Boniva: tell me the good, the bad and the ugly

[snapppyd]

My doctor told me to start Boniva I'm 68 and she said my osteoporosis in the lower back is bad for someone my age.

I'm worried about side effects but at the same time I'm now paranoid of falling and breaking a bone.

 

[Frwinkley]

My doctor told me to start Boniva I'm 68 and she said my osteoporosis in the lower back is bad for someone my age.

I'm worried about side effects but at the same time I'm now paranoid of falling and breaking a bone.

I'm 64 and in a similar situation. I'm doing anything and everything to avoid medication. I don't see my doctor for another month, but I'm preparing myself to decline medication for as long as I can.

From what I've read, so many of these medications have terrible side effects. I am careful, (no risky behavior), but realize that accidents can happen too. I do weight lifting, eat well, take calcium, vitamin D and magnesium.

I'm in very good health and avoid medication whenever possible.

 

[Travel60]

I pushed hard to avoid meds. I'm a petite white woman which puts me at high risk. I'm also athletic - ski, play soccer with grands, work out with weights, etc.

About 4 years ago my doctor pushed hard and finally suggested on a hip and spine scan. If all was good, no meds. It was mostly good but small fracture in lower spine. So I started a generic boniva product. It's a weekly tablet on an empty stomach and then can't eat for 30 minutes.

I've found that I need to eat something "carby" after the 30 minutes or I get a little nauseous. Other than that, no side effects. And at my last scan, bone density had increased. This should be my last year on it.

 

[snapppyd]

I'm 64 and in a similar situation. I'm doing anything and everything to avoid medication. I don't see my doctor for another month, but I'm preparing myself to decline medication for as long as I can.

From what I've read, so many of these medications have terrible side effects. I am careful, (no risky behavior), but realize that accidents can happen too. I do weight lifting, eat well, take calcium, vitamin D and magnesium.

I'm in very good health and avoid medication whenever possible.

I also don't take any rx meds. But I think by putting this off for so long I got worse. I'm not good about regular exercise. I'm going to give it a try. Thanks for your response.

 

[snapppyd]

I pushed hard to avoid meds. I'm a petite white woman which puts me at high risk. I'm also athletic - ski, play soccer with grands, work out with weights, etc.

About 4 years ago my doctor pushed hard and finally suggested on a hip and spine scan. If all was good, no meds. It was mostly good but small fracture in lower spine. So I started a generic boniva product. It's a weekly tablet on an empty stomach and then can't eat for 30 minutes.

I've found that I need to eat something "carby" after the 30 minutes or I get a little nauseous. Other than that, no side effects. And at my last scan, bone density had increased. This should be my last year on it.

Yes, she said because I'm fair and petite I am at higher risk. I just took the first one a half hour ago. Fingers crossed! Hoping it helps. Thanks for responding!

 

[Kae]

Is that the one where you have to stay standing after taking it? My mom took it I don't remember her saying anything about side effects.

 

[snappy]

I am on the generic for Fosamax. You take it on an empty stomach and not with certain meds. The instructions are to not to be in the prone position after taking, so I read that as standing or sitting upright. I have been on it for years with several drug holidays as my bone density improved. The combination of the medicine and a lot of weight bearing activity really made a difference for me for many years, so I was able to take a drug holiday (as my doctor called it) on the Fosamax several times for 2 years each time. As I have aged, my bone density is decreasing so I am back on Fosamax, and I do a lot of walking, 3-4 water aerobics classes per week using resistance training devices. I also take the appropriate dosage of Citracal with D, spaced out during the day. My mother had many compression spinal fractures and other fractures over the years. I am trying my best to avoid that by any means I can and by seeing an endocrinologist for years to follow my bone density and hypothyroidism.

 

[cedricandsophie]

Three years ago I started seeing a rheumatologist and she recommended annual injections of Reclast for osteoporosis. The first year I had awful bone pain for a couple days but the last two injections have had no side effects.

 

[snapppyd]

Is that the one where you have to stay standing after taking it? My mom took it I don't remember her saying anything about side effects.

yes, you can't lay down again. you take it in the morning with a glass of water, then sit or stand for one hour before ingesting anything else.

 

[snapppyd]

So I took the first one on Friday. Yesterday developed chills, fever and leg pain. I don't think this is for me, I can't go thru this every month.

 

[Frwinkley]

So I took the first one on Friday. Yesterday developed chills, fever and leg pain. I don't think this is for me, I can't go thru this every month.

So sorry you are having a bad experience. Maybe it just takes some getting used to? I truly don’t know, having never taken it.

I guess that’s the concern for me as well. Perhaps very naive, but I’d rather enjoy this time in my life as best as I can, without having to deal with the side effects caused by medication.

 

[TCRAIG]

I recently started taking a generic version of Fosamax - 1 pill a week. Between menopause, cancer estrogen pills and radiation therapy - I’ve lost 7% bone density in the last 2 years. I do take the pill on an empty stomach and wait to eat breakfast til an hour or so later…I usually lie down right after taking the pill and haven’t had any problems. My biggest complaint is that I won’t know if it’s working for 2 more years because insurance only pays for a bone scan every other year.

 

[Frwinkley]

My DD is a dentist and has advised me against taking Fosamax. For whatever reason, it seems to deteriorate the jaw bone. She said she can tell which patients are using it. However, it seems only to be an issue for those needing extensive dental work (implants, for example).

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My DD is a dentist and has advised me against taking Fosamax. For whatever reason, it seems to deteriorate the jaw bone. She said she can tell which patients are using it. However, it seems only to be an issue for those needing extensive dental work (implants, for example).

I took Fosamax for about 7 years. During that time I had several dental procedures, including an implant. When the dental work was "normal" (fillings, etc) I continued taking the Fosamax, but during the time I was having the implant procedure I was required to NOT take it, starting 2 weeks prior to beginning the process. Once done, I could start up again.

 

[Frwinkley]

I took Fosamax for about 7 years. During that time I had several dental procedures, including an implant. When the dental work was "normal" (fillings, etc) I continued taking the Fosamax, but during the time I was having the implant procedure I was required to NOT take it, starting 2 weeks prior to beginning the process. Once done, I could start up again.

That’s good to know

I took Fosamax for about 7 years. During that time I had several dental procedures, including an implant. When the dental work was "normal" (fillings, etc) I continued taking the Fosamax, but during the time I was having the implant procedure I was required to NOT take it, starting 2 weeks prior to beginning the process. Once done, I could start up again.

That’s very good to know!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That’s good to know

That’s very good to know!

Of course such decisions are entirely dependent on what you, your doctor, and your dentist think is best.

 

[princesscinderella]

My DD is a dentist and has advised me against taking Fosamax. For whatever reason, it seems to deteriorate the jaw bone. She said she can tell which patients are using it. However, it seems only to be an issue for those needing extensive dental work (implants, for example).

I was just going to say this too, my husband is a periodontist and has treated a few patients who have developed osteonecrosis of the jaw from dental work. We always recommend to our patients who are planning to go on an osteoporosis drug to get all of their dental work taken care of before starting the drug if their mouth is not healthy.