I recall a few years ago that the claim was the Fosamax (and Actonel) would
stop the loss of bone density. Now their ads seem to be saying that the
drug will reverse bone loss, i.e. add bone density. Am I misreading this
or is that the new position? And if it is, what made the drug company
change their claims.

Harding

There are those on this newsgroup who will confirm that they have
achieved significant bone density improvements. My endo claims that no
bisphosphonate can add significant bone density unless you are starting
from a very very poor one. Who knows.

Larry E.

Well, I went from -2.5 to -2 with Fosamax, weight training and running.

I just wondered if there were some new studies to show an increase in bone
density. It may just be that people who start taking the drugs also change
their life styles which improve the bone density as well: diet and exercise.

Harding

I didn't change my lifestyle after starting Fosamax, but after 2 years on it
had 8% (spine) & 12% (hip) improvement in my BMD.
bj

I have been taking Fosamax for 2 years.
I do not know what their claims are, but I have no backaches or hip pain
now.

So it must be doing something for my bones.

shirley

Shirley Thebaglady wrote:
On the cynical side, I wonder about the quality of the bone. Does it
just leave weak bone in place, leading to

You are right ... supposedly ... whatever new bone matrix that results
from buildup by a bisphosphonate does not have the same integrity as it
would if one was younger. Although even so, if it results in increased
bone density, does it matter?

Larry E.

It does seem to result in less fractures, according to studies.
Maybe it provides a matrix or scaffolding that new minerals can be
added to?

Cyli
r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.

https://www.visi.com/~cyli
email: [email protected]lid (strip the .invalid to email)

hello
Otherwise known as Alendronate, Fosamax is a medicine widely used for the treatment of Bone diseases such as Osteoporosis and Paget�s disease.
Fosamax information is much and so i suggest that you go to drugdelivery.ca andsearch for fosamax there

I am very interested in this post. I have been on fosomax now for 5
years and have just had my follow-up bone-scan. I am 72 years old.
My spinal bone density has improved 15% and my hip density 12% - which
is very pleasing to me.

I have an acute hiatus hernia and have been on gastric reflux
medication for about 2 years now. I take the 10mg fosomax (daily
rather than weekly) and have never ever had a problem. I follow the
instructions rigidly. I do not lie down or even recline after taking
the medication - and I take it with 2 full glasses of tap water (1
more glass than recommended). I find something to do with that 30
minutes before I can eat anything. There is often some ironing to be
done, or I can always fill in 30 minutes sitting at the computer.

I can have severe indigestion and have had for years. But never due
to the fosomax. I think maybe patients are not following the
instructions carefully enough perhaps? I couldn't take it once a
week - only tried that twice at the beginning of the course and the
pain was too severe. My doctor immediately put me back on the daily
medication course.

I have a feeling that I will be taken off the medication for a time
and put on some other type of calcium supplement like Rocaltrol. Then
there will be another bone scan to ascertain if there has been any
deterioration in bone density. I live in a country where fosomax is
provided free to patients at risk (i.e. more than one bone fracture,
or very low bone density) but the condition is monitored along with
the very expensive medication.

I thought others might be interested in my experience. I have been
very happy with the medication, but have been more than careful in
taking it according to the instructions and the follow-up.

Cheers all


Daisy

Carthage demands an explanation for this insolence!

My situation is roughly similar to yours, except that I haven't had
anything like your fabulous bone density gain (sob).

I also took the Fosamax daily, until my GI specialist suggested that
there's more possibiility of esophageal (sp) damage than if only
once a week. Since I also have a hiatal hernia, I took her seriously
and switched to the weekly -- though actually the daily never gave
me any problems. Better safe than sorry...


Why so much water? Isn't it possible that the medication just gets
flushed out with urine before it has a chance to be absorbed?

Hypatia

There is a new medication, Boniva which has the benifits, but only has
to be taken once a month. It is a great alternative.

A relative had a jawbone problem with a antiosteoporosis drug.

This article is from Dr. Mercola's site:

Fosamax Causing Merck More Problems Than Vioxx


But those estimates didn't take into account a new lawsuit Merck's faces, citing negligence in promoting its second-leading drug, Fosamax, a drug I first warned you about eight years ago. The lawsuit, filed in Ft. Myers, Fla., argues Fosamax is a dangerous product because it can cause osteonecrosis, a condition that causes your jaw bone to rot and decay.

Fosamax's existing labeling, the plaintiff says, provides no adequate warning of the drug's side effects. Why? It's a member of the nitrogenous biophosphonate family of drugs used for chemotherapy that have been associated with osteonecronosis. (By the way, the newer drug, Boniva, is in the same class of drugs as Fosamax, and isn't all that different...)

With Vioxx, Merck can get away with a lot of hogwash and say many things can cause heart attacks, not just Vioxx. But, with Fosamax, osteonecrosis of the jawbone is not caused by smoking or eating French fries.

Oral surgeons and many dentists started noticing this link five years ago. Last month, the American Association of Endodontists issued a position statement recommending that dental surgeons should check whether patients are on Fosamax and if so to look for this condition. This has become so common that dentists are now referring this condition as fossy jaw.

Merck grosses $3 billion -- that's with a B -- dollars a year from this deceptive scam. And, just think, some analysts believe Fosamax could be a bigger problem for Merck than Vioxx.

Yes, Morning, I just saw the report on the news yesterday about fosamax, a Merck company. Glad I didn't invest in that place cause they are going down down down. Seems they hid the facts on this one too!

First the docs tell you to take calcium carbonate a couple times a day that disrupts digestion (remember to take your calcium pills with a meal now!), if it breaks down at all (They, those who mess around in sewers, find calcium pills in the sewer.). Then they put you on prevacid to further derange the digestive system so you can't digest calcium at all, then they put you of fosamax because your bones are deteriorating. Now they will be lining you up for plastic surgery for jaw replacement.. but oh! too bad! Your too old and deteriorated for that.