Fosamax and fosomax

Have been taking Fosamax for 2 years until stopping 5 weeks ago at the advice of my gynecologist. It never occurred to me to associate my joint and muscle pain to this medication, it felt like I had generalized arthritis. I started to get informed online, to find out that my terrible problem stated with Fosamax. I am now feeling better from most of the pain, however I am still suffering from extreme pain in my right buttock muscle, keeping me up at night, to relieve the pain I am taking tramadol which only helps during the day. Is there anyway that this Fosamax side effect can be reversed? If anyone is experiencing what I just mentioned, please let me know, I am afraid that this horrible pain is permanent.
Many thanks.
A. R.

My mother was prescribed this horrible drug for prevention purposes about a year ago. She has experienced severe hair loss, unexplained cough and sore throat pain, flu-like symptoms with fever, severe headaches. Doctors prescribed sinus medication and hydrocortisone shots in the scalp for hair loss and occasional shoulder pain that was explained by her doctors to be arthritis (at times severe). She was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and treated with temodar and radiation for brain cancer. Before fosomax, she was a very healthy 63 year woman with no health issues whatsoever. She went for annual physical and was prescribed this medication. In the last few months, her doctors increased dose of Caltrate-D from 600mg a day to 2400mg/day because of cancer treatment. Immediately, she began to experience severe neck and shoulder pain on the left side. In a few weeks, it has spread to both shoulders and upper arms. She is unable to wash lower back, raise arms to comb hair, lift herself up from sitting position, brush her teeth. A few weeks ago, she experienced the sensation of an abscessed tooth. A dentist told her several teeth would need a root canal. She has pain in upper arms that feel like burning fire. She is getting weaker in the arms. Pain is spreading to the hips. I pray this doesn't go any further and will reverse after we stop this dangerous drug. Has anyone shown signs of improvement after stopping this drug? How long did it take to see improvement? What if anything can you do for the pain and sore muscles and joints?

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'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 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.

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.

I am 50 years old and my bone density test showed beginning signs of moderate loss. I took the once a week fosomax for about 4 weeks. After the second week I developed hip joint pain. The next week my shoulder joints and knees started hurting. After the 4th week the joint pain lessened slightly. Because I was going on a business trip with lots of walking, I decided to stop taking it and experienced some relief immediately so ... I decided to stop altogether. My joint pain is nothing like it was while taking it, BUT I STILL AM EXPERIENCING some JOINT PAIN and it's been 5 months since I stopped. Before I started taking it, I was extremely active and experienced NO joint pain.

PLEASE---all who are here on this board...go to the bookstore or library and get this book--The Myth of Osteoperosis.
It is a short read and you will be amazed at what you learn.
Throw away the drugs...they are not proven to prevent fractures and may cause more trouble down the road.

My sister has been on fosomax and shortly after starting was diagnosed with Chrohns(sp?) disease...seems funny started about the same time as she began using this dangerous drug.

God Bless and good luck to all!!

Have taken Fosomax for almost 2 years due to "some thinning" in hip and family history (mother has osteoporosis and is on Fosomax). In past 6 months to a year, have started experiencing unexplained bruising on hips and thighs and buttocks (when I know I haven't bumped into anything), pain in my knees, hips, right wrist, hand and elbow (the most severe), right shoulder, and the bottom of my feet, difficulty and pain standing and walking after getting out of bed or out of a chair, very stiff and painful knees after bending or squatting, sleep disturbance, acid reflux, occasional sudden dizzy spells for no apparent reason, ongoing weight gain especially in upper and lower abdomen, fatigue, shortness of breath (which I thought was due to the extra fat around my middle, but who knows?). I am only 53 and take no other prescription medicines, and am otherwise healthy. I have my annual physical in a few days and am stopping the Fosomax to see if the pain and other symptoms subside.

My mom is 72 and has been taking Fosamax for past few months. She was taking it every day then switched to the once weekly dosage. She has recently been short of breath. The doctor is doing a chest x-ray and ecocardiofgram, but I am wondering if the Fosomax cou;ld be the cause. I would like to hear from others who have had this side effect. Thanks Margaret

Took myself of Fosomax after 7 months of severe ankle and leg pain, neck and jaw pain. Dr was not happy with my decision, am feeling back to normal except I still have very bad lingering pain in both of my ankles. Hope that this subsides in time. Dr. is no help, just wants to give me pain pills. Have been off Fosomax about 2 months now, never will go back again. Tried Actonel some time back and had similar experiences along with headaches. Do not want to live with these problems. Will exercise and increase vitamin suppliements.

I developed a twitch in the left side of my face and I think it is from Fosomax. It started after I went on that drug, but I also went on other drugs and didn't know which it was. I also have hip and joint problems but had attributed it to arthritis. My right hand is a problem and I can't bend my ring finger. Suspect all of this is Fosomax.

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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Had taken Fosomax for three months when I noticed pain in my left hip joint. Gradually worsened as time went on. After taking it seven months I went off it for three weeks. Pain started subsiding after two weeks. I was sleeping through the night instead of waking up 3 to 4 times a night with hip pain. My doctor told me to go back on it and if it started up again to quit taking it. I took it two times and the pain started again. I went off it and after three weeks the pain subsided again. The company that makes Fosomax does say that joint, muscle or bone pain is a rare side effect.

I was on Fosomax for only two weeks and I experienced severe chest pains and the inability to swallow. I spent 5 days in the hospital on morphine until I was able to swallow and get liquids down. Even my siliva touching my esophogus caused horrible spasms to my chest. This is a horrible drug. What I found difficult to believe it that the doctors "poohed-poohed" the idea that Fosomax had anything to do with what happened to me. If it wasn't for my sister, an RN, who saw Fosomax being advertised and heard the warning of the side effects of chest pains and difficulty swallowing, I would have gone home from the hospital and taken another dose.

Following a bone density scan, I was prescribed fosomax.
I began at 70 mg once each week. After the third dose I had a problem with my kidneys not functioning normally. I cut the dose to 35 mg and am now two months into this regime and I'm noticing the knuckles on my hands and the joints of my feet are enlarging and still have some problem with kidneys causing some water retention. I have a family history of ostoporosis so I'm trying to see if my body will adjust.