Fosamax and bone density

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.

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

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.

I started taking Fosamax the morning of the 13th of April and this is the evening of the 15th. I have been having bouts of nausea and stomach discomfort since yesterday afternoon that are becoming more frequent and now accompanied by flatulence. My appetite has changed because I feel so yucky.
I was prescribed it because of a bone density exam that says I have severe bone loss in my femurs and moderate in my spine. I am an otherwise healthy 55 year old woman, very active and energetic, daily dog-walker at moderately brisk speed.
After reading this site I am even less keen to take it than I was....I have always bruised easily and I was born with thin hair.

I don't think our doctors know any more than we do about this drug. It's up to us to research it ourselves. According to what I've read, there is no evidence that even taking it at all prevents fractures, and there is quite a bit of evidence that it is in fact harmful. What's more, the drug stays in your bones even after you stop taking it and has a half-life of 10 years, meaning that it takes 10 years for it to reach half it's potency!! This, plus the fact that the long-term effects of this drug are unknown!!

I have been taking Didronel, which is a weaker form of bisphosphonates for several years and was recently put on Fosomax because my bone density had gone lower according to the DXA test. I've now stopped taking it after having perused this forum, and reading an excellent book on the subject called "The Myth of Osteoporosis" by Gillian Sanson. All I can say is, I wish I'd read this material before taking any of these drugs.

A very interesting fact that our doctors do not tell us because presumably they are ignorant of it themselves, is that bone density itself is not a reliable indicator of fracture risk.

I've drawn the conslusion that our doctors are ill informed and we put our trust in them at our own (often considerable) risk.

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