I V Medication for Osteoporosis - Osteoporosis Message Board

patched · 01-16-2005, 06:09 PM

Hi,

Has any one had experience with the Iv medicine that you only have to take every 3 months? I've been on Actonel and it is making me very sick and the Fosamax did the samething. I have acid reflux disease and most medicines that I have to take orally cause me stomach problems. I'd appreciate any info. on this.

Thanks,
Pat

Aleta145 · 01-17-2005, 08:19 PM

Hi Pat. I'm scheduled to start IV treatment with Zometa on Feb 1. My oncologist is telling me that it's normally an annual treatment, but we're going to try it every six months to start. I haven't been able to find a lot of info because it isn't FDA-approved for the specific treatment of osteoporosis (only for bone cancer), but if you do a Google search using Zometa and osteoporosis in the search box it will bring up some useful articles. Side effects include flu-like symptoms but I'm told they are rare.
______________________
Aleta
Dx Osteoporosis 5/04, age 49
T-Scores: Spine -3.0, Hip: -1.9
Current treatment: Evista

patched · 01-18-2005, 03:55 PM

Hi Aleta,

Thanks for the information about zometa. I will do a google search.
After a few weeks on the zometa please post and let me know if you have any side-effects.

Pat

Aleta145 · 01-18-2005, 05:28 PM

I will certainly let you know. Just curious: has your doctor offered this treatment to you? I ask because my oncologist says regular doctors don't usually have the equipment to administer it so it isn't an option for them. I also had to get special permission from Blue Cross in order for them to cover it.

SteveCal · 01-19-2005, 11:33 AM

I had a zometa infusion about a year ago. It was done at the VA hospital in San Francisco. Unfortunately I was one of the people with bad side effects. Within a day of the infusion I had vomiting, severe pains in my bones, and bad inflammation of the eyes. It lasted about two weeks. My doctor said that she couldn't recommend me getting the infusion again. She reccomends it only one a year. It is a serious drug used for bone cancer treatment and the infusion can only last about ten minutes since it can damage your kidneys.
Maybe because I am male my side effects were different. On my last Cat Scan my bone density increased about ten percent, so it probably did help. My doctor says it stays in you bones for up to five years so I might continue to have improvement.

Good luck -- Steve