Fosomax

susielong · ‎03-09-2010

Anybody here take this, if so what is your opinion of it. I don't like the side effects I'm reading about it and don't know if I want to take it or not. Dr. has just prescribed it and I haven't started it yet, so would like to hear from somebody that has actually used it. TIA, Susie

gazelle77 · ‎03-01-2013

I would never take it from what I have read about them.

adelle38 · ‎03-09-2010

You should have a long discussion with your doctor about this. From what I've read, the side effects can be more debilitating than osteoporosis. They are under researched and over prescribed. Everbody's situation is different.

It's always a victory for me when I remember why I entered a room.

NYwoman · ‎03-09-2010

I would never take it because of the side effects of bone loss in the jaw and thighs. There is a new alternative that is not a bisphosphenate.

namaste000 · ‎03-13-2010

I agree there are disagreeable side effects, BUT you have to weigh your specific situation. I know people who refused to take it and now their osteoporosis is so severe they are afraid to leave their houses.

If you have osteoporosis, not osteopenia, then you have to think long and hard about your specific situation and possible take the medication. Once you lose bone mass it is gone forever.

susielong · ‎03-09-2010

I have osteopenia and have no problem with it at all. Was really surprised when they said it showed that. I also have colon/digestive issues which is one reason I really think I don't want to take this med. From everything I have read about it I just don't like the sounds of the side effects.

echoscream · ‎03-21-2010

A few years ago, while watching TV one day, I saw an advertisement featuring Fosamax, where a law firm was giving you a phone number to call, if you had bad health results from taking this medicine. When I asked my doctor about it, he didn't comment directly, but said I could take a vacation from using it. Since then, I have never went back to taking it.

For quite a while, the results of people using it were great, but evidently after a prolonged period of time - certain bones did not show improved density, but rather the opposite was occurring.

Up to now, I didn't even think it was still being produced. I just searched online and found out things I wasn't aware of. Here is a link below, that might explain the problems some people have experienced taking it and there is reference to lawsuits.

http://www.youhavealawyer.com/fosamax/information-alendronate-sodium/

Now, please - let me be clear - I am certainly NOT saying it's bad - but you need to do some research and be aware of ALL the facts - to make the best decision for you. Probably all medicines have some negative facts about them, the side effects and all. But you have to investigate the risk - and get all the information you can - so if/when you do take or keep taking Fosamax - you are truly aware of the risks involved.

Beauty$Junkie · ‎05-14-2010

My doctor at first suggested this. I told him I would think about it, and started researching it. I was finding so many negatives that, when I came back the following year, he also said 'no' to Fossomax. I eat right and exercise. The less drugs the better for me.

jubilant · ‎06-10-2010

I tried Fosamax years ago. I could not take it. I tried it for about 4 months and it became obvious my stomach could not handle it. With that said, I have always had a sensitive stomach so that may not be the case for someone else.

Another new name Sue · ‎03-11-2010

All meds have side effects. Don't you laugh at the drug ads on TV when they list the side effects? They are so horrible: thoughts of suicide, heart attack, stroke, cancer, depression, etc.

I had to decide which I feared more, the medication or fragile bones. I decided I feared fragile bones more, and took Fosamax for years. I had an uncommon yet known side effect, a fractured femur (thigh bone), which required surgery to repair. It seems bizarre that such a drug could cause a fracture, but it's true. I'm taking Evista now. I cannot tell you to take it or not, you have to struggle with that decision yourself, and it isn't easy.

I believe there is still a lot not known about the full effects on bone and the body, so those of us who have taken it now are a bit like "guinea pigs", in my opinion. There are some opinions about how many years a person should take Fosamax; some doctors say 4-5 years. If you decide to take it, you could take it 2 years, then do a bone scan to see if it's helping. That said, it's difficult to know if a drug helps with bone density because you really don't know what it would have been without the drug. Sigh....I'm just confusing you.

Good luck, you are not alone in this dilemma.