Reclast infusion side effects?

@lwidstrand How many infusions have you had? When I was on Fosamax, I was stunned at how fast it came on. But it came off equally fast. Reclast is a whole other animal! I have one more infusion to go next year, but then it will be a year after that until it's out of my system, I think. Not looking forward to basically two more years of watching the scale. And it's not the only osteoporosis med that I've heard causes weight gain. There must be something about what's in these meds that causes this problem. Hang in there, and I will do the same. I do know that the dexamethasone that I was on in May totally upsets your metabolism. I have read that it can take 6-12 months for your metabolism to regulate. What?!!!

Gosh I didn't know about that 2nd year Reclast perhaps not being needed.
The pain in the hip was rather sudden. I'm still a bit stiff in the back but it maybe something I had before.

Thanks for your response!
Jar124

@gravity3

Well, I just recently got this 2nd infusion. I'll request a DEXA next summer and go from there. Someone on here said the doctor who did the study said only the first infusion is necessary for the first 2 yrs. I was never told that.
So, looking for a holiday next year!!!

@weissl prayers the pain goes as quickly as it came!

@gently does anyone know how long it takes to get ReClast out of your system? I guess it’s different for everyone but is it 3 years, 5 years? I’ve been 1 year now and it still seems to be in my femoral bone (severe hip and thigh pain). I’m hoping it leaves some time. Thanks

@weissl , I am so sorry. Thank you for sharing. Hope the pain goes away with time.

@margaret3363,
Reclast has a short half life in the bloodstream of 146 hours. It can be detected in the blood at 28 days. Estimates of 69% of the drug attaches to the bone and is gradually released over many ( sometimes, 10 to 12) years.
You are wanting to figure out how long you will have to tolerate this severe hip and thigh pain.
There isn't much literature on the longer term effect of Reclast. Patients are told but that long term or late onset pain isn't related to the medication.
Have you had recent imaging of both the hip and the femur. The use of bisphosphonates can cause atypical femur fracture. Patients have been seen with these fractures after suffering years of prodromal pain. But it is possible that something else is going on with your hip and thigh.

@margaret3363, sometimes (not with dannyanddebbie, though), a short 5 day course of steroid can alleviated the cytokine reaction that might be causing your pain. It has to be the Reclast.
Initially Reclast can cause a reaction that produces cytokines then the cytokines cause production of more cytokines creating a cycle of inflammation.
Did you have trouble with the hip or thigh before the infusion, and had you been on other bisphosphonates before Reclast.

@gently thank you for your reply. No, I had had no trouble with my hip or thigh before ReClast. Reclast is definitely the cause. I had been given ReClast in past years with no negative reaction but not this time. I couldn’t walk, I was hospitalized while they looked for a cause but found nothing. It’s settled in my femoral bone and I still have pain. How long do you think this “poison” can stay in the body?

Margaret, my main concern is that Reclast carries a risk of atypical femur fracture, especially after years of use. These fracture can cause the type of pain you are experiencing for some long time before breakage.
While the bisphosphonates stay on the bone for many years, they are basically inert during attachment and cause pain only when encountering the cells that break down bone.
One pathologist said that he didn't think the bisphosphonate ever left the bone until it either encounters the osteoclast cell or until the bone around it breaks away in dissolution by osteoclasts. He said that bisphosphonate clads the bone in a mottled way clearly distinguishable from unclad bone.
The inert bisphosphonate shouldn't be causing pain. But if the bones were weakest in those areas zoledronate would accumulate there and you may be experiencing intense interaction between the drug and the osteoclasts. The length of time you have been on this medication puts you at greater risk for the atypical fracture. You should be able to get orders for the MRIs easily. X ray isn't sufficient.