad left hip I am 59 and began taking foxamax one year ago, and because after one year my doctor told me that my bone density had increased 4% (except for my left hip which "decreased" 5%). I kept taking it for another year but have noticed that in this past year I not only broke my knee on a simple fall, but my bones ache all over and am experiencing excruciating pain in the tail bone region of my spine. A male friend of mine was also taking this for nearly a year but stopped when he began having severe lower back pain. Unfortunately, my friend acquired brain & lung cancer a few months ago and is now deceased but, ironically perhaps, he also learned that he acquired cancer in his lower back as well. This worries me about the fosamax & rest assure, I will never take this medicine again and regret that I've taken it so long. Now I wonder if it has cancer-causing chemicals that we were not told about! I recommend that this is taken off the market because so many of our elderly are not aware of how it may be hurting them instead of helping them. I would like to see a class-action law suit come out of this. F 59 2 years
9/23/2007
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 1  Osteoporosis After 4 weeks, woke with severe swelling and pain in the left knee. Next day pain and swelling moved to the right knee. Pain so bad, making it almost impossible to walk. Causing many falls since both legs can not support my body. I am a perfectly healthy 52 year old female that feels like I have aged 30 years in three days. Currently pain and swelling still in right leg and now experiencing small red dots on both legs. I am discontinuing Fosamax against the wishes of my doctor who sees no connection to my symptons and the drug. Doctor ran x-rays on the knees and can not find anything. I know that the drug is my problem and will face the osteoporsis, if and when it happens later in life. F 52 4 weeks
9/19/2007
 1  osteo every side effect mentioned in these ratings....i stopped two yrs ago and still have side effects,,,so the saying is true, it stays in body a looooooooonnnnnng time....so please do not take this poison ladies and gents too. I cannot believe after i told my gyno other day no i cannot take it and still prescribed it and handed me a prescription which went into the garbage,,,,i will continue the natural route with good food, supplements, calcium and exercise..i rather chance it that way than chance it with the poison fosamax.actonel boniva...all should be taken off the market. F 70 2 months
9/15/2007
 1  Ospeopenia I went from being a healthly 49 year old woman who exercised 3 or 4 times a week to a crippled who couldn't walk around the block. The worse side effects were severe muscle and joint pain, insomia, severe headaches, constant mouth sores, eye pain, fatigue, depression, weekness and shortness of breath. I had taken actonel for two years and hadn't had any problems with it but my insurance quit paying for it so my doctor prescribed fosamax (they would pay for it). I went to five doctors over one year period and not one of them ever mentioned that this drug could be my problem. I was even told I probably had MS!! It took me almost a year to figure out on my own that it was the drug fosamax that was KILLING me. I suggested this to my doctor and she said NO! I quit taking it anyway and started feeling better. After much pressure from my doctor I decided to try it again. I took two pills and was sick again! I wouldn't reccomend this drug to anyone! IT WAS KILLING ME! I have been off of it for 3 months now and am beginning to feel like myself again. I am up to walking 1 1/2 miles per day and have also started working out on an elliptical trainer to strengthen my muscles and bones. F 50 10 months
9/12/2007
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 1  Osteopenia back,hip,joint and pain, tiredness and anxiety and, depression. bloated, aching bones & feet. leg swelling.Vertigo. DEVELOPED A HEART MUMMUR. I started taking Fosamax in 2000 as directed by my Dr. as I had ostopenia, took faithfully for 7 years. I developed all the symtoms that are listed. I had expressed my aching back, that was so painful, It took me along time to go to sleep. It hurt all the way through to my pelvic area. bottoms of feet hurt, I developed a heart mummur. I was bloated after eating(I am not overweight), had lots of gas. I was stiff after sitting and was hard to get up.I WAS SO STIFF IN THE MORNINGS IT WAS PAINFUL TO GET OUT OF BED. I just happened to hit upon this page. I wish I had googled Fosamax 7 years ago. I am sorry I have taken the drug and I would not take it for 5 million dollars. That is alot of $$. It is the worst drug I have ever taken. All the pain & problems came on gradually and I attributeD it to getting older. I hope I never make a mistake like this again. I am very disappointed that my Dr. did not take me off the drug sooner and listen to my complaints. I have been off Fosamax f F 69 7 years
9/11/2007
 1  Osteopenia One week after starting weekly 70mg, I had chills, nausea, and low back pain. A month later, for a week, my left ankle area became numb, swollen, and weak. Then other weird symptoms descended: painful foot bottoms, especially in evening and when getting up from sitting position. Hand numbness upon waking, and once for 5 minutes in middle of day. Burning & stinging sensations, pins & needles, and "pinging" aches in random places ALL OVER my body, especially feet & hands--ongoing but noncontinuous. Several episodes of all-night, frequent, strong urination, accompanied by sweating & fire/ice skin: Please e-mail me if you have had this, as I have only spotted "bladder problems" on this site. With astonishment and relief I have read every entry on this site, and wish everyone well. After 20 doses, I am stopping this drug immediately. These symptoms puzzled both my naturopath and MD (who ordered an MRI). I am a healthy 57-year-old who suddenly felt like I was aging on warp speed. Diabetes? Aneurysm? Lyme disease? I am so angry. This has been a scary education. F 57 4 months
9/7/2007
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 1  osteapenia Took this drug for about three years. Took one tab weekly and was very careful to take it as prescribed. Still had stomach problems. Had severe stomach pain which I thought was an ulcer when eating a full meal in the early evening. I learned to recognize the oncoming pain and would take zantac immediately which seemed to help. Chocolate also was a trigger to the pain. Being concerned with taking this drug the rest of my life I decided to stop. The stomach pain has disappeared completely. It has now been two years since I stopped the drug and have not had a stomach pain in that entire time. When on the drug it had been common, a couple times a week, and severe enough that I could not lie down after eating. F 62 3 years
9/5/2007
 2  Osteopenia Heartburn, spasmodic gastric reflux, pain in hips and lower back, interrupted sleep patterns I was proscribed Fosamax 3 years ago when post menopausal bone scans revealed thinning in my hips and back. Due to reports of side effects,I put off taking it and 'upped' my intake of calcium tablets/exercise which made no difference. After seeing a specialist who assured me Fosamax is the best treatment for people my age (55 year old female), and a bone scan which revealed my bones were almost osteoporitic I decided that Fosamax was the lesser of 2 evils, and began taking it in early 2007 (there is a family history of osteoporosis - my maternal grandmother, aunt and mother have all had debilitating osteoporosis related fractures). Initially I had no side effects, but developed heartburn one evening in June 2007, which has been a constant irritation since; antacids make no difference. I have also had increased intestinal gas and severe enough pain in my lower back and hips to disrupt sleep. I mentioned the symptoms to my specialist; he said that he thought Fosamax was likely t F 55 8 days
9/3/2007
 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  bone loss abdominal cramps especially after eating. Feeling constipated and bloated with gas. Belching. Never had these symptoms before. Feel as though I have suddenly developed irritable bowel syndrome Only took four tablets over five weeks with no side effects until six weeks later. Then they hit me and totally incapacitated me. I can't eat, have lost weight, I spend lots of time laying on my stomach on the floor. If this doesn't subside soon I don't know what I'll do. I'm self employed and unable to work. a despicable drug. F 52 4 days
9/1/2007
 1  broke hip while rollerblading Severe leg pain - often feels as if the pain is deep in muscles; hip and knee pain; hair loss; small red spots on skin that will not go away; weight gain; most recently both jaws feel as if they are dislocated; bones in feet hurt terribly; swollen joints and muscle weakness. All symptons began after going on Fosamax. I've had numerous tests for these pains including MRI's, total body bone scans, injections of cortisone in joints, physical therapy for several months. Nothing worked. After doing research on Fosamax, I'm positive this is what has caused me such agony. The only other medicine I take is a very small dose of premarin. F 62 7 years
8/22/2007
 3  osteoporosis joint pain, muscle spasms in legs, feet (specially hill) pain like tendonitis, stiff hands and even arms, stomach ache the day I take it. Symptoms have been increasing over time. I think I will stop the treatment now, since my symptoms have worsen. When I wake up I can barely walk because my feet hurt. My bone pain is worse and I began to have muscle spasms more and more. I don't know if it worked because haven't gotten my scan yet. F 44 11 months
8/19/2007
 1  Yes, 1 per week 70mg Nausea,abdominal cramps, bloating, gas, severe pain in hips and lower back, muscle weekness, fatigue. I was prescribed Fosamax because my bone density scan showed me to be osteopenia, in my hips only my spine is ok. My grandmother had two broken hips. Even with symptoms i continued to take the Fosamax until the back and hip probem that started the third week. I decided to check online to see if my back was also a symptom. This for me is a quality of life issue, my health was continuing to get worse, I have stopped taking Fosamax and would recommend others seek an alternative or at least watch their health carefully and weigh the possible gains agaist the loss of todays health. F 52 3 weeks
8/14/2007
 1  osteopenia muscle spasms in leg,severe pain in leg,severe swelling in ankle and foot I took one 70 mg. pill and I had to go to the emergency room. I could not get out of bed by myself. I took this pill on Wednesday and Saturday morning I was in the emergency room. I was having severe pain and spasms in my leg and swelling in ankle and foot. The doctor thought I had pulled a muscle and prescribed tramadol and flexeril. On Monday is when the swelling ocurred in my left ankle and foot. The spasms and pain was in my right leg. The middle of that week I went to my doctor and she said this was a severe reaction to the fosamax and not to ever take it anymore. It took 1 week for the swelling to go out of my ankle and about 6 weeks for the hurting to stop in my left foot. I was prescribed miacalcin and I have not had any side effects from this. F 50 1 days
8/11/2007
 1  low bone density very bad lower back pain back pain so bad, I can't turn over in bed, sit for too long. I used to go to the gym, but can't possibly think of floor exercise any more. F 54 1 years
8/10/2007
 1  diagnosed osteoporosis Within 3 days of taking the first 70 mg pill, I began to notice heart "flutters" when ever I was sitting still. At first I only had a few per hour. As each day went by they increased to 1 or 2 per minute. I couldn't find anything listed on the internet linking Fosamax and heart problems so I took the second dose. Within 20 hours, I woke up with extreme anxiety and feelings of stress. It felt like I had had 20 cans of Mountain Dew. I then began monitoring my heart rate. It is running much higher than normal and I am in excellent shape - working out 7 days a week. It felt like it was racing even when I was standing still. It is now 6 days, since the last dose. The tension is gone, my heart does not seem to race as much, but I still have a much higher heart rate prior to taking the drug. I am NOT going to take the 3rd dose. I would rather deal with the effects of osteoporosis as opposed to having a stroke or heart attack as a result of trying to increase my bone dens F 54 14 days
8/8/2007
 3  osteoporosis Terrible bone pain. Doctor said the bone pain means it's working! F 58 15 years
8/4/2007
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