I always suspected that biphosphonate drugs like Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva, which are prescribed to women who show signs of osteoporosis, or bone-thinning, fell under the “too good to be true” category.
Though this class of drugs has been used for more than thirty years, I first heard about Fosamax a few years ago when a friend of mine, who showed signs of osteoporosis while in her early 40s, said that the drug not only stopped her bone loss but also improved bone density after taking it for only two years. Naturally when my dexa scan showed osteopinia - a pre-osteoporosis condition- I readily accepted my physician’s recommendation to begin a treatment of Fosamax, which is the most widely used drug treatment for osteoporosis.
However, within just the last few weeks, there have been three published studies that raise concerns about this class of drugs. One, from the University of Washington, concluded that women who have used Fosamax are nearly twice as likely to develop the most common kind of chronically irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) than are those who have never used it. You can read the press release about the research findings here.
A second research team at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry has concluded that biphosphonate drugs are causing a jaw tissue infection - called osteonecrosis - in some patients. The researchers say that microbial biofilms, a mix of bacteria and sticky extracellular material, are the culprit. You can read about this research here.
In a third study, Canadian researchers at The University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute concluded that use of biphosphonates nearly triples the risk of developing bone necrosis, a condition that can lead to “incapacitating pain.” The study was based on the health records of 88,000 Quebec residents from 1996-2003 and researchers say it is the largest study examining the relationship between bone necrosis and bisphonates. You can read about this study here.
The FDA did issue an alert about bisphosphonates that highlighted “the possibility of severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint and/or muscle pain” in patients taking the drugs.
If you’ve been diagnosed with osteopinia or osteoporosis, and you’re concerned about taking this type of drug, be sure to read Dr. Pat Yarberry Allen’s column, “10 ways to improve bone health without drugs” found on the Women’s Voices for Change website.
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There is also the side effect of GI disturbances. Many women who take the medication for their bones also end up taking medication for GERD. If it is an elderly woman it becomes a chicken and egg situation for doctors.
Fosomax has a half life, I have been told, of 10 years. When the drug first came out it was given to women in their 70’s. But giving it to women in their 40’s or 50’s with a life expectencey of more than 10 years???
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