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Reclast infusion side effects?

Posted by ladybugnc @ladybugnc, May 26, 2025

I had the Reclast infusion 5 months ago in my left arm. I have started having pain in that arm now, with loss of strength. Has this happened to anyone else?

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dannyandebbie | @dannyandebbie | Aug 14 7:17am
In reply to @gently "@bswnyca, some people get relief from Reclast pains with a five day steroid pack. Your infusion..." + (show)
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@bswnyca, some people get relief from Reclast pains with a five day steroid pack. Your infusion may be effective for two years.

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@gently 69 year old male! I was given a steroid pack x 2 with no positive results! It’s been 26 months since I received my first and last infusion; never, ever again! It started with nausea, should pain and left foot! Nausea, shoulder pain, exhaustion, fatigue, vision blurry, lower back pain and latest is this constant shocking sensation whenever I cough in my groin and upper legs. Rheumatologist, neurologist and / or Endocrinologist all have no answer for the symptoms!

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3 replies
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karenjaninaz | @karenjaninaz | Aug 14 8:00am
In reply to @tiza "Hello, I’m new to this forum. I had a Reclast Infusion in May 2025. After a..." + (show)
Profile picture for tiza @tiza

Hello,
I’m new to this forum.
I had a Reclast Infusion in May 2025. After a year dealing with knee pain issues my Dexa Scan results were terrible.
My endocrinologist had already suggested I’d need it, after doing some research I refused it for about 5 years.
Since the infusion, I’ve had digestive problems and pain on my left ribs. Strangely, on the first 24 hours after the infusion this is the exact place where I had intense sharp pain. It’s mostly during the night and in the morning.
Anyone experiencing the same?
Thank you!

Jump to this post

I asked for and got a lower dose of Reclast to start. Reclast is 5 mg/Zometa is 4 mg the same drug. I get Zometa. Studies suggest lower doses are just as effective as the 5 mg.
I felt worse and worse with Prolia and came down with shingles after the last shot.
Everyone is different.

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1 reply
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gently | @gently | Aug 14 8:35am
In reply to @dannyandebbie "@gently 69 year old male! I was given a steroid pack x 2 with no positive..." + (show)
Profile picture for dannyandebbie @dannyandebbie

@gently 69 year old male! I was given a steroid pack x 2 with no positive results! It’s been 26 months since I received my first and last infusion; never, ever again! It started with nausea, should pain and left foot! Nausea, shoulder pain, exhaustion, fatigue, vision blurry, lower back pain and latest is this constant shocking sensation whenever I cough in my groin and upper legs. Rheumatologist, neurologist and / or Endocrinologist all have no answer for the symptoms!

Jump to this post

danny, your experience makes it clear that the rheumatologist, endocrinologist and neurologist should be answering "Reclast."
I'm grateful that you reveal your experience. Otherwise no one will know the risk they are taking with this drug.
Ideally a person reacting to Reclast would have the steroid IV soon after the infusion (as some have been hospitalized), or better, prophylactically before the infusion. While I suspect that you may have received the steroid too late, I don't know if early steroid can resolve all the negative reaction to Reclast. That you are having new symptoms is a sign that maybe it doesn't. It doesn't even seem that any of your symptoms are lessening and this new symptom is appalling.
I do know that the reaction is seldom recognized as related to the infusion.
I've wondered, do you think that you were more at risk because of latent autoimmune systems? or is any suspected autoimmune reaction directly caused by the drug.
Thanks for continuing to post.

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2 replies
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rsdcellist | @llander1966 | Aug 14 10:39am
In reply to @dannyandebbie "@gently 69 year old male! I was given a steroid pack x 2 with no positive..." + (show)
Profile picture for dannyandebbie @dannyandebbie

@gently 69 year old male! I was given a steroid pack x 2 with no positive results! It’s been 26 months since I received my first and last infusion; never, ever again! It started with nausea, should pain and left foot! Nausea, shoulder pain, exhaustion, fatigue, vision blurry, lower back pain and latest is this constant shocking sensation whenever I cough in my groin and upper legs. Rheumatologist, neurologist and / or Endocrinologist all have no answer for the symptoms!

Jump to this post

@dannyandebbie I'm so sorry to hear that you had all of these side effects even though you were prescribed a steroid pack. This is exactly what I am afraid of! I know everyone is different but I just do not want to take a chance. I hope you start feeling better.

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osteopatient2026 | @osteopatient2026 | Aug 14 11:16am
In reply to @karenjaninaz "I asked for and got a lower dose of Reclast to start. Reclast is 5 mg/Zometa..." + (show)
Profile picture for karenjaninaz @karenjaninaz

I asked for and got a lower dose of Reclast to start. Reclast is 5 mg/Zometa is 4 mg the same drug. I get Zometa. Studies suggest lower doses are just as effective as the 5 mg.
I felt worse and worse with Prolia and came down with shingles after the last shot.
Everyone is different.

Jump to this post

@karenjaninaz
Had you been given a shingles vaccine before starting?

REPLY
2 replies
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dannyandebbie | @dannyandebbie | Aug 14 7:39pm
In reply to @osteopatient2026 "@karenjaninaz Had you been given a shingles vaccine before starting?" + (show)
Profile picture for osteopatient2026 @osteopatient2026

@karenjaninaz
Had you been given a shingles vaccine before starting?

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@osteopatient2026 yes, at 65 I was given the shingles vaccine; 67 Reclast infusion! Nothing more from here on out to the end of my time. I am not nor will I be treated like a Ginny pig. I had felt pretty good prior outside of a lot of leg issues from Ankolosing spondylitis, which I have had since I was 18 years of age. Someone did a blood test and said, oh my, you need to see an endocrinologist because you might have the onset of osteoporosis, they say, you need a Reclast infusion…….i listened, you are the professionals, okay, wish I had said! “ NO”

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1 reply
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dannyandebbie | @dannyandebbie | Aug 14 7:43pm
In reply to @gently "danny, your experience makes it clear that the rheumatologist, endocrinologist and neurologist should be answering "Reclast."..." + (show)
Profile picture for gently @gently

danny, your experience makes it clear that the rheumatologist, endocrinologist and neurologist should be answering "Reclast."
I'm grateful that you reveal your experience. Otherwise no one will know the risk they are taking with this drug.
Ideally a person reacting to Reclast would have the steroid IV soon after the infusion (as some have been hospitalized), or better, prophylactically before the infusion. While I suspect that you may have received the steroid too late, I don't know if early steroid can resolve all the negative reaction to Reclast. That you are having new symptoms is a sign that maybe it doesn't. It doesn't even seem that any of your symptoms are lessening and this new symptom is appalling.
I do know that the reaction is seldom recognized as related to the infusion.
I've wondered, do you think that you were more at risk because of latent autoimmune systems? or is any suspected autoimmune reaction directly caused by the drug.
Thanks for continuing to post.

Jump to this post

@gently the steroids were like two maybe three months after the infusion, did nothing for the pain!

REPLY
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gently | @gently | Aug 14 8:31pm
In reply to @tiza "Hello, I’m new to this forum. I had a Reclast Infusion in May 2025. After a..." + (show)
Profile picture for tiza @tiza

Hello,
I’m new to this forum.
I had a Reclast Infusion in May 2025. After a year dealing with knee pain issues my Dexa Scan results were terrible.
My endocrinologist had already suggested I’d need it, after doing some research I refused it for about 5 years.
Since the infusion, I’ve had digestive problems and pain on my left ribs. Strangely, on the first 24 hours after the infusion this is the exact place where I had intense sharp pain. It’s mostly during the night and in the morning.
Anyone experiencing the same?
Thank you!

Jump to this post

I think the only thing the steroid can do is to stop the self sustaining reaction of the cytokines. It can't reverse any damage done to tissue-- organs or vessels. It was disappointing that the steroid didn't help you at all. I wonder though if there are ways separate from cytokine that Reclast causes damage.

REPLY
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karenjaninaz | @karenjaninaz | Aug 15 4:46am
In reply to @osteopatient2026 "@karenjaninaz Had you been given a shingles vaccine before starting?" + (show)
Profile picture for osteopatient2026 @osteopatient2026

@karenjaninaz
Had you been given a shingles vaccine before starting?

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@osteopatient2026 Yes and timely. I read that they are looking into the possible high incidence of shingles after Prolia.

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2 replies
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osteopatient2026 | @osteopatient2026 | Aug 15 5:18am
In reply to @karenjaninaz "@osteopatient2026 Yes and timely. I read that they are looking into the possible high incidence of..." + (show)
Profile picture for karenjaninaz @karenjaninaz

@osteopatient2026 Yes and timely. I read that they are looking into the possible high incidence of shingles after Prolia.

Jump to this post

@karenjaninaz
I had my first case of shingles shortly after starting Tymlos…it’s difficult to know for sure what brought it on…stress of the diagnosis, age, Tymlos or all of it.

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