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 |
| 1 | Osteopenia | Very sore muscles & swollen joints; insomnia; dry eyes; rash on leg; stomach bloating & weight gain; loss of energy; tiredness; foot pain/numbness; severe shoulder & neck pain; heart problems | I am following-up to my 2 previous posts to this website. I contacted my doctor and told him that I did not think I had Fibromyalgia but that all my muscle pain for the last 5 years was from the Fosamax and he was very surprised of my theory. He checked his hand-held computer gadget which lists side effects of drugs and there was no severe muscle or joint pain listed...the main side effect listed was problems with the esophagus. He gave me the telephone # of Merck to report my side effects. Their telephone # is 1-800-994-2111 if anyone else is interested in filing their reports. The customer service rep at Merck said many of my symptoms were found in their clinical trial studies....I guess the doctors or patients are not being informed of ALL the side effects. | F | 54 | 5 years | 12/28/2005 | 1 | osteoporosis due to age | Weakness in one leg, stability problems, difficulty in getting in and out of cars, motor coordination problems such as handling a fork, blurred vision and difficult night vision,extreme fatigue and disorientation at times. | Symptoms started almost immediately and my condition continued to deteriorate. Doctors declared it was due to old age. Now need a cane to walk with due to weakness in one leg. After reading the comments on the website stopped taking the medicine after 4 months and hope for improvement. | F | 80 | 120 days | 12/23/2005 | 1 | osteoporosis | Extreme muscle and bone pain, depression, eyesight was getting very bad, I was choking on even a glass of water, was not sleeping and now I am having trouble with my jaw and some of my teeth, even though I have stopped taking it. The side effects I am told are permanent. | This stuff is poison and should be taken off the market immediately. How many people have to have their health ruined before it is stopped. | F | 69 | 2 years | 12/19/2005 | 1 | spinal osteopenia, | After 1 dose, had severe muscle & joint pain in shoulders, sternum, ribs, & spine | Pain in sternum began within 10 hr. of the first dose. Awakened by back & neck pain that first night, & had trouble getting out of bed next AM due to severe rib pain. Sternum & ribs so painful it hurts to breathe normally. Noted weakness in leg muscles - difficulty arising from a kneeling position. Needed oxycodon to control pain enough to sleep. Now on Day 2 post-dose I have additional pain in hands and weakness in forearms. | F | 57 | 1 days | 12/12/2005 | 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 | bad diarrhea--non stop--been on fosamax 4 weeks and have diarrhea for all that time. Irritable, very sore bones and muscels and joints. mostly lumbar region, shoulders and hips and agonizing leg cramps-sometimes 2 or 3 a night. some nausea, feeling that I might develop a head ache, itching and stomach pains. | don't take it and don't take actonel.I took actonel for a year and a half before being changed to fosamax. My bones are in the danger zone and I don't know what I am going to do other than diet and excercise but I'd rather take my chances than to spend the rest of my life feeling miserable even if it means a shorter life. I had the same symptoms/side effects with actonel. | F | 70 | 3 weeks | 12/11/2005 | 1 | osteoporosis | bad diarrhea--non stop--been on fosamax 4 weeks and have diarrhea for all that time. Irritable, very sore bones and muscels and joints. mostly lumbar region, shoulders and hips and agonizing leg cramps-sometimes 2 or 3 a night. some nausea, feeling that I might develop a head ache, itching and stomach pains. | don't take it and don't take actonel.I took actonel for a year and a half before being changed to fosamax. My bones are in the danger zone and I don't know what I am going to do other than diet and excercise but I'd rather take my chances than to spend the rest of my life feeling miserable even if it means a shorter life. I had the same symptoms/side effects with actonel. | F | 70 | 3 weeks | 12/11/2005 | 3 | osteoporosis | fatigue especially in first 2 hours after taking, loss of muscle tone, loss of stamina and libido | x ray had revealed spinal compression fracture caused by osteoporosis, since taking fosamax for two years bone density has increased slightly in some bones, but slightly decreased in others; not sure whether caused by fosamax - I am a pianist and lost significant dexterity, also noticed general fatigue for about an hour or two after taking, am gradually finding it harder and harder to climb stairs as muscles ache, also lower testosterone count and loss of libido all came on since starting fosamax over a period of 2 years | M | 53 | 2 years | 12/4/2005 | 3 | osteoporosis | None that I am aware of. I followed the directions religiously always waiting 60 or more minutes before drinking coffee or eating and always standing or sitting up. Really my answer to my satisfaction with Fosamax should be: don't know. | Have had several bone scans over the years, with good readings for my age, alledgedly because of the 70 mgs weekly Fosamax. After the last one 2 & 1/2 years ago my hip and spine osteoarthritis had become so bad the technologists couldn't get a good reading. They did my forearm but that was inconclusive. Have within the last year had both hips replaced and my life is changed marvelously. I can now walk totally painfree and get some walking, mowing and other gardening in often. Have decided to STOP taking Fosamax because I read that after 10 years, it might not be helping me any longer, and in fact is perhaps making my bones brittle. | F | 71 | 10 years | 12/2/2005 | 1 | osteopenia | I had written before, I'm a 43YO w/MS. Took my last fosamax October 6. Finally recceived 90% relief by 11/28. I will now begin E-zorb. | DON'T TAKE FOSAMAX UNTIL FDA TAKES OUR EXPERIENCES UNDER CONSIDERATION!! BE CAREFUL! | F | 43 | 4 months | 11/29/2005 | 1 | Osteopeania | I took Fosamax Saturday morning, Nov. 26, 2005. I experienced gas and acid reflux. Then during the night I had flu-like symptoms, including bloating, muscle pain, headache, nausea and diarrhea. When I got up at 3:30am, I had a feeling of pins and needles over my whole body and a fever. I had a fever of 99.9 until noon the next day. I took 2 Advil Sunday morning and 2 Advil Sunday evening for the incredible back, chest and neck pain. It is Monday and the chest & back pain continues. I have a call into my doctor. I do not want to take another pil. | F | 59 | 1 days | 11/28/2005 | 1 | osteopenia | Stiff back, lower back pain, jaw pain, extreme basal thumb joint pain. | It started in my back, then went to my basal thumb joint (which already needed a joint replacement, but was doing great with msm). Has now gone into my jaw, and I feel so very old at this moment. I have stopped taking Fosamax, and have started on ibuprofen. I only hope that the pain will go away. My pharmacist says it takes about 3 weeks for the pain to subside. Never again for Fosamax!!!!!!!!!! I am presently in Nursing School and must take notes all day long. I get tears in my eyes as it hurts so much to hold a pencil or pen. | F | 56 | 5 weeks | 11/27/2005 | 1 | osteopena | Mild nausea for four days after first pill, then explosive vomiting on the fifth day. Horrible. | Never, ever again. | F | 52 | 1 weeks | 11/23/2005 | 2 | bone density | I believe weight gain and enlargement of breasts Has anyone else among male formax users experienced this effect | M | 67 | 6 weeks | 11/21/2005 | 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 | Osteoporosis | Severe heartburn is why I quit taking it after 10 weeks. I took it carefully as directed. During that 10 weeks I also had embarsassing hair loss and body ordor which have cleared up after stopping the Fosamax. | I will continue to eat right and exercise and take my chances of breaking my hip at age 70 rather than burn a hole in my esophogus, go bald and smell bad this month. Most doctors are salesmen for the RX companies. I'll listen to my gut on this one. | F | 45 | 75 days | 11/13/2005 | 1 | Prevention of osteoporosis | Started out with a swollen middle finger on right hand and moved to my feet. Feet felt numb and very sore. Within 1-2 months of taking Fosamax, pain moved to all my muscles and my joints in my whole body. Thought I had MS or some awful disease I felt so bad. Usually a very active person & now I felt like a crippled 90-year old. Had blood tests--everything turned out negative. Experienced abdominal bloating, insomnia & felt horrible. Doctor NEVER MENTIONED or even suggested it was from the Fosamax. He diagnosed me as having Fibromyalgia. I posted an earlier feedback, but since I have been on it a lot longer than most of you (5 years), please feel free to email me if you wish to get more information. | I went off the Fosamax for 10 months without my doctor knowing about it. I started to feel normal during those 10 months and all my pain went away--then, it dawned on me that it probably was the Fosamax that had caused all this horrible pain for 5 years. Recently had a dexascan and it revealed that my bone loss was down 5% from 2 years ago when I had the last scan. My doctor urgently told me that I needed to stay on Fosamax for the rest of my life & was going to add a nasal spray in addition to the Fosamax. I refused the nasal spray but for the heck of it, agreed taking the Fosamax. I didn't want to get osteoporosis and break a hip!! He had me scared! So, after being off of it for 10 months, I went on it again. This week (Nov 9,2005) after being on it for 2 weeks, I am feeling crippled. Joints are swollen once again; I'm in excruciating pain my entire body--especially my shoulders, hands and feet. I am calling my doctor this week & am going to confront him straight on | F | 54 | 5 years | 11/9/2005 | 1 | Prevent osteoporosis | I have been taking Fosamax for 5 years during which time I have experienced very sore muscles and joints. My doctor diagnosed this as being Fibromyalgia....not a side affect of the Fosamax. My doctor then prescribed me muscle relaxants for the Fibromyalgia. I had trouble sleeping, sharp pains throughout my body (especially in the morning and at night) and have experienced many nights of insomnia. My doctor then prescribed me Ambien (sleeping aid) to help me sleep. Last fall, I started to have trouble breathing and they took me off Fosamax immediately, uncertain if that was the main cause to the problem. I went through testing to see if my difficulty of breathing was related to my esophagus, and the tests were negative. I then made a decision to stay off the Fosamax, muscle relaxants & Ambien to see if I felt better.....what a major difference!! Experienced no muscle or joint paint, no insomnia and felt like a brand new person. I could actually start jogging again after 5 ye | I have suffered for 5 years with taking this medication to no avail. Don't waste your time, money and especially your life by taking this medication.I think the doctors promote these drugs to help the drug companies. They are their priorities. I am going to contact my physician this week and stand up for myself by insisting that I am not going to support drug companies that make me feel worse!! | F | 54 | 5 years | 11/8/2005 | 1 | Bone Loss | Lots of pain in my feet, especially my toes, which started cramping up all the time and would wake me in the night. Also started feeling stiff, especially when sitting or riding in a car for awhile. The bottoms of my feet hurt a lot! Didn't relate it to the Fosamax until reading other comments. I am stopping the drug immediately! | Doctors, please warn your patients to watch for the side affects of Fosamax!! | F | 48 | 3 months | 11/7/2005 | 1 | loss of height | once a week dose 70 mg. took 1st dose 5 days later stabbing back pains, could not stand for several days. did not connect to fosamax. two weeks to recover. took second dose two weeks later and by following day unable to stand. it is now 8 days later and i need to hold on to something to stand up from a seated position. | this was frightening. i feel lucky that it happened at beginning. the thought of built up problems years from now is to horrible to contemplate. | F | 62 | 2 days | 11/2/2005 |