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Alendronate Newbie
Hello everyone! I was so glad to discover this forum. I have a few questions about alendronate which I hope won't be too repetitive of what I've been able to read on the forum thus far.
I'm 65 years old. I began taking alendronate (70 mg, once a week) on June 18, 2024. I took my 7th dose this week. I was wary of taking it to begin with, as my now 94 year old mother was prescribed it some years back, suffered a number of side effects, and quit after just a couple weeks. So far I've not been troubled by any major side effects. I was quite sore the day after taking the first dose (lower back, hips, lower ribs) but I'm not totally convinced it was from the alendronate as I was doing some major work around the house which would have made me achy anyway. I haven't been sore at all since. Other than that I've only noticed some tiredness during the late afternoon of the day I take it and have suffered a few dizzy spells.
My doctor prescribed an initial 12 weeks of the med, plus one refill (I assume just one refill based on how it might affect me). I have a follow-up appointment with the doctor soon, and I guess I'm curious as to what happens now, as we didn't really discuss beyond the 12 weeks. Will there be follow-up tests, blood tests, how long before another bone density scan, etc? I'm hoping some of you can fill me in on some of the details, as you've gone through the process before.
I was shocked when I was shown my scan results, I never even thought about having osteoporosis! I exercise almost daily, eat balanced meals, have never smoked and drink maybe two glasses of wine a year if that. I hope to learn a lot in this forum!
Thanks in advance for any comments or words of wisdom.
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I am 66 years old.
I was prescribed this medication 10 weeks ago, 70mg’s once weekly.
I stopped taking it at 7 weeks of usage. It made my muscles and joints ache so much that I just couldn’t continue it.
Now I am experiencing headaches and the same body aches as when I took it even though it was only in my system for a short amount of time. I have read that once the bones absorb it, it takes a long period of time for it to leave.
I should have read more about the negative affects before staring it.
I realize some people do well with it but I’m not one of them.
I’ve never been one to have headaches. I think I’ve had 2 migraines in my 66 years of life.
I’ve always been active but the withdrawal symptoms have slowed me down somewhat.
I’ll be so glad when it’s out of my system.
I’m not sure that I, at 67 and active, do not grow new bone. How else would my wrist fracture have healed? It was a severe fall, not just from a normal force or distance. I have had headaches and severe backache at night from taking alendronate weekly. I bought a new mattress but it wasn’t until the doctor forgot to refill and I didn’t have it for a few weeks did the pain dissipate. I am slim and studies show I will not have very dense bones to begin with. I am wondering if I can take this medicine less often to have some of the osteoclasts rebuild? It sounds disastrous that I am actually making my bones develop hairline fractures in the long run with this prescription.
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1 Reaction@jenatsky
I also worked as an RN, and studied, and had the perspective it brings. I've tried to explain what you say here "I know a bit more than many and I've never questioned..." I just want to say this is very clear! Others often assume I'm advocating drugs over other treatments because I was an RN. But that's not always the case. I've never advocated pre-programmed side effects! However I'm looking at these posts tonight because I have to make a decision about osteoporosis drugs. I know nothing about them. My rheumatologist said, Here are three drugs, make a decision.
@jw9 please don’t assume you’ll have a SE so you are not setting yourself up for predisposition of a SE. Our minds can do funny things to us and sometimes we can be our own worst enemy. Remember if you start a drug and you develop a SE you can always stop taking it.
@jenatsky "I've never advocated "pre-programmed" side effects"... Meaning: Don't assume you will have side effects. '
Your comment is emphasis for what I wrote.
@amystowe
Hello, I just started taking Alendronate and I’m interested in what you mean by “actually making my bones develop hairline fractures in the long run”.
After having some negative side effects from Prolia, I was hesitant about taking any more meds but Alendronate seemed like the best option.
I started Alendronate liquid about 2 years ago, and initially had back pain. Dr said back pain is not from the med, but I couldn’t think of any other change that would cause it. Back pain was on/off for a few weeks, but nothing since then. Scheduled to stay on Alendronate for 5 years before they do another DEXA scan, and not happy about this time line—may push for a scan earlier
@jenatsky Except some of the drugs, especially Bisphosphonates, stay in your body for a long time after you quit taking them. The elimination half-life of bisphosphonates can exceed ten years once they are incorporated into bone tissue. The drug company claims this is a benefit because the long half-life allows the drug to remain effective in preventing bone loss over an extended period.
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2 Reactions@yfarah57 I get frustrated when doctors don't know about the side effects of the meds they prescribe. AI Assist says this: "Yes, bisphosphonates can cause back pain as a side effect, particularly in the form of musculoskeletal pain. This pain is often mild to moderate and may occur shortly after starting treatment or with subsequent doses."
Here is an article from the Cleveland Journal of Medicine: https://www.ccjm.org/content/85/9/675
@daisy17 my intention was if the drug causes you SE early in your use before you’ve taken a lot of the drug. I only take mine once a week.
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