Reclast Infusions: Side-effects & Recovery time

So glad to have found this group. I started on alendronate a couple of months ago, but the G.I. symptoms were too bad to continue after a pause and treatment with Pepcid. Still having symptoms after stopping. I’m supposed to start Reclast and have been looking for information about side effects/adverse reactions. I tend to have bad reactions to drugs, in general, and I was concerned about side effects that would last due to an infusion. After reading all of your experiences, I’m wondering if there are any studies you can point me to that reflects the risk of side affects/adverse reactions and how treatable they are. The infusion clinic has been calling me but I’m too anxious to make an appointment.

Hello @qigongangel, Welcome to Connect, an online community where patients and caregivers share their experiences, find support and exchange information with others. Hoping other members with experience using Reclast can offer some suggestions. There is some information on Rheumatology.Org that may be helpful.

Zoledronic Acid (Reclast): https://www.rheumatology.org/Learning-Center/Medication-Guides/Medication-Guide-Zoledronic-Acid-Reclast

Have you checked with your pharmacist to see if they might have some suggestions?

@qigongangel Id like to welcome you as well I had my 1st Reclast and didn't have any symptoms I would check as John said with your pharmacist There might be Interaction with the meds your on and a pharmacist would know Good luck

So glad to have found this group. I started on alendronate a couple of months ago, but the G.I. symptoms were too bad to continue after a pause and treatment with Pepcid. Still having symptoms after stopping. I’m supposed to start Reclast and have been looking for information about side effects/adverse reactions. I tend to have bad reactions to drugs, in general, and I was concerned about side effects that would last due to an infusion. After reading all of your experiences, I’m wondering if there are any studies you can point me to that reflects the risk of side affects/adverse reactions and how treatable they are. The infusion clinic has been calling me but I’m too anxious to make an appointment.

@contentandwell @artscaping @qigongangel Thank you so much for all the supportive feedback. I am a nursing professor and a strong vaccine advocate. I had the idea that I was and behaving similarly to those who are vaccine hesitant. Unfortunately, I have not had a good PCP yet at Kaiser, since I joined in 2016 (the one o wanted finally had an opening after trying for months). Ordinarily, I would be able to go to my PCP, have a conversation and get resources, but I haven’t trusted my PCPs enough to do that. Hopefully I can with this one. But it’s helpful to know a way to reach a rep at the drug company. I will start searching for the clinical trial findings, which I haven’t been able to access so far. Unfortunately, I do have a history of adverse reactions, as well as paradoxical reactions, as well as allergies, to several drugs. Adverse reactions from Topamax were multi system and my urinary tract never really completely recovered. So I have a more personal fear of opening myself up to something that will stay in my system unavoidably for a year. I will most definitely follow up and feel like I’m in the right place. Thank you.

You HAVE to do some research before you sign up for these "bone-building" drugs. My DEXA scan came back -5.7 and I was fracturing. My doctor told me I had to get Prolia or Reclast. I did a bunch of research, and learned that these drugs don't really work and the possible side effects are horrendous (osteonecrosis anyone?). I talked to women who had taken these injections and had problems and decided not to take them. They "work" by not allowing your body to get rid of the old, dead bone. It just allows the old bone to hang out, making your bones looks bigger and stronger. But the minute you go off the drug, your body eliminates the old bone in urine and you are worse off than when you started. I decided I would address this nutritionally. I'm taking calcium to supplement what I cannot eat each day, magnesium, boron, vitamin D3 (at least 4,000 IU daily), and vitamin K2 (mk4 mk7). I also take a good vitamin C (NOT ascorbic acid but from berries and rose hips), a good food-based multivitamin, Omega 3, DHA, vitamin B complex, and probiotics. To be fair, I also went off sugar completely. Sugar is death to bones. Sugar causes inflammation and inflammation causes disease - but this is a topic for another day. ALSO, because I was fracturing and there is no family history of breast or ovarian cancer in my family, I started using a very low dose of estrogen and progesterone. I've done the hormones only for one year; whereas I have done the no sugar and better nutrition for more than two years (I've been off sugar five years). I'm going to have a new DEXA scan in a couple months - April or May. I did stop fracturing. I am in a support group on Facebook called Osteoporosis Natural Remedies - it's a very active group and people really know what they are talking about on that group. We have at least one nutritionist that posts all the time. The people in that group have posted fantastic results. I also walk uphill a lot (I live on a hill and I'm an avid gardener). I want to say one more thing before I go - boron is a great trace mineral if you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia. I take 3 mg two or three times a day with calcium. I have NO more pain in my body caused by arthritis or fibromyalgia. I have told a lot of people about this, and they have also gotten great results. The upper limit dose for boron is 20 mg, so even if you take three a day, you are well below the upper limit. Also, a note on taking magnesium and calcium. Your body can only absorb 500-600 mg TOTAL of magnesium and calcium every four hours. Check your supplement, and take it morning, noon and night if you have to. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. I have made this my primary focus of study for the past three years - and nutrition in general for the past five years. I am reading MD and Ph.D. level books on nutrition. But of course, you need to check with your doctor before you make any changes. Also, I belong to ConsumerLab, which is a consumer watchdog group for supplements. They test supplements to be sure they are what they say they are, they are pure, and they are strength they say they are and will open in the body (some vitamins do not open in the body - they pass right through the body). Another site on Mayo let me post the website: It is http://www.ConsumerLab.com. You can find MANY medical journal articles there on many topics. That's how I found out there was some lead in the calcium I was going to buy - a VERY popular brand of calcium that most people would think would be super clean. BTW: Nutritionists say the best calcium is from shells (oyster, etc.) and sterilized egg shells. Some forms of calcium cannot be absorbed by the body, There is so much to learn. For what it's worth, I saw six endocrinologists and countless other doctors, and with the exception of my OB/GYN who prescribed the estrogen/progesterone, none of these doctors knew one thing to do except to take the bisphosphonate drugs and similar (Reclast, Prolia, etc.). I'm just saying, please do some serious research before you take these drugs - I believe there is a better way. There is not much out there about Vitamin K2 (mk4 mk7), but check out a document called The Ultimate Resource Guide to Vitamin K2 by Chris Masterjohn. You can do a search to it and it will come up. K2 makes sure the calcium goes to your bones, not to your arteries or kidneys. It's almost impossible to get enough vitamin K2 (mk4 mk7) from food unless you are willing to eat Natto. I wish all of us good luck on this journey.