I V Medication for Osteoporosis

[suggi]

Aleta

I went to another endo and guess what. She wants to be more aggressive. Gave me liquid Fosamax which I just know will kill my stomach....the gatritis is really bad even with all the anti acid meds I am on. Seeing my gastro doc Friday. She said if I can't take it she wants to put me on Pamidronate IV every 3 months. I DON'T THINK SO. With my osteoarthritis of the jaw joint and bad healing of last tooth I don't want the osteonecrosis. I still need that other tooth out - upper crowned, root canaled with roots in sinuses and I'm scared of that even. She did say the Evista is just not doing anything though. I still want to get the HRT somewhere. I did post the new drugs I found that have not been approved yet and a couple sound a little better. I hope they are approved soon. Good luck to you and your husband. How is the Fosamax affecting him? Does he have any stomach problems. My husband said I have to at least try a dose but it only comes in the weekly dose in the liquid and I wouldn't want a problem for a week especially since I am also allergic to most drugs. Who knows......and if you don't look out for yourself no one else is going to. I am sure you found that out yourself.

Take care.

Suggi

[Aleta145]

Originally Posted by suggi

Aleta

I went to another endo and guess what. She wants to be more aggressive. Gave me liquid Fosamax which I just know will kill my stomach....the gatritis is really bad even with all the anti acid meds I am on. Seeing my gastro doc Friday. She said if I can't take it she wants to put me on Pamidronate IV every 3 months. I DON'T THINK SO. With my osteoarthritis of the jaw joint and bad healing of last tooth I don't want the osteonecrosis. I still need that other tooth out - upper crowned, root canaled with roots in sinuses and I'm scared of that even. She did say the Evista is just not doing anything though. I still want to get the HRT somewhere. I did post the new drugs I found that have not been approved yet and a couple sound a little better. I hope they are approved soon. Good luck to you and your husband. How is the Fosamax affecting him? Does he have any stomach problems. My husband said I have to at least try a dose but it only comes in the weekly dose in the liquid and I wouldn't want a problem for a week especially since I am also allergic to most drugs. Who knows......and if you don't look out for yourself no one else is going to. I am sure you found that out yourself.

Take care.

Suggi

Hi Suggi, I'm so sorry you have such troublesome complications. From what I've read (and this info was dated Dec. 2004 so it's pretty fresh) osteonecrosis of the jaw occurs in an estimated 1 person per 10,000 taking IV biphosphonates. I don't know if this makes you feel any better about it, but of those who take it, most are being treated for cancer which means they have also had chemotherapy, radiation therapy and/or corticosteroid therapy. They aren't sure what (if any) impact those therapies may have when combined with zolendronate (Zometa) or pamidronate (Aredia). If you're going to have that tooth pulled, you need to do it before getting started on IV biphosphonates.

My husband hasn't had any problems in his 5 years taking Fosamax, although I suspect his dry eyes may be traced back to it. He had good results the first year he took it, but lately his results have been erratic. I'd like to see him go off it completely. He's seeing a new endocrinologist on March 3 to check him out. If he likes him I might go there also. If he recommends Zometa for me I might consider it again, but I need more proof that I have fragile bones. There are plenty of people with low BMD who never get fractures, and people with normal BMD who DO fracture. I'm just not convinced that bone density has anything to do with bone strength.

I don't know anything about the new drugs you posted about below. I feel comfortable taking SERMs because they address both of my health issues in one pill. I just don't know how well it's working yet. I've only been taking Evista for 4 months. Since I'm 49 and peri-menopausal I don't even know if it will work at all, but it's supposedly better than continuing tamoxifen. I'm due for my 2nd DEXA in May. I can't wait to see my new scores.

[Linni]

Aleta145,
your story sounds like mine.I have no other symptoms other than low bone density. I was so shocked when I was initially diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago. I have never smoked, I'm large boned, have always exercised and eaten healthy, and five years ago added weights to my regimen. I was on Fosamax for 2 years, and my last bone density test was lower than my first.

When I went in for that second test the technician took my height - I have not lost one inch, but she also said - in a rather condescending tone of voice, "I see you've lost weight." Well, yeah - and I was quite proud of that! I did it through healthy eating. But she was looking at me like this was a bad thing.

At my last dr's appointment I told my doctor that I was off Fosamax - because of muscle aches in my legs which are at times unbearable. She told me I shouldn't have done that - and that maybe in the spring - when I came in for my next checkup - she wants to put me on Evista. Everything I've ever read about that drug scares me.

But, I feel like this is my body, and I want to make my own choices. I don't want dr's dictating to me, nor technicians eyeing me warily because I suddenly decided to eat healthfully - and as a result lost weight. (Let me tell you - I am not underweight!)

Linni

[Aleta145]

Originally Posted by Linni

Aleta145,
your story sounds like mine.I have no other symptoms other than low bone density. I was so shocked when I was initially diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago. I have never smoked, I'm large boned, have always exercised and eaten healthy, and five years ago added weights to my regimen. I was on Fosamax for 2 years, and my last bone density test was lower than my first.

When I went in for that second test the technician took my height - I have not lost one inch, but she also said - in a rather condescending tone of voice, "I see you've lost weight." Well, yeah - and I was quite proud of that! I did it through healthy eating. But she was looking at me like this was a bad thing.

At my last dr's appointment I told my doctor that I was off Fosamax - because of muscle aches in my legs which are at times unbearable. She told me I shouldn't have done that - and that maybe in the spring - when I came in for my next checkup - she wants to put me on Evista. Everything I've ever read about that drug scares me.

But, I feel like this is my body, and I want to make my own choices. I don't want dr's dictating to me, nor technicians eyeing me warily because I suddenly decided to eat healthfully - and as a result lost weight. (Let me tell you - I am not underweight!)

Linni

Hi Linni,

I've had no ill effects from Evista (nor from tamoxifen before that). I haven't had hot flashes at all. In the MORE study (Multiple Outcomes of Raloxifene Evaluation), they showed a little more than 10% of the 7700 women got hot flashes. That seems pretty high, but then another 6.5% got them but they were taking a placebo! So 3.5 more women per 100 got hot flashes because they took Evista. Maybe not too bad when you look at it that way?

As for your muscle pain on Fosamax, that is one of the side effects mentioned in the literature, but they call it non-serious and not a reason to go off the drug. That's probably why your doctor frowned on you stopping the Fosamax. Did your muscle pain go away after you stopped?

[CrohnieToo]

Wow, Steve! I didn't realize there was THAT much difference between Zometa and Aredia!!

I had a pamidronate (Aredia) infusion at Mayo Clinic in October 2004 for my osteoporosis since I've refused to even consider Fosamax or Actonel due to my Crohn's disease and Miacalcin is virtually useless. The Endocrinologist at Mayo suggested a TWO HOUR infusion every 3-4 months. I did experience a very mild tingling in the lips and at my wrists. Because of that the drip was slowed to a four hour infusion rate.

The next day I did experience the achey joints, chilled to the bones, queasy symptoms for about 10 hours. Since I have a lot of problems with nausea from the Crohn's at times I just popped a Phenergan tablet and slept the day way.

That was it! No other problems.