Reclast BEWARE causes broken femur!

Your comments are helpful. Thank you.

All these different medical opinions are VERY interesting. When I asked my dentist about Reclast, she said that it could cause difficulty in healing after oral surgery (which I had already read about). And I do have dental situations that may require unanticipated oral surgery. It's not as though one can stop taking Reclast for a a week or two before surgery, as is true of other meds. Once Reclast is taken, it's THERE. Incidentally, my Dexa score lowered after I, for various reasons, had slacked off my exercise regimen. At the same time, I began to have difficulty swallowing large pills and discontinued taking calcium. Dumb, yes.

I have read that in some elderly people Reclast may have some temporary mental effect. I am OLDER elderly, live alone, handle my own affairs, and--with my mother and two sisters having suffered dementia--am very aware of brain health. I don't want even temporary confusion. I have known many more people with dementia than with osteoporosis-related broken hips, the prevention of which is supposed to be the reason for taking Reclast.

The doctor didn't elaborate about which bone drugs in our conversation and I didn't ask especially since I was there for my bursitis. Admittedly I was stunned with his view on bone meds since every other health care professional I've told about my osteoporosis strongly advised me to take the meds.

But it did occur to me that orthopedic surgeons are on the receiving end of osteoporatic patients who fracture since they're the ones that ultimately "fix" the problem of broken bones, so it's not surprising that they may be more biased against a medication that actually caused the problem in the first place.

It is interesting to me that he did not cover the other end of the spectrum. Fractures caused by osteoporosis when medications were not used by a patient. He might want to get some additional feedback from a spine surgeon....one who has treated . multiple compression fractures. My comments are biased pro osteoporosis meds (not recommending for anyone else. We are all individual).

I’m supposed to start Reclast and I’m terrified. I can’t take any oral osteoporosis drugs because I have GERD. Additionally I am terrified of the dentist and haven’t been to the dentist in well over 5 years. I think I should go before taking this medication just to make sure I have nothing wrong where I’d need anything done in my mouth which I read can cause serious problems. I simply don’t know what to do. Any advice would be appreciated.

Is reclast the first osteoporosis drugs you've been prescribed?
I am assuming that you and your prescribing physician have discussed the results of your dexa scan and spoken about reclast and other drugs that are not bisphosphonates. Is she/he well trained in treating Osteoporosis? Would you share your dexa scores with us? Don't worry. You are not alone in worries about osteoporosis, all of the information out there and worries about making the best possible choices. As you read you will see that you are not alone!

My endocrinologist is the physician who recommended Reclast. I also have RA and see a rheumatologist. Yes this will be the first osteoporosis drug I gave taken. I don’t know how bad my T-scores are but I’d really prefer not to take medication.

My test results are as follows:

Lumbar spine:
(L1-L2):
0.858 g/cm2
T-score: -2.6
Z-score: -0.9

Lowest femoral:
Total Right-
0.655 g/cm2
T-score: -2.8
Z-score: -1.4

I hope this helps and thank you for responding.

i had a very good experience with Reclast rebuilding bone. However, unlike you, i did not take it continuously. i took it twice in 5 year intervals. The first time the Reclast reversed my osteoporosis. The second time the Reclast "filled in" high risk of quadriplegia in my cervical spine. The second time i was given a generic and i did have complications but they were temporary --some breathing issues/anaphylaxis that subsided when i had a steroid injection. it is very very rare to end up with a broken femur from taking reclast and im sorry it happened to you

Thank you Miss Prince about the Reclast warning.
I took Reclast last year and had a DEXA this year which was stable. The Endrocronolgist recommended a drug holiday. The Dr. alluded to the fact about bone fractures when taking Reclast on a long term basis.
The Dr. also recommended telling my dentist about Reclast because that could affect dental health.

I think we have to be VERY careful in asssessing one person's experience and drawing conclusions that a medicine is responsible. The questions I asked were:
did the fall to the ground provoke the break in the femur?
Did the muscle weakness cause to the reclast or might the person have been taking statins?
Were there other mitigating circumstances?
The reason we get put on bone meds is BECAUSE we are already in a COMPROMISED bone situation. The commenter provided no evidence that it wasn't her osteoporosis and the fall itself that caused the broken femur.
I had two teeth break for the first time in my life after the Reclast and a few months after starting Tymlos. It had NOTHING to do with the medications. Teeth are dentin and not bone.
We don't have enough information in this case to determine that the Reclast would cause a femur to break.
There is a rare condition but the information points to the rare condition (1%) to patients who were on Reclast for more than 5 years. The poster said she was only on for 3 years.
Most medicines have RISKS. There is a risk to take it and a risk NOT to take it. I think it is important to be educated as to what we are putting in our bodies, select GOOD doctors who we can communicate with, and follow testing and the protocols as instructed. Here is a VERY GOOD article. Please also click on the clickable links where very relevant info is located.
I always hope and pray that I don't suffer the consequences of meds I have been asked to take - but some people do suffer at times because of them. They do need to "be aware," but they should not "beware!" (Ooh, I like that, I just made that up!) unless a legitimate conversation is had with professionals.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/thigh-fractures-linked-to-osteoporosis-drugs-long-term-use-questioned-201205214737

Consider asking your doctor about Tymlos or Forteo. They are both bone building meds and do not have those side effects. They are self-given daily injections, but they are easy and do grow bone without the digestive issues or fracture side effects. We have to ask questions and if we aren’t given the answers we are looking for, seek a new doctor.