Fosamax side effects

Took liquid fosamax for the first time Monday morn. By Friday evening I felt like a truck hit me, from my neck to my hips I was in such pain I could hardly move. My rib cage feels like its filled with bricks. No more of this fosamax for me. With all I have been reading,here and on webmd, its hard to believe nothing is done. It's all a money think and I am sick of doctors trying to push every drug there is on you. Did you ever watch TV for a few hours and count how many drug ads are on?? If it was up to them, we would each be on 20 pills a day.

I have been taking Fosamax for about a year. I take the 70mg once weekly dose every Sunday morning. This past Sunday after my regular dose I noticed a pain in my lower right leg. Monday not only did my leg hurt but I had pain in my entire body from the neck down, chills, sweats, headache, stomach upset and my neck feels loose somehow and cracks like never before. It felt like I was coming down with a severe case of the Flu although I know now that I do not have the flu. It is Wednesday and I am still in pain, the chills have subsided somewhat today but the sweats have not. Previous to this I had been put on Boniva and experienced these same symptons after one dose and stopped immediately. I cannot stress how badly I feel. In between doses of Tylenol I feel terrible (8-10 500mg per day). I will now stop Fosamax and will never take another drug like this again. I just hope that this drug has not done permanent damage to my body or liver damage from all the tylenol. I too think the drug company has a lot to answer for.

All I can say is:

1 – for no “explained reason” my neck collapsed and I needed a life saving fusion operation to prevent my spinal chord from going any farther into the brain. I was told that I “should” have died. I did not. It was less than one year from starting FOSAMAX. and I had no other symptoms that would have indicated the neck would collapse. Kind of like DEAD JAW, but in the neck.

Thankfully, vIOXX (which (allegedly…) prevents bones from healing (and spines – do a google on “vioxx bone healing”) was not on the market at the time… and the operation did fuse (else death).

Go forward one year… a later total lumbar operation, (also going to be added to a lawsuit in re to FOSAMAX) causing the collapse of the lumbar spine was needed. Sure, before FOSAMAX (allegedly) did its thing, it was supposed to be an EASY, ‘no sweat” operation that would merely help my body geometry a bit with a simple procedure - sure one more year of FOSAMAX and the spine was now about ten times worse than expected. The surgeon was stuned.

Anyway, that (total lumbar fusion) - failed because (allegedly) along to the market comes vIOXX…. I am pursing the detail, but as FOSAMAX is now known to give many DEAD JAW and it now appears that my neck bones destruct – which are near the jaw decided to destruct. Further, FOSAMAX is showing to have more problems than DEAD JAW. Had FOSAMAX and vIOXX not entered my life, I would have merely had arthritis and had done fine except for some pain. My brother, having exactly the same arthritis, DID NOT have either “poison pill”, and has done just fine, by the way.

2 - They are now finding that FOSAMAX also tends to provide problems with long bones and people are breaking femurs (allegedly) from FOSAMAX. Nice huh? So, now what happens? I simply fell and broke my femur – or I am now realizing that I broke my FEMUR THEN FELL – another thing people are finding out about (allegedly….). It also should not have happened as I DID NOT HAVE OSTEOPOROSIS and had fallen many times before I took the FOSOMAX POISON and it imbedded into my bones (takes about 6-12 months). FOSAMAX took me down big time, vIOXX kept me down. Almost having died 3-4 times from operations that failed and complications - I did not die obviously, and will continue my pursuit of the truth – look for a web site in a month or two…..

3 – So, FOSAMAX caused/contributed (allegedly again I must say….) the broken femur, and vIOXX stopped it from healing. That is called the “double whammy” in recent vernacular. After several operations (and over 6 months of hospitalization; 8 months total) failing without anyone knowing why or expecting that (my overall health was just fine except for arthritis and it was supposed to be a routine operation), they were about ready to amputate the leg. Fortunately, an astute NJ surgeon 150 miles away just realized IT WAS NOT GOING TO HEAL, and patched it together with glue, thus saving the leg and walking for first time in more than ½ year.

4 – I am going to leave alone the issue of “stress fractures” as this is enough to digest for now… but watch out for this issue….

5 – someone mentioned this: -- > “Can Fosamx D 70 mg be the cause of Ecchymosis Petechiae, I have developed what looks like an "under the skin" rash, on the ankles and upward on the leg, sometimes dark and also gets lighter…”

All I can say is that I went from having TEXTBOOK just beautiful circulation in my legs (was sincerely told it should be in a textbook) to a lot of problems, including very similar to the above AFTER taking FOSAMAX for 2 years. That was another quick thing to happen. Readers can interpret if FOSO may have caused that.

6 – I shall not forget, also, the horrible aches and pains I had within a few months of having FOSOMAX. I just thought it was arthritis acting up. NO, now I know it was from FOSAMAX. My whole history fits like a glove…

In fact, FOSAMAX brought me down, and vIOXX kept me down (allegedly). Merck should not sell their wares when they know their bone “science” was not “science” but a fraudeulent, dangerous and even (vIOXX) killing poison(s)…. (allegedly….)….

FOSOMAX and VIOXX were the very worst things to have entered my life. I pity others who had them concurrently. I shall spend 2009 finding others in the same situation with bone – spine problems from either or both concurrently.

If you have have had a bone/spine destruction or healing problem and taking FOSAMAX and/or vIOXX at the time – please feel free to email me at badbonehealing@hvc.rr.com. I will be creating a Web Site to dialogue and share research on. These (bone – spine) are horrible problems from these two poisonous (allegedly…) drugs and the PUBLIC NOW NEEDS TO KNOW. I asked the courts to help, and they have not. So, I cannot be blamed for not being transparent and doing as I said I would do.

Thank You…

bones
badbonehealing@hvc.rr.com

I have been on fosamax for over two years.Then I was put on a generic brand. I have had bad jaw pain resulting from both brands. Also Had xray done found bone loss resulting from medicine. Something needs to be done. To much side effects.

recently developed under skin "rash",from ankle and upward on legs, my dr. is now doing blood work for ecchymosis petechiae, I am curious if anyone has this experience while using Fosamax D 70 mg. I am in good health and it is possible that this symptom is not at all related to Fosamax, which by the way I have stopped now for a while and probably won't go back. Stopped due to severe ache/pain in shoulder area and lower, so bad it was difficult to walk properly. Since stopping it I am walking straighter and no ache/pain. Even though my latest bone scan showed my osteopenia was better, I am off the drug on my own.

Can Fosamx D 70 mg be the cause of Ecchymosis Petechiae, I have developed what looks like an "under the skin" rash, on the ankles and upward on the leg, sometimes dark and also gets lighter, Doctor is doing blood work now, concerned about my platelets, it is possible there is no relation to Fosamax, but I am curious if anyone else has had this symptom. Thank you, dalecjim

I only took this drug for a few months, then threw it in the trash.
Made my bnes only slightly more dense, but made them very brittle.
Also lost all but 10 of my beautiful teeth due to jaw problems caused by it.

I've been taking Fosamax once a week for about 4 months. During that time what began-before taking Fosamax-as mild pain in my lower back-has gotten progressively worse. This is the only negative possible symptom I’ve experienced, but of late it has increased and spread to my hips. I decided to stop taking it today, and see if it makes any difference. If it does, I will post another reply here with details.

I think all reading these personal accounts should consider this: obviously many medical professionals see far more benefit than loss in the majority of users. My osteoporosis was only diagnosed via a bone scan 6 months ago. -2.5 The increased pain and worsening conditions in my back might in fact be much worse if I hadn’t started taking the Fosamax. One must beware of apophenia setting in with self diagnosis.

Most posting here already had serious medical needs to have Fosamax prescribed in the first place, given a small percentage of diagnostic errors. Most of the conditions I’ve seen described vary greatly, and without a serious study are purely antidotal. I suspect there are legitimate adverse reactions, but for now the percentage and severity remains a big unknown. There seem to be some activists here, so get a campaign going for publicly funded analysis of the now considerable amount of data on file.

If my back gets better, I’ll still be unsure as it might have been a delayed benefit from the drug. Likely I will take Fosamax again either way. If it doesn’t improve in several months I’ll assume F-max wasn’t the cause and begin taking it again. If it gets better, I will take F-max again to see if the problems return when I do. If they don’t I’ll keep taking it. If they do, that will red-line my ‘coincidence meter’ and I’ll never touch the stuff again.

I hope some will find my approach to our common dilemma helpful. We all have to be our own advocates within the modern health care cabal. I worry about the old adage that when we do so, we have a fool for a client. Feel free to criticize my reasoning, and thanks to all the others that took the time to share your experience. It helped me make my decision, and I’ll share the results in about 6 months.

Hi, I am a 57 year old female who was just recently put on Fosamax to counteract the bone loss caused by Femera that I am taking to keep my breast cancer from coming back. The first two weeks I felt okay albeit I did have stomach ache for two days and loose bowels. Then the bone pain began and I mean pain, not light, not moderate as the labels say, and it was especially severe at night. I found myself also feeling dizzy, depressed, no energy, kinda weird. I couldn't have relations with my husband because my hips and pelvis were so painful, also my neck, lower back and legs. Not fun. I took myself off it....Bone pain subsiding..also gastric upsets were getting worse. I tend toward gastritis and have IBS so this drug did not agree with me. I hate it! Will not go on any of these again, as I have also had lots of jaw problems in the past, and dental problems and DO NOT WANT that horrible jaw thing to happen. Yike... Love Pam

I am a 72 year old white female who has been on Fosamax over 5 years for osteoporosis which runs in my family. In December, I had severe discomfort in the thigh area of my right leg. X-rays ordered by my GP showed nothing. Sent me to orthopedic surgeon whose x-rays also showed nothing. He ordered bone dye test which showed stress fractures of BOTH femurs. No one, NOT EVEN THE ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON, could figure out how it happened since I had not fallen or had other trauma. When I began to do my own research, I found answers to other problems I had been experiencing, for which no one had answers.....bone and muscle pain, hair loss, depression. I realize doctors are overwhelmed with info but I am especially disappointed in the orth. surgeon who should have known this was a possibility since the study came out in The Orthopedic Journal. As I continued my research, I find that women have been experiencing these side effects for years. I was previously very active and a dedicated walker, but this has robbed me of my confidence since I fear breaking other bones. The femur is the largest and strongest bone in the body and if I broke both of those with no trauma, what else could happen? I want to get the word out to women but am not sure the best vehicle for that. Any suggestions? There are Fosamax lawyers anxious to jump on this but I am more interested in spreading the word, not litigation, however I think there are possibly many unreported cases of the Fosamax side effects just because people don't know where to turn.

53 year old female who has taken "F" for almost 2 years - the past two months was the generic version. Have noticed a gradual onset of joint pain and heart palpitations, but am not one to see a doc unless I feel like I'm dying... So I wrote it off to aging. (-:
A friend recently mentioned that she had heard that Fosamax causes bones to be brittle, which caused me to wake up, look around and see what people are saying and what new articles or research are out there. Yeah, sure - there are lawsuits. Not a surprise in our litigious society. More importantly, however, are the comments from real people. Thanks to you who've posted your experiences!
I stopped the drug several weeks ago and seem to have an increase in joint paint. But I'm not going back to Fosamax! Also interesting to me is that around the same time I stopped the drug, I experienced an uncharacteristic downward shift in my mood/mental state. Not sure if there's a correlation to the drug or not...
It is reassuring to see some comments from people who indicate they feel better after weeks/months of being Fosamax free. I am a "gym rat" and very fit/weight appropriate. Weight training and nutrition will be my treatment of choose for osteopenia for now. With time, I am confident that the symptoms I'm experiencing will subside. And any future ailments for which I am prescribed a drug will be very carefully researched by me beforehand.
Be careful out there and stay informed!

I think Fosamax KILLED MY MOTHER. My mon was previously healthy with no known medical problems. No hypertension, no high cholesterol, no diabetes...nothing. She was taking Fosamax for osteoporosis prevention. She developed an acute liver failure. There was no viral, bacterial, or cancer linked to this sudden onset of liver failure. She received a liver biopsy and within one week was dead from bleeding from the biopsy site. I have recently found some journal articles linking Fosamax to acute liver failure. MY HEART IS BROKEN. Do not take this drug without doing in depth research on its side effects and discontinue it immediately if any side effects occur. God Bless.

I started using Fosamax two years ago and after approximately 18 months of use I noticed some distortion in my right clavicle (which I named my “barnacle) and pain in my upper shoulders and neck. At the time I attributed this to perhaps the heavy luggage I had been pulling around on a trip and that maybe I had strained something. I mentioned this to my doctor who ordered an x-ray which indicated an asymmetrical clavicle. She then ordered an MRI and the result was that perhaps I had a touch of arthritis. I asked her if perhaps this “barnacle” could be a result of the Fosamax I have been taking. She was very doubtful about that. I then googled Fosamax and started reading some of the side effects of this drug – NOT GOOD!! I did not see any mention in the comments by others who have been taking Fosamax about bone growth, but I did read about bone and joint and muscle pains. I had never had a problem and I am certain that the sudden pain in the shoulders and neck is a direct result of this toxic drug. I saw the doctor again and told her that I wanted to stop taking Fosamax and told her about the comments that I had been reading about and I claimed that this distortion in my clavicle and pain in the shoulders, etc. was the result of this drug. She then ordered a bone scan and additional x-rays which indicated again an “asymmetrical” clavicle and the suggestion was that I see an orthopedist. She mentioned that she had once had a patient who had a similar distortion of the clavicle and was sent for all sorts of tests, ending at the orthopedist who did a biopsy which turned out normal. I told her I was not interested in going to see one. I said I would stop taking Fosamax and see what would happen. She did order a blood and urine test checking for cancer, both of which turned our normal. I have not taken Fosamax since the end of June and already I have noticed a lessening of the pain in my shoulders and neck. Hopefully it will stop completely once this toxic drug is out of my system. I am an otherwise healthy 64 year old woman, I exercise, and eat a well balanced diet. I will take my chances with brittle bones, etc. and advise others who are taking this drug to get off it immediately.

My pain started within a few days of a switch from Fosamax to a generic form. I had been on the med for about ten months and hadn't had anything significant as far as side effects are concerned. First my shoulder blew up with very painful tendinitis and bursitis - doctors said it was likely a strain. Then I had jaw pain a few weeks later and that was supposed to be because of a crown I had done. The latest and worst has been my right hip and right leg to the knee - very sharp and burning pain - really made it impossible to walk. The doctors did not make the connection to fosamax and I think they probably still think I am crazy - but I KNOW that it where it is coming from. I am being treated for the pain with the usual stuff - it has been about two weeks. I think I have a long haul ahead before I feel really great again. The biggest problem with these drugs is that the side effects can present so long after you start the drug that most people don't make the connection. I figure people have been living with osteoporosis forever - so I will risk my osteopenie without any more of this toxic stuff. How many people are out there suffering without a notion that this is the cause - still taking that magic pill once a week?

My sister was on Fosamax for 7 years. A few months ago she was walking and her femur broke... After surgery and check up it was determined that her other femur had a fracture in it too so she needed another surgery. This is all from a drug that is supposed to make your bones stronger. They are just finding out about this side effect. Recently they told her that if you have thick bones, you should only take Fosamax for 3 years. Personally, I will NEVER take this drug.

I have taken 4 doses of Fosomax-1x a week - and have noticed weight gain, nausea and lethargy. After the first three doses noticed a mild headache, which I blamed on my sinuses. After this last dose ( taken 6 days ago), I have had an excruciating headache, and facial pain. I have a constant burning feeling in my stomach. I will not take another dose. I saw that someone had previously mentioned taking Bone Up, and had good results. Has anyone else tried this? As a breast cancer survivor with borderline osteoporosis I am looking for a good alternative.

I am a 56 y/o female who started on Fosamax last Sunday. I have a dx of osteopenia. I followed the directions of taking pill with full glass of water and remained upright for 30 minutes before having anything to eat. I was fine on Sunday but on Monday I woke with SEVERE bone pain! My whole rib cage, back, knees and heels were hurting so bad. It felt like I had pain in every bone in my body. I could not take in a full deap breath as my rib cage was hurting so bad. I could not bend or turn without terrible pain. My energy level was zero. I immediately called my doctor who told me to hold the Fosamax (ya think?) and ordered Vit D lab levels. Apparently when you Vit D levels are off (don't know if too high or too low) you can suffer this bone pain. I am awaiting the results. The pain is better today and I was told it takes 5 days to get out of your system. I only wish I had done my homework and found this site before taking this poison. I have to say I'm a registered nurse and know that ALL medications have side effects and everyone responds to meds differently. Some side effects subside as your body gets use to it and some can experience severe allergic reactions. But it's important to weigh the risk vs the benefit. I would rather deal with osteopenia in another way. So my search begins for alternatives to Fosamax for good bone health. Has anyone had good results with other supplements/meds?

I've been taking fosomax for 16 months. In the last 10 months I have developed a hoarse, cracking voice that has become progressively worse. An evaluation finds a blister on one vocal cord. I don't know whether it is related to fosomax or not -- but am wondering if anyone else has a similar story.

I took Fosamax 70 mg once weekly for seven months before getting off due to intolerable side effects beginning after four months. The worst problems were vertigo and dizziness, which came on suddenly. I woke up one morning and when I tried to get out of bed, I felt like I was falling. I had to call my husband to assist me to the bathroom. Although these symptoms became less severe, I never regained my equilibrium while on Fosamax and was unable to exercise on the floor due to vertigo when I lay flat. I also experienced heart palpitations,extreme coldness, and general malaise about two hours after taking my weekly dose. I now wonder if I was having atrial fibrillation, another serious side effect of Fosamax. I am so glad I got off it!

I gave my body a month to clear out the drug and then I began taking strontium citrate 680 mg once daily. I feel well again and began a blog to relate my progress at http://strontiumforbones.blogspot.com/. Please visit and comment.

Bonelady

Hi,I am a 54 year old male and a recipient of a kidney transplant in mid 2006. I have been on a variety of different drugs mainly the two that i am most concerned with are Prednisone and Fosamax. I stopped the Prednisone with my doctors blessing as my transplant went very well. However i have been suffering from joint pain first in my feet at the joint of my big toe and then my knees and right hip, next my neck. The knee pain is the worst and my legs feel fatigued most of the time. I am active however it is difficult to remain positive when you experience constant pain. I don't know if this is being caused by Fosamax. I now believe that the Prednisone was masking the pain. Any thoughts?

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY ADVICE ON HOW TO GET FOSAMAX OUT OF ONE'S SYSTEM? ANYTHING TO LESSEN THE JOINT AND MUSCLES PAIN? THANKS!

I was diagnosed at age 46 with osteopenia and being post-menopausal (altho I never had any symptoms). I was put on Fosamax 1X/week. After a couple of months I developed a painful locked left shoulder. X-rays revealed nothing, and the doctors could not give me any cause except "getting older." I was unable to hook my bra, raise my arm above my head, take an item down from a cabinet shelf, pull a shirt over my head, or put my hair up. I was referred to a physical therapist, and after four months of daily exercises with tension bands and light hand weights, most of the pain subsided and mobility resumed.

Now, a year later, I have developed terrible pain in my right shoulder along with pain in the upper arm, difficulty sleeping due to the pain, and recurring pain in the left shoulder. The right shoulder is not locked as was the left, but it is more painful.

I started doing the shoulder exercises on my own and found that the pain would be better for a few days, then resume with a vengeance--usually on the weekends. After reading this website and many others--voila! I have been taking Fosamax on Fridays. I've been off it now for two weeks and the pain is definitely better.

A few other things that have helped are a good massage to loosen the muscles around the shoulder joints, nighttime application of a heating rub (BenGay), and sleeping with a small pillow tucked under the armpit on the painful side (like holding a baby) to take the weight of the arm off the shoulder joint.

I have also been losing clumps of hair every day; I don't see any thinning or bald patches, but I am amazed at the two handfuls that come out every time I wash my hair. I feel so much weaker, especially in my arms, than I ever have in my life. I have always been quite strong for my small size, able to life heavy things, run long distances (three marathons), and have great physical endurance. Now I feel like a weakling; I have trouble getting up or down if I am seated on the floor or laying down, trouble lifting anything over my head, and trouble relying on the strength in my arms for ordinary tasks such as lifting or throwing.

I will check back on this site often and post an update if I see any significant changes after being off the Fosamax for a while longer. I want my shoulders, my hair, and my strength back!

Some people have reported bruising as a side effect of Fosamax. Have these people talked to their doctors to see if bruising was an allergic type of reaction to Fosamax or if Fosamax had lowered their blood platelets leves which might have caused bruising. Does any one know if Fosamax lowers blood platelets levels?

I see some people have reported bruising as a side effect. Have these people talked to their doctors to find out if this bruising is being caused by low blood platelets or is it some kind of allergic reaction to Fosamax. Is Fosamax causing low blood platelets?

After taking Fosamax, 70 mg once weekly for four months, I awoke one morning with vertigo. My husband had to assist me from the bed to the bathroom. The dizziness and vertigo lessened to where I could walk unassisted but could not do floor exercises because lying flat caused the room to spin and nausea that continued for hours afterwards. I also got heart palpitations, coldness, and malaise, usually a couple of hours after taking the medication. The vertigo continued for three months until I got off Fosamax. I am now taking strontium citrate, 680 mg daily. I buy it on-line from *******, but it can also be purchased at your local health food store. Strontium, in the form of strontium ranelate, is prescribed in several countries, including some in western Europe. Reports I have read claim strontium in any form will reverse osteoporosis.

I had pain in my lower back and left side of my hip, while sleeping, the pain woke me up. I've been on Fosamax D for nearly a year, but I've been reading about the terrible side effects, that I am not taking it anymore, even if my doctor insists that it does more good than bad for my bones. I stopped taking Fosamax D for about 2 or three weeks and the pain stopped, thank God. I am looking into other natural alternatives like Vitamin K2 to build strong bones, in addition to Calcium supplements, Vitamin D and magnesium, and yesterday I read about the best Vitamin D comes from exposure to sunlight.

I have been on Fosamax since 2003. In 2004 my left hip starting hurting so bad it would wake me up during the night. I had dislocated my left hip in 1994 so we put the pain down to complications from the accident. The x-rays were fine however so she sent me to a Rheumatologist to see if something else was going on. He told me I had Inflammatory Arthritis (even tho there were no markers in my blood) and put me on Plaquenil. After 6 months, the Plaquenil had done nothing but the Rheumy wanted me to stay on, and truthfully, I was afraid if I went off, the pain would become worse. Next came wrist pain so severe at times I couldn't lift a glass without wincing.To make a long story short, the joint pain has continued to migrate throughout my body. My thumb joints (where they join the palm) are so painful I can't undo jars or bottles, the small bones in my fingers ache all the time. I also get shooting pains in the long bones of my left leg and both arms. Back to the Rheumatologist last week. He said the Plaquenil was not working so he gave me an RX for Methotrexate 20 Mg once per week. This drug is one of the first-line chemo drugs for Cancer and it's effects on the body can be devastating. I have been crying since last Wednesday and had just decided yesterday to start taking this medication. I sat down at the computer to just test the drugs I am currently taking and one by one entered the drug name with "and joint pain". Plaquenil came up with only good things such as "less joint pain" etc. Mobicox also came up with good things. I entered Fosamax "and joint pain" and the top 15 hits were unbelievable. It was my problem in each and every article. I am dumbfounded. I have been seeking Dr.s help with my pain for 4 years, a GP, a Rheumatologist (2 actually) and an Orthopod, not one of these people ever mentioned a problem with Fosamax! What is going on. I am NOT going to be starting the Methotrexate and I feel I have been given dangerous medications over the past four years which I should not have been taking. I was a Personal Trainer and aerobics instructor for 12 years - now I can barely get through a yoga class without modifying the stretches because the pain is so severe.

Thank goodness for this site. I have made an appointment with my GP but I am stopping the Fosamax today (it was my day to take it). I pray I can regain some of the pain-free movement I used to have. In closing, I do have to say that I have regained some bone mass on Fosamax but...was it worth it? Was there another way I could have done this? Who knows. How long does it take for the pain to lessen after dropping Fosamax?

I took Fosamax for 2 years. During this time I started experiencing pain in my shoulders. My PCP sent me to a neurologist. He could not find the problem. Then I went to a shoulder specialist who also could not find the problem. In the meantime my body became so stiff I felt 85 instead of 55+. Hip and other joint aches, aw well as flu-like aching in my arms, began to occur as well. When I began experiencing indigestion for the first time in my life, I finally thought of Fosamax and began researching the side effects. Bingo! I decided to stop this medication. The indigestion went away quickly. The aches and pains are much better after 6+ months of no Fosamax but they definitely haven't gone away. Although the aches and pains are no longer as severe as they were, I still hurt and wonder if I will always feel this way.

Have been taking Fosamax for several years and switched to Fosamax D. Now I have heartburn-first time in my life- and that lump in the throat feeling. Although I don't know what my bone density would be without Fosamax, I continue a slow decline with using the product. Am not sure this is worth it. Skipped a week and the discomfort has been less but still noticeable especially a few hours after eating a meal.

BE in BEthany Beach

I experienced a severe, exceedingly painful scleritis after my first dose of Fosamax. The ophthalmologist treated it as as "allergy" with prentisone drops. I was prevented from taking a second dose and the eye cleared up but recurred in full force after resumption of the medication. I accidentally noticed "Rarely, eye involvement" in the brochure that comes with the drug. But who associates Fosamax with the eye? My doctor didn't believe it until I was able to find several medical reports of such instances. The reports emphasized that the affliction did not clear up until the medication was stopped. I have not taken it again and have had no further trouble. I suppose I should try it once more,but no thanks! It hurt too much!

I took Fosamax for 4 weeks and have been off for 6 weeks -- thanks to great sites like these because the doctors. look at you like you are crazy when you say it is causing weird things to happen. In the third week of taking it, I developed a neck crunching/crackling noise with tinnitus -- besides many many other things. I am glad to say most disappeared soon after stopping the poison, but the neck and tinnitus have continued. Also, three weeks after stopping, had an episode of foot sole pain so severe that I could not walk on it for three days. Has anyone else had the neck crunching and/or tinnitus? I am hoping it eventually will go away but the longer it goes, I 'm starting to think I have it forever.

Thank-you for this site! After reading all the testimonials I was greatly helped in realizing I was not alone in the terrible side-effects I was having since being on Fosamax for the past 5 months. A week ago the pain got so crippling I could barely walk,---left hip was awful, pain going right down the leg. It was hard to even sit without pain... X-Rays ordered by our internist revealed no new fracture or injury. I was on 70 mg tablets once weekly. Fortunately a lobotomist lady told me while taking my blood that the pain she had when on a Biphosphate medication (Boniva) crippled her with such pain she had to stop working! My internist is unable to accept the fact that Fosamax is the culprit causing the horrible pain...and although he has asked me to continue it, and use acupuncture to alleviate my pain, I HAVE TAKEN THE LAST DOSE Of IT AND HAVE INFORMED THEIR OFFICE...Many of the postings reiterated what I have suffered the last few months. The capstone came yesterday when an adult doctor-student of mine told me he would not take any Biphosphate drug and feels that like Vioxx the FDA in time will HAVE TO TAKE IT off the market. In the meantime, you folks are doing a wonderful service in helping your fellow-beings make wise decisions! I feel doctors prescribe these drugs in good faith,---after all their training is drug-oriented...I am thankful there are also Natural Alternatives and this is the route I plan to take! Blessings on all you dear folks out there who are victims of drug-reactions....The good news is that I understand most symptoms will be relieved when we stop taking the drug....Also, aural surgeons will not do surgery on any patient until they have been off Fosamax or any Biphosphate drugs FOR SIX MONTHS.....THANKS AGAIN FOR THIS SITE AND ALL OF YOU WHO POSTED ON IT....You have all helped me make a wise decision...Thanks again and God bless!

My mom was recently prescribed Fosamax. She took one pill in the morning and by that evening she as in excruciating pain in her shoulders and chest. She describes it as a burning, tearing feeling that is made worse by bending down or moving quickly. She only took one pill and it was almost 4 weeks ago now and yet the pain has not subsided at all. She had a chest xray last week with normal results and is going for a bone scan tomorrow. Anyone else experiencing these symptoms and what has your diagnosis been in regard to the symptoms.

Limping after one month on Fosamax. After two months pain was so severe in left hip and leg that I could not climb up stairs leading with left leg. Pain upon getting into minivan,had to pull my leg up by my pant leg. Also upon getting into bed I had to pull my leg up with my pajama leg and then when attempting to lay down to sleep had worse pain in my left hip. Went off Fosamax and after three months am getting considerably more mobile with less pain. Told my doctor about it and refused to take it for osteopenia.

As a prime candidate for osteoporosis I was prescribed Fosamax at least 12 years ago if not longer. At the time I started taking it, my mother was very ill and did pass. That was when I noticed small 'jumps' in my legs at night which I attributed to the stress of the time.

Over the years, the 'jumps' increased in intensity to almost convulsive movements of not only my legs - but my arms - head - neck - torso. There were times when I thought I would be flung from my bed or dislocate my joints so strong were the muscle contractions. It was impossible to get to sleep and I was often woken from sleep by a convulsive movement.

I went to the Seattle Sleep Clinic for help (around 2000/01) after 5+ years of progressive worsening of these symptoms. Unfortunately, the doctor only wanted to fit me into the 'restless leg syndrome' in spite of my constant statement that I had NO feeling of 'creepy crawly, etc' before the convulsion. None. They just whipped me about out of the blue. No resolution.

About two months ago I ran out of Fosamax (actually taking a generic here in Mexico) and (for whatever reason) I did not refill. Since then I have noticed a HUGE lessening in these god-awful, annoying, scary convulsive movements. I have made no other changes in medications nor can I think of anything else that would cause this reprieve. A "milagro" isn't likely.

I haven't seen this side affect listed and am wondering if any other people have experienced this 'convulsive' problem?

Gracias,
Jillian

My husband was on Fosamax for only 6 weeks when he began to have headaches and to see double. He immediately went to an eye specialist and needed strong glasses. He had never worn glasses before. The night lights still effect him. I was told by a nurse that eye problems are the latest thing being caused by this strong drug.

Has anyone else heard of this side effect?

I was a very healthy 59 yr old, who, as a result of a leg and ankle fracture and slight decrease in dine density, was placed on Fosamax Plus. I have been taking it for two and a half months and have certainly noticed many of the symptoms mentioned. I continue to experience extreme muscle stiffness- not unlike symptoms of the flu, dizziness, stomach nausea, bloating, loss of sleep (so much so that I was then prescribed sleeping pills!), bruising that won't fade, knee soreness, lower back and hip pain!
I tolerated all the symptoms because I thought many of them were associated with my injury. After the ABC 7.30 Report, I am very concerned and would like to know the long term implications. Thankfully I have only been taking Fosamax a short time but it is now in my system.
The pharmaceutical company has a lot to answer for.

I am 75 years old, I was prescribed Fosamax about 7 weeks ago,
one once a week. After taking it for about 4 weeks I developed a
really bad back pain, I went to the doctor, he had x-rays done, result,
I had a crushed fracture in my 11 th vertebrae, how I did it I do
not know, I was in a lot of pain for several weeks, I still can't sit up
without support. I have also been suffering stomach pains and over
the week-end I had a very severe attack of Crohns, I seem worse off
for taking Fosamax ?

Yesterday (about 36 hours ago) I took my first Fosamaz, for some minor bone thinning. A few hours ago, I felt like I had pulled something across my back and it has gotten worse. The pain seems to have spread especially to my knees but also my elbows and hands. I have rheumatoid arthritis and take methotrexate, plaquenil, and naproxen. Normally with my arthritis, I might ache SOMEWHERE (for the most part pain is controlled), but now I'm aching EVERYWHERE, it hurts to move. I just thought about looking up possible side effects online and found this site. This feels almost like the flu, but I don't have a headache--yet, anyway. I just took a muscle relaxer to help--I hope I didn't make it worse.

I am 52 and have just started taking fosamax. Is having stomach pain and slight nausea common two days after taking the dose?

I have only taken 2 Fosamax pills (once a week) and after taking the second one, I have experienced severe lower back, right leg, left foot pain. Can anyone tell me how long they experienced this side effect. I will not be taking Fosamax anymore, needless to say. Before taking this medication, I was fine. I am sleep deprived because the pain is worse when lying down.

Well, this seems to be a side effect I have not seen before or read about. I'm 67 years old, very blonde, tiny and petite---a runner and in excellent health. After pleading with my doctor for years he finally scheduled a bone heel test last year that indicated no bone loss had occurred. Three months ago my doctor finally prescribed a bone density MRI performed and whoopie-do, I have major bone loss! Two months ago I was put on Fosamax 40 to be taken once a week, a 5000 unit Vitamin D capsule and 500 mg's of Vitamin C to be taken 3 times a day. I have trouble swallowing along with dizzy spells , my stomach pain is severe and feels as though it's on fire. Also, my eyes seem to be much more sensitive and feel dry. I called my PCP last week and he said "not to worry, it takes time to adjust". Today I had my gyno appointment and the doctor indicated I have fecal bleeding. Since I have a colonscopy every 5 years (most recent was last year) I am positive it is not a bowel problem. Has anyone heard of bleeding from the stomach while taking this medicine? My gynecologist seems concerned, my PCP does not. I am wondering if a well-balanced diet with lots of calcium products would not be just as good---probably a lot better than taking this medicine and making Merck and Company richer than they already are. All I know is I felt a lot better BEFORE taking Fosamax 40.

My mother has been on Fosamax for years, and now at 79 she has been diagnosed with anemia and has had tests for ulcers and intestinal bleeding. All were negative. I suspect Fosamax. Has any one else experienced this.

Took one dose of Fosamax plus D; 3 hours later had polyuria and thirst; by evening had a fever of 101 and severe bone pain in chest and back. Five days later I still hurt. Have reported it to the FDA (as if the agency actually worked).

Well.....I've had two good bone density tests (the proper test)...the last i had was in 2002, and showed an actual increase of density of 7.5% in one hip, and 4% somewhere else....I was THEN put on Fosamax by my dr. because I am "white, thin, hysterectomy and smoke...." and said he wanted to keep my bones healthy. Hence, I've been on this since. I'm now wondering.....I had alopecia (hair loss) 2 years ago, just patchy, it's back in fine, no recurrence. I'm seeing a chiropractor now, as I feel constantly "pretzeled" My head feels like it weighs 100lbs on a wobbly neck, my fingers are often sore, one of my knees is dodgy, ....we have no athritis, osteoporosis in my family, I cannot remember a female breaking a bone! I just don't feel great all vague feelings. I exercise every evening 20mins on a glider, I'm 105lbs, I eat a sensible diet, I do everything at 100mph, so not sedentary! I go for my Bone density the end of this month, and I have a feeling this is the end of my Fosamax!

I am 56 and have taken Fosamax for about 6 years. I have recently felt that I have an 80 year old's health, rather than my own age. I have noticed in the last year that I have had increasing leg weakness. Knees hurt, thighs hurt. I feel at times as if they are giving out and it causes me to stumble and fall, on the merest hint of uneven ground, more and more often. This of course means I have more risk of broken bones. The very thing that Fosamax is supposed to be preventing!!

Since taking Fosamax I have develped neck problems, which caused severe dizzyness problems 2 or 3 years ago and I still get dizzy attacks from time to time and neck pain all the time.

Recently (last 5 months) I have had an extensive rash that took two months to clear, extreme fatigue continuously, attacks of diarreha, inability to shake a urniary infection, flu like symptoms on and off for months, worstening of the leg pains to the point of feeling that at times my legs will give out at any time, and stiffness in walking.

I also had an stomach ulcer last year, that was surgically teated. The Dr wants me to cut back on the anti inflamitory drug I take for arthristis. Howvere I took this drug for 6 years with no problems, before I also started tsking Fosamax!

Fosamax at first helped the BMD level (I had osteoporosis that went down to osteopenie level), but now I am heading back to osteoporosis in my spine, as my reading are now borderline for osteoporosis again.

However I have still had plenty of broken bones since taking Fosamax!! At least one a year. So has it really helped?! or has it given me only extra but more fragile bone mass? I think maybe the latter.

The bad quality of life I am now experiencing has led me to believe that the cure may be much, much worst then the illness (osteopenie or osteoporosis). My mother has had nothing but problems with this sort of drug for osteo also.

I did not link all my symptoms to the Fosamax (despite my mother's experience) until last week, when, in desperation from my strange and inceasingly debilitating symptoms I did some research on the internet and found the hundreds of other reports of the same sort of problems with Fosamax, Particularly the leg and muscle pain and weakness.

Now of course I will see what being off it for a couple of months will do.

I started Fosomax with D one day -one dose-. I experienced pain in my back so severe I could not walk. I would let out a yell just trying to get dressed or move. It started in my pelvis then worked its way to my back (lower center) it was like a spasm. I thought i would have to go to the emergancy room. Today day two it is a little better. My pysician with be notified.
I will not go on it again.

Started Fosamax February, 2006. By April 2006 I had hip, back and foot pain. Hair loss became very apparent. I checked this site and saw hair loss as a side effect. I had never realized this before - these sites are a big help. Before Fosamax I had been on Actonel for a year (no pain, but mild hair loss) but was told to switch to Fosamax by my insurance company). Stopped taking Fosamax in April 2006. Pain slowly subsided but left foot was still so swollen by July 2006 that I saw a podiatrist for suggestions to ease discomfort. She suggested metatarsal pads until swelling and pain subsided (about another month). Seem to have no lasting side effects by January 2007. Will never take Fosamax again.

My doctor gave me Evista and it made me so constipated that she changed my meds to Foseamax I took it for 1 month and had a sereve cramp in my colon that I needed to put a heat compress on it for 15 minutes. Then 2 months had another bout only worse I could hardly catch my breath, again another attack a few weeks later. These were all when I was trying to have a bowel movement. My doctor told me to stop taking this medicine when I told him about other things that where happening along with the cramps. Things to grafic to print. One year later and I still have these cramps even though there are not nearly as bad as when I was taking the medicine. I received papers in the mail that said Foseamax was a drug for cancer. I too was told that if I didnt take this medicine that If I fell and broke my hip that I had a 1 in 2 chances that I would die. What a crock!

I have been taking fosamax for just over a year and have developed severe pain in the center below my chest, constant belching and terrible stomach pains. I was tested for gallbladder and that came back negative. I also have a lot of pain in my hips when I sleep bruise very easily. After reading these postings I have to wonder if this is from taking the fosamax. I'm going to mention this to my doctor.