I believe it has the same issue as Fosamax. You have to take it on an empty stomach and remain sitting up or standing for at least 30 minutes afterwards because it can cause problems in the esophagus. And related issues in the GI tract. So it's not surprising if you had this complication from what I understand. My internist that I try Fosamax and I didn't because my gastroenterologist warned against problems like this. And since I already had GI tract sensitivity, I decided against the drug.