1. < Osteoporosis & Bone Health

Reclast Infusions: Side-effects & Recovery time

Posted by cindydee @cindydee, Mar 20, 2018

I just had a reclast infusion last week and have had serious side effects. I had the worst flue like aching for 5 days then my lefty arm became full of inflammation in the wrist, elbow and shoulder which caused extreme pain and I lost the ability to straighten my elbow. Ultrasound showed huge amounts of fluid throughout the arm. The right arm is now starting to have the same symptoms. The pain is excruciating. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Neither the ER doctor nor the Dr. who prescribed the procedure knew what to do to ease the symptoms. Both arms from fingertips to shoulder are swollen and neither elbow will straighten. Anyone else have adverse reactions to the reclast infusion? If yes, how long did it last?

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parrotqueen | @parrotqueen | Jul 4, 2021
In reply to @pink0509 "I saw the endocrinologist this week for severe osteoporosis. My only options for tx are injections..." + (show)
@pink0509

I saw the endocrinologist this week for severe osteoporosis. My only options for tx are injections fir the first 2 yrs but I then need to commit to infusion therapy following to maintain bone. This is horrific disease however I also can’t trade living a life of horrific side effects as a form of tx. Thank you fir this post. My labs are still under review and beginning therapy is fortunately likely at least 6 weeks away so I have time to seriously consider what you’ve chosen as an alternative for tx. Thank you for sharing

Jump to this post

I hope you think long and hard before you decide to try what they are
telling you is your only choice. They did me the same way. I was so lucky
I found those women on an osteoporosis website on Facebook. Who told me
what happened to them on those “bone building” drugs. There is not much
you can do once you have osteonecrosis of the jaw. I think the FDA has not
done enough research on those drugs. Please let me know if you have any
questions about what I did. Do you have a strong family history of breast,
ovarian or uterine cancer? My mom had cervical cancer,but not so bad that
it took me away from using a low dose estrogen patch 0.025 mg twice a week
- Medicare even pays for half of it! Maybe ask your gynecologist. I have
a reprint from a medical journal about the effectiveness of this and you
don’t even need the whole patch! I’m not sure what I did with it but if
ifind it, I will let you know. My DEXA scan score was -5.9. Are you worse
than that? Whatever you do, i wish you all the very best. I had at least
four doctors telling me I had no choice so it took guts to do what i did.
My best friend’s mom died from complications of osteoporosis and she never
did anything more to treat it but get those infusions.

REPLY
2 replies
toni | @pink0509 | Jul 5, 2021
In reply to @parrotqueen "I hope you think long and hard before you decide to try what they are telling..." + (show)
@parrotqueen

I hope you think long and hard before you decide to try what they are
telling you is your only choice. They did me the same way. I was so lucky
I found those women on an osteoporosis website on Facebook. Who told me
what happened to them on those “bone building” drugs. There is not much
you can do once you have osteonecrosis of the jaw. I think the FDA has not
done enough research on those drugs. Please let me know if you have any
questions about what I did. Do you have a strong family history of breast,
ovarian or uterine cancer? My mom had cervical cancer,but not so bad that
it took me away from using a low dose estrogen patch 0.025 mg twice a week
- Medicare even pays for half of it! Maybe ask your gynecologist. I have
a reprint from a medical journal about the effectiveness of this and you
don’t even need the whole patch! I’m not sure what I did with it but if
ifind it, I will let you know. My DEXA scan score was -5.9. Are you worse
than that? Whatever you do, i wish you all the very best. I had at least
four doctors telling me I had no choice so it took guts to do what i did.
My best friend’s mom died from complications of osteoporosis and she never
did anything more to treat it but get those infusions.

Jump to this post

Hi parrotqueen, thank you for responding, I was never on Facebook but joined yesterday simply to become part of the support group you mentioned in your note. I requested to join and was accepted. I live in Ponte Vedra Beach and am hoping to meet someone from Jacksonville to share her info because I don’t know where to begin, other than I know I simply can’t go down the path of horrifying side effects. My score is a -3.3. I’ve been hypothyroid fir over 25 yrs. My parathyroid is 61, w/ a low serum Ca of 9.2 because of my malabsorption problems. I have no hx of fx to date thank God or Ca, have had a recent neg PAP and plan on getting a Mamogram so than I can see a bioidentical hormone replacement specialist to get started on hormone replacement. I would live your GYN reference if you could share it.
We permanently moved to PVB from MI in 2019 however when I was seen at Univ of MI for osteoporosis, the advise for injectable tax was the same, except they hadn’t yet advised for f/u w/ infusion therapy. Nonetheless, I wasn’t willing several yrs ago to risk side effects from drugs as I’m not now, particularly since I’m on so many because I have 2 cardiac stents and have had a minor stroke and a past closed head injury.
Are you in the PV area? Thank you again for getting back to me and for sharing the wonderful information I so needed.

REPLY
1 reply
jodiej | @jodiej | Jul 25, 2021
In reply to @auntiem2 "In reading through previous discussions of Reclast, I have seen several mentions of arm or joint..." + (show)
@auntiem2

<p>In reading through previous discussions of Reclast, I have seen several mentions of arm or joint pain & swelling. But I haven’t seen anyone say how long that problem lasted and what they did to get rid of the swelling. Three weeks ago I had my first Reclast infusion. I had much joint and muscle pain that traveled from one area of the body to another. Most of it has gone now except one foot and ankle still has a lot of pain and swelling. I’m wondering how long this will last and what I can do to get rid of it. My doctor has never seen anyone with a reaction like mine to Reclast.</p>

Jump to this post

The day after my first Reclast infusion, I began experiencing intense bone and muscle pain. I've been taking the maximum dose of extra strength Tylenol for the past 10 days, which helps a little. At this point, I can barely function, and I'm angry most of the time. What is causing this horrible pain and will it ever stop? It enraged me to learn that Reclast is not more effective than the monthly pills that I had been taking without any side effects. I'M CERTAIN THAT NO PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY WOULD PROMOTE A DRUG LIKE THIS FOR A CONDITION EXPERIENCED MOSTLY BY MEN. My doctor has no help to offer, and I definitely won't be seeing her again.

REPLY
1 reply
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jul 25, 2021
In reply to @jodiej "The day after my first Reclast infusion, I began experiencing intense bone and muscle pain. I've..." + (show)
@jodiej

The day after my first Reclast infusion, I began experiencing intense bone and muscle pain. I've been taking the maximum dose of extra strength Tylenol for the past 10 days, which helps a little. At this point, I can barely function, and I'm angry most of the time. What is causing this horrible pain and will it ever stop? It enraged me to learn that Reclast is not more effective than the monthly pills that I had been taking without any side effects. I'M CERTAIN THAT NO PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY WOULD PROMOTE A DRUG LIKE THIS FOR A CONDITION EXPERIENCED MOSTLY BY MEN. My doctor has no help to offer, and I definitely won't be seeing her again.

Jump to this post

Hi Jodie and welcome. I've moved your message to this existing discussion about Reclast infusions, side effects and recovery time. I did this so you can connect with other members who have experience with Reclast like @becsbuddy @pink0509 @jmanj @bonnieh218 @sue225 and others.

Jodie, you mentioned that you had been taken a monthly medication without side effects. What treatment was that? Why did you and your doctor discuss changing to Reclast?

REPLY
jodiej | @jodiej | Jul 25, 2021

Thank you, Colleen. I had a wonderful osteoporosis doctor who retired and was replaced by a young woman. My new doc told me that Reclast worked much better than the monthly Actenol pills I'd been taking. At the infusion center, the techs told me that the side effects of the infusion could be avoided by drinking 8 glasses of water for 3 consecutive days--I'm not sure whether they actually believed this garbage or had made it up themselves. I have a full time job involving a daily commute, an elderly mother who needs attention, a boyfriend, and a very energetic puppy, and it's hard to function with this pain. Driving is particularly painful. Not sure what to do--will probably try alternative medicine next if the pain doesn't stop soon.

REPLY
1 reply
echolsleslie | @echolsleslie | Aug 24, 2021

I have neck pain and horrible headaches a month after reclast that just started to subside, and inflammation in my eyes. I went to the specialist and I am much better. I have never had any health issues and this was so hard for me. I hope it works I don’t ever think I can have this again !

REPLY
1 reply
jodiej | @jodiej | Aug 25, 2021
In reply to @echolsleslie "I have neck pain and horrible headaches a month after reclast that just started to subside,..." + (show)
@echolsleslie

I have neck pain and horrible headaches a month after reclast that just started to subside, and inflammation in my eyes. I went to the specialist and I am much better. I have never had any health issues and this was so hard for me. I hope it works I don’t ever think I can have this again !

Jump to this post

Acupuncture helped me. I had 5 sessions with a doctor who was trained in China. My neck pain was relieved after only one session, but I still had pain in my right hip, knee, and leg. It's been about a month, and my right leg/hip are still a little stiff and sore, but I'm hoping for a complete recovery. I will never use Reclast again.

REPLY
1 reply
echolsleslie | @echolsleslie | Aug 26, 2021
In reply to @jodiej "Acupuncture helped me. I had 5 sessions with a doctor who was trained in China. My..." + (show)
@jodiej

Acupuncture helped me. I had 5 sessions with a doctor who was trained in China. My neck pain was relieved after only one session, but I still had pain in my right hip, knee, and leg. It's been about a month, and my right leg/hip are still a little stiff and sore, but I'm hoping for a complete recovery. I will never use Reclast again.

Jump to this post

I am
Assuming that reclast is not a 1 and done. I have to find another solution. What are you going to do ?

REPLY
echolsleslie | @echolsleslie | Aug 26, 2021
In reply to @parrotqueen "I hope you think long and hard before you decide to try what they are telling..." + (show)
@parrotqueen

I hope you think long and hard before you decide to try what they are
telling you is your only choice. They did me the same way. I was so lucky
I found those women on an osteoporosis website on Facebook. Who told me
what happened to them on those “bone building” drugs. There is not much
you can do once you have osteonecrosis of the jaw. I think the FDA has not
done enough research on those drugs. Please let me know if you have any
questions about what I did. Do you have a strong family history of breast,
ovarian or uterine cancer? My mom had cervical cancer,but not so bad that
it took me away from using a low dose estrogen patch 0.025 mg twice a week
- Medicare even pays for half of it! Maybe ask your gynecologist. I have
a reprint from a medical journal about the effectiveness of this and you
don’t even need the whole patch! I’m not sure what I did with it but if
ifind it, I will let you know. My DEXA scan score was -5.9. Are you worse
than that? Whatever you do, i wish you all the very best. I had at least
four doctors telling me I had no choice so it took guts to do what i did.
My best friend’s mom died from complications of osteoporosis and she never
did anything more to treat it but get those infusions.

Jump to this post

I was going to have biodentical
But cancer and some of the side effects made me afraid. Did the low dosage of estrogen help your scores ?

REPLY
echolsleslie | @echolsleslie | Aug 26, 2021
In reply to @pink0509 "Hi parrotqueen, thank you for responding, I was never on Facebook but joined yesterday simply to..." + (show)
@pink0509

Hi parrotqueen, thank you for responding, I was never on Facebook but joined yesterday simply to become part of the support group you mentioned in your note. I requested to join and was accepted. I live in Ponte Vedra Beach and am hoping to meet someone from Jacksonville to share her info because I don’t know where to begin, other than I know I simply can’t go down the path of horrifying side effects. My score is a -3.3. I’ve been hypothyroid fir over 25 yrs. My parathyroid is 61, w/ a low serum Ca of 9.2 because of my malabsorption problems. I have no hx of fx to date thank God or Ca, have had a recent neg PAP and plan on getting a Mamogram so than I can see a bioidentical hormone replacement specialist to get started on hormone replacement. I would live your GYN reference if you could share it.
We permanently moved to PVB from MI in 2019 however when I was seen at Univ of MI for osteoporosis, the advise for injectable tax was the same, except they hadn’t yet advised for f/u w/ infusion therapy. Nonetheless, I wasn’t willing several yrs ago to risk side effects from drugs as I’m not now, particularly since I’m on so many because I have 2 cardiac stents and have had a minor stroke and a past closed head injury.
Are you in the PV area? Thank you again for getting back to me and for sharing the wonderful information I so needed.

Jump to this post

I saw a biodenticals specialist. Her advise to me was to have the reclast treatment to help my numbers were about 3.3 or so and then start bioidenticals

REPLY
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