Fosamax and Its Unwanted Side Effects

Fosamax has never been out of the spotlight. This is the reason why people continue to look for other alternatives, especially now that Fosamax lawsuits have been filed in New Jersey Superior Court.

A member of the biphosphonate family of drugs, Fosamax augments bone mineral density by stimulating bone formation and restraining bone resorption or breakdown at the same time and it is classified as a biphosphonate.

These drugs are used in many different condition such as osteoporosis, osteitis deformans (Paget’s Disease), multiple myeloma, primary hyperparathyroidism and osteogenesis imperfect. But these drugs were found out to cause very bad effects like like osteonecrosis of the jaw bone (ONJ) and atypical thigh bone fractures.

Osteonecrosis of the jawbone (ONJ). This condition is considered to be a severe dental condition in which exposure of a fraction of the jawbone tissue occurs. Sooner or later, the bone tissue will die due to the loss of blood supply. There is a big problem for this condition as no diagnostic examinations can detect ONJ. It can only be diagnosed when exposure of the jawbone happens, which can last for more than eight weeks. In most cases, the patient would feel pain or discomfort, resulting from an infection, swelling of soft tissue, drainage and exposure of the bone.

In order to reduce the risks of ONJ, the patient should observe good oral hygiene and regular dental care. When Fosamax and other biphosphinates are being used in medication, dentists should be informed. On the other hand, patients who have not started their bisphosphonate therapy may be asked to wait until any immediate dental procedure is finished, even if the procedure is just minor.

Atypical fracture of the femur. On October 13, 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration advised the public on additional two atypical femur fractures on the label warnings of bisphosphonates, which include Fosamax. The prolonged use of this drug can actually lead to the development of such fractures as researches suggest. But the FDA believes that the drug’s benefits can still outweighs its risks.

There is a FDA reminder about the use of this drug: when dull, aching pain in the thigh or groin occurs, the therapy must be discontinued immediately for a little while. Additionally, some health care providers prescribe Fosamax for a period not exceeding four years. After all, the goal of treating osteoporosis is the prevention of the occurrence of fractures and certainly dealing with Fosamax femur fracture will not make it right.

Different Approaches to Osteoporosis Prevention

The United States has around 44 million American suffering from osteoporosis and 68 percent of them are women. This disease is considered as a major health problem due to the 1.5 million average fractures it brings every year,medical research says. This problem has led to the development of many treatment options. One of the medical discoveries about this condition is that being heavy is better among those who are suffering from osteoporosis.

Deterioration of the bone happens when one is afflicted with the medical condition called osteoporosis. A bone density test may be done to diagnose or confirm it. In order to prevent the consequences of osteoporosis like bone breakage, this procedure can determine if you need an osteoporosis preventive medication.

Doctors may suggest you several types of therapies to help you in dealing the fractures that comes with osteoporosis. In addition, you may also be asked to adjust your diet and/or engage in regular exercises according to your need. Drug therapy alone may not produce the most desired outcome of the treatment.

Bisphosphonate drugs are presently the most preferred treatment for osteoporosis. They reduce bone loss by preventing bone resorption and lower the risk of spine and hip fracture. The alendronate drug Fosamax is the best example of this drug.

One of the most used osteoporosis treatment before biphosphonates came in the picture was estrogen hormone therapy. Primarily, the hormone estrogen increases bone formation and reduces bone resorption which prevents bone loss. The mechanism is similar to the testosterone replacement therapy which may be prescribed to men who have osteoporosis.

Nutrition, exercise, and safety considerations are the top priorities of a successful treatment program. People suffering from osteoporosis need to have adequate amount of vitamin D and calcium in their diet. Weight bearing are also important like walking and hiking.

There are many approaches for treating osteoporosis. The best treatment program can only be advised by a medical professional who knows your medical history. Advantages and disadvantages are expected in every kind of treatment. For example, the bisphosphonate medication Fosamax has been known to cause severe adverse events, among them atypical fracture of the femur. The drug company that manufactured it somehow failed to provide complete disclosure of the hazard. Right now, it is facing a Fosamax class action lawsuit.

References:

orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00232

aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-11-2011/carrying-few-extra-pounds-may-be-healthy.2.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

How Sharon Wyatt’s Battle with Osteoporosis Ended with Jawbone Problems

Who could ever forget about Sharon Wyatt and the longest running soap opera in the American Television General Hospital? She played as Tiffany Hill Donely where she was active from June 1981 to July 10, 1984 and August 1986 to February 24, 1995 with reappearance in the 2008 season finale. Now that her part of the soap is done, she faces an entirely different challenge in her life – osteoporosis.

Sharon was diagnosed to have an early stage of osteoporosis way around four years ago. She was then prescribed with the bone-strengthening medication Fosamax which was made by Merck & Co. Fosamax is a bisphosphonate drug that is often prescribed for bone diseases such as osteoporosis and osteitis deformans (Paget’s disease).

Fearing that her condition could get worse, Sharon adhered strictly to her Fosamax therapy. Surprisingly, she suffered a severe adverse incident. According to her, “It was supposed to help [my] bones, but it made it worse.”

It was found that Sharon had an osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). It’s a severe bone disease where a facial bone tissue necrotizes (dies) as a result of poor blood supply. 

The former General Hospital actress was nervous that ONJ would impinge on her career. “I’m afraid how it’s gonna affect my speaking.That’s death of an actor: If you can’t say the lines, you can’t work.” She already had a repair surgery for her ONJ last April 1.

As for now, Sharon is caring for her elderly mother in Tennesse. She needs to stay tough especially for her mother. "I told God I had about all I could handle and then this happens," she said."So I said, okay, fine, we'll get through this."

Bisphosphonates including Fosamax have been linked to ONJ. Merck allegedly failed to warn its patients about the said risk when taking the drug which might have made a significant decrease of the number of patients affected by the backlash.

Aside from ONJ, large studies have also noted the risk of suffering an unusual fracture on the femur bone after consuming the drug over a long duration. A number of patients have reported such incident claiming that their use of the drug has caused the damage. The other alternative treatment hormone therapy may also cause hip fracture when ceased according to a study – causing its patients to feel more dispirited.

What Is Paget’s Disease And Why Is Fosamax The Treatment?

With the controversies of Fosamax still ringing in the ears of many, more people, even men are filing Fosamax femur fracture lawsuits. This medication is said to cause several adverse effects after a long-term use. The widely known osteoporosis medication is also approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat this often overlooked bone disorder known as Paget’s disease.

Our bones go through a life-long process where mature bone tissues breakdown and are replaced with new bone tissues. With Paget’s disease of the bone, the breakdown and remodeling of the bone tissues becomes too excessive. The result of the process is misshapen, exaggerated but brittle and highly vascular bones.

Although the cause of Paget’s disease is unknown it is believed that it might be linked to the genetic composition or a viral infection in early life. The disease may only be in one or two areas of the skeleton, or throughout the body. The bones of the arm, the collar, the leg, the pelvis and the spine are the areas usually affected with the disease.

Most of the time, patients with Paget’s disease have mild or no symptoms at all. Often, symptoms are attributed with arthritis or other disorders. Symptoms may include:

• Bone pain – the most common symptom and usually occurs on the affected bone or the areas adjacent to the joints
• Enlarged head, headache and hearing loss especially if the skull is affected
• Bowing of the legs and other visible deformities
• Fracture especially on the long bones
• Joint pain or stiffness
• Neck pain
• Warmth of skin over the affected bone

Some cases do not need treatment. Most patients that are treated, however, are given drug therapy to help prevent further bone breakdown. Biphosphonates like Fosamax are presently the first-line of defense to help improve bone mineral density.

When treatment is given before major changes in the affected bones have occurred, the outlook is generally good. Possible complications of the disorder include bone deformities and fractures, deafness, paraplegia (paralysis of the lower extremities), and in rare occasions, a form of bone cancer known as osteogenic osteogenic sarcoma.

Fosamax is the drug of choice for Paget’s disease. Nonetheless, this drug should only be taken with your physician’s order to avoid any adverse events. Furthermore, if you suffered any harm due to long-term consumption of Fosamax, you may have a strong ground for filing a Fosamax lawsuit.

Related articles

• Fosamax and Its Dangers (ronaldredman.wordpress.com)

Fosamax Victims Can Afford to Pursue a Fosamax Femur Fracture Lawsuit

The femur is the largest and strongest single bone in the human body. A fracture of the femur will not only result in the most excruciating pain, but can also inhibit a person’s mobility. Patients that are experiencing these symptoms as a result of chronically taking the osteoporosis medication, Fosamax, may be interested in filing a Fosamax fracture lawsuit against the company that manufactures and distributes the drug, Merck. Concerns over potential hefty legal fees are alleviated with the fact that Fosamax femur fracture lawyers are not as expensive as previously thought.

A 2008 study by the Journal of Orthopedic Trauma has revealed evidence that long term use of Fosamax could lead to low impact femur fractures resulting from falls at standing height or less. This has led to an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to find whether or not there is a direct causal relationship between Fosamax and femur fractures, which could ultimately result in a public recall and multiple Fosamax femur lawsuits.

Although a Fosamax recall has yet to be implemented, there is increasing evidence to encourage anyone who has suffered from a low impact femur fracture while taking the drug to begin preparing a case against Merck. Low impact fractures are not a common occurrence and the severity and unpredictability of these fractures should entitle victims of this drug to proper punitive damages from the pharmaceutical company distributing the drug.

Not all lawyers are necessarily expensive. It is unlikely that a Fosamax femur fracture lawyer will bill their clients at an hourly rate. Instead, a contingency fee arrangement will be made at the formation of the attorney-client relationship. This entails the attorney taking a percentage of the recovery, which is typically between a quarter to one third of the settlement, should the client win their Fosamax femur fracture lawsuit. However, should the client lose the case, they both receive nothing.

Fosamax femur fracture lawyers have made it affordable for victims to pursue a Fosamax femur lawsuit. Patients that have been affected by chronic Fosamax intake should get the reparations they are entitled to. Updated information about the Fosamax femur fracture lawsuit can be found on the website.