Fosamax Reminders

The drug called Fosamax is given to both men and women suffering from osteoporosis and other problems causing low bone density. It carries unfavorable effects alongside with its desired benefits, being a biphosphonate drug. Fosamax is facing many issues these days. Yet, various Fosamax opinions are sprouting. According to the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy, Fosamax has lower fractures risk compared to another popular drug called Boniva. Meanwhile, an added opinion has been given by a popular health writer Stacey Singer. Checking both will do good.

Here are some helpful tips for your Fosamax therapy, as complaints against it continue to increase.. Likewise, you need to scan through the medication pamphlet of your Fosamax medicine each time you get a refill to latest updates about the drug. Furthermore, these tips do not provide all the information you need about the drug thus it is still best to consult your doctor for your questions about your medical condition and treatment.


It is essential to know that taking Fosamax may bring about serious adverse effects to your health. Among these side effects are:

• Esophageal problems
• Diminshed amount of calcium in the blood known as hypocalcemia
•  Intense musculoskeletal or bone and joint pains
• Death of bone tissues (osteonecrosis) of the jaw
• Atypical femur or thigh bone fracture
•  You need to consult your doctor right away if any of this conditions happen to you.

Before, during and after taking the drug, be guided with these tips.

• Take the drug according to the doctor’s order.
• Take Fosamax after you get up for the day and before taking any food, drink or other medicine since they affect the drug absorption.
• Do not crush the tablet in your mouth.
•  Take Fosamax with a full glass of plain water only, not with mineral water, coffee, tea, soda or juice.
• Stand or sit upright for not less than 30 minutes after taking the tablet or oral solution of Fosamax. Moreover, do not take any kind of food or medication like antacids, calcium and other vitamin supplements or drink anything except plain water.
• If you forgot to take your Fosamax, do not take the drug later in the day. Skip and continue with the next dose the next morning, however, do not double your dose.
• For patients prescribed to take Fosamax once a week, take the drug the next morning after remembering and return to your usual schedule.

It is always best to discuss those matters with your healthcare provider. This is just a guide to avoid danger while on your Fosamax therapy. There may be other Fosamax side effects and complaints. Moreover, a Fosamax lawsuit may be filed if you believe you suffered distress while taking the drug.

References:

http://www.amcp.org/JMCP/2011/October_2011/12813/1033.html

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/on-call/2011/10/24/fosamax-boniva-actonel-should-anyone-take-these-osteoporosis-drugs/

Read This Before Filing A Fosamax Lawsuit

Even before the Food and Drug Administration issued a post-marketing safety report requiring product labeling for bisphosphonates to reflect the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), it is already publicly known thatmany people have been affected by the dangers associated with the medicine called Fosamax. Here, we can see that people were just reasonable when they filed for a Fosamax lawsuit. But we have to learn about things we must consider before we file for a lawsuit as a popular Fosamax Femur Fractures theory are facing challenges.

• Consult with a trusted physician. Most often, patients are not sure if Fosamax was really the cause of their injuries or if it injured them at all. A licensed and experienced physician is the best person to answer these important questions. She or he can advise their patients about continuing with their current Fosamax treatment or changing to an alternative therapy for osteoporosis.

• Collect records. Succeeding in a Fosamax femur lawsuit requires gathering the best evidence in order to prove that the drug caused actual harm. Patients should gather the following records: medical records; insurance documents including Medicare; a list of expenses; and employment records. These documents are necessary for proving "economic" losses before the court of law. Medical records provide documentation of any physical harm suffered from Fosamax intake. Insurance records show payment of treatment. Anything that does not appear in insurance forms, ranging from wheelchairs to costs of hiring a caregiver, can be found on a complete itemized list of expenses. Finally, loss of wages resulting from missed work can be shown to the court through employment records. The lack of these documents can be detrimental in efforts to prove the extent of injuries which could result in patients being denied any compensation.

• Keep a journal and save all forms of correspondence. Patients need to create a body of evidence to help the court decide what kind of compensation may be due to "non-economic" losses in a Fosamax femur lawsuit. Journal entries, correspondences to others through letters and e-mails, and even photographs showing the extent of injuries can prove to the court that a patient is entitled to damages for pain and suffering, scarring and disfigurement, and other non-economic losses.

• Avoid direct communication with Merck or any other drug developer. Fosamax femur lawsuits are adversarial processes by nature. The same can be said for negotiating any Fosamax settlement with Merck. Anything communicated to Merck or any other drug manufacturer can be used against the patient in any legal setting. It is in the best interest of the patient to consult a lawyer before signing any documents or communicating with Merck in any way

Determining how effective your Fosamax lawsuit depends on how affected parties take into account these important things.

References:

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1107029

http://www.ehow.com/list_6802382_reasons-medical-malpractice-claims.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_7765974_claim-accident-injuries.html

Paget’s Disease: Another Threat to your Bone Health

Fosamax has always been among the most widely used drugs in the United States over the years. But, if you look back and ahead at Fosamax lawsuits, you can tell that drug and its manufacturer, Merck,  also had their own share of bad times. This, and other drugs on the same classification are considered as the osteoporosis’ first line of treatment. Furthermore this drug may also be given to another serious health problem known as Paget’s disease.

Paget’s disease, also known to many as osteitis deformans, is the next most prevalent bone disease after osteoporosis in the United States. Added to that, it rarely occurs in people younger than 40 years old and its ratio from male to female is 1.2:1. Although it can exist in different areas in the world, it occurs largely in European countries such England, France and Germany.

Paget’s disease is a localized and chronic disorder that can result in enlarged and misshapen bones. In the initial phase of Paget’s disease, the bone remodeling cycle loses equilibrium where bone resorption becomes faster due to the increasing  number of bone cells responsible for breaking down the bones. It then proceeds to a stage with heightened bone formation causing bones that are larger but weaker than usual.

Paget’s disease can affect any bone in the skeleton but has affinity to the long bones, spine, skull and the pelvis. In most cases, this disease shows no symptoms at all making most of us unaware that we already have the bone disorder. Others may exhibit manifestations which depends on the afflicted bone of the disease. 

If left alone, this condition can lead to serious problems. For Instance, Paget’s disease with skull involvement can ultimately lead to the following problems:

•  Deafness
•  Vertigo
•  Tinnitus
•  Dental malocclusion
•  Basilar invagination
•  Cranial nerve disorders

Oftentimes patients diagnosed with Paget’s disease are treated with bone-strengthening drugs such as Fosamax or other bisphosphonates. However, there are findings suggesting that the use of Fosamax may put you at risk for serious problems including atypical fractures of the thigh bone. A significant number of people claiming to have been laid up by the long term effects of the drug are now determined to file a Fosamax lawsuit against Merck.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paget's_disease_of_bone

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/334607-overview

http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/p/pagetbone/stats.htm