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Overdose of Alendronate
I am 59 years old and was just diagnosed with osteoporosis. The doctor started me on Alendronate 70 mg 1 time per WEEK. I made a mistake and thought the medication was DAILY. I took adendronate every day at 70 mg for 9 days straight and was having trouble swallowing, esophagus discomfort and constipation.
I called my doctor and that is when I realized I had accidentally overdosed as I took it daily. My doctor sent me to the ER. I don’t think they knew much. I was the first person they had ever met that took too much of an osteoporosis medication.
They did some blood work, but didn’t do any follow up or medication for the esophagus pain. I am feeling achy all over now, almost flu like symptoms and fatigued. I started Prilosec, which is helping my esophagus.
1. Has anyone else ever had this happen?
2. Anything that helped relieve symptoms?
3. How long would taking 9 pills and 9 days take to regulate in your system?
Thanks so much for the help. It was very concerning.
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Glad you are addressing your esophagus. I wonder if you could have a CTX blood test to monitor the level in your body: it measures bone turnover and you would want it to rise above 100, according to Keith MCormick, authoer of "Great Bones," before taking any more.
Reclast is an infused bisphosphonate with full dose at 5mg. It is given once a year so I wonder how that compares to the alendronate you took.
Looking it up online, you might want to have levels of calcium, sodium and phosphorus checked!....
I would hope your pharmacist or a pharmacist at the manufacturer might help. Often the drug insert (found online or at the pharmacy) includes information on overdose.
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2 ReactionsThanks so much @windyshores. They checked my calcium and sodium in the hospital, but since I am having flu like symptoms now, I am concerned. I hope I didn’t do any long term damage.
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1 ReactionReclast makes 40% of us pretty sick with the first infusion.
I hope your doctor will check calcium, sodium and phosphorus again as well as CTX just to reassure you and make sure all is well.
These meds do tend to make us have side effects.
The section in the drug insert had huge doses given to rats and you are well below that! Keep us posted. Hydrate hydrate hydrate! That is what we are told with Reclast.
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1 ReactionCall Poison Control at
1-800-222-1222. You'll get expert, free advice about your situation.
I called a few times and found they are the best resource for all drug or chemical- related concerns (I was once exposed to my dog's chemo drug that was still in his saliva and Poison Control kept me on the phone while they contacted a veterinary oncologist so they could get an answer for me and another time a car's windshield wiper fluid spritzed in my eye while walking through a parking lot.)
Poison Control will have an answer for you and will advise you in your situation.
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7 ReactionsI hope things will turn out well. Keep asking questions of your doctors, and inform them of every little thing that you feel as soon as possible. Hugs to you.