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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Hi Dear Group: I am new here, and I am sadly reading about the side effects of Reclast Infusion.
I am having the same side effects (day5). I sent an email to my doctor, and now waiting for his response.
I can not move my neck, it feels numb as well as part of my lower part of face and ears.
What else to expect?
Thanks,
Luzma

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@gretchen1018

I am sorry that you are feeling terrible. Did you have blood work a week before your infusion for kidney function? I drank 16 ounces of water just before infusion and another 48 ounces throughout the day. I also asked the nurse to run the infusion slow about 45 minutes. It is not to be any less than 15 minutes. Did they do blood work in the ER and how was that ? Hope you feel better!

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I did the same thing -- 32 oz of water before the infusion and 48+ oz of water after the infusion throughout the day. Mild flu-like symptoms for a few days, then symptom free. It's been a year since the infusion. This summer, I turned my wobbly ankle while gardening in my backyard and fell on my concrete driveway and did not break any bones! (I've broken bones 14 times in minor or not-so-minor falls in the past, so this could be a sign that the Reclast helped in this past year.) I'm also attending very challenging one-hour Group Power classes with free weights at my local fitness club 3X a week.

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Great news about not breaking any bones in the fall. That's encouraging to read, thanks for posting it.

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I had a Reclast infusion for osteoporosis and had a terrible experience with it. It was infused into my left arm and resulted in swelling from biceps to finger tips, redness, aching pain throughout my body, a migraine headache all of which lasted for five days. I didn't realize that I had lost the use of my left hand until I fell when using it to hold onto a stair rail sending me smashing into the landing wall. This has resulted in a severely painful herniated thoracic disc with the nerve root being compressed that is inoperable. I would give anything to not have had that Reclast infusion.

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@callalloo

Great news about not breaking any bones in the fall. That's encouraging to read, thanks for posting it.

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Thank you! I forgot to mention that I also asked for the infusion to take 45 minutes instead of 20.

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@suzfuse46

I had a Reclast infusion for osteoporosis and had a terrible experience with it. It was infused into my left arm and resulted in swelling from biceps to finger tips, redness, aching pain throughout my body, a migraine headache all of which lasted for five days. I didn't realize that I had lost the use of my left hand until I fell when using it to hold onto a stair rail sending me smashing into the landing wall. This has resulted in a severely painful herniated thoracic disc with the nerve root being compressed that is inoperable. I would give anything to not have had that Reclast infusion.

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Oh, gee, that's awful. I wish doctors could do a pre-drug sensitivity test for all drugs before we invest them, yet alone have them injected! It's hard to imagine why that would be impossible to do and it makes so much sense. I saw a study mentioned, the focus of which is looking at genetics to try to evaluated which cases of osteoporosis respond well to which drugs so we don't have to be our own guinea pigs.

On a different note, I injured a nerve in my left arm which left the arm alternatively painful, numb or tingly. A neurologist diagnosed it as both compressed in one segment and hyper-extended in another. It took some time to self-resolve but did do so and I wish the same goood result for you!

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@suzfuse46

I had a Reclast infusion for osteoporosis and had a terrible experience with it. It was infused into my left arm and resulted in swelling from biceps to finger tips, redness, aching pain throughout my body, a migraine headache all of which lasted for five days. I didn't realize that I had lost the use of my left hand until I fell when using it to hold onto a stair rail sending me smashing into the landing wall. This has resulted in a severely painful herniated thoracic disc with the nerve root being compressed that is inoperable. I would give anything to not have had that Reclast infusion.

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I am so sorry for this unexpected and painful experience. So much of your body was involved in this pain.

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@callalloo

Oh, gee, that's awful. I wish doctors could do a pre-drug sensitivity test for all drugs before we invest them, yet alone have them injected! It's hard to imagine why that would be impossible to do and it makes so much sense. I saw a study mentioned, the focus of which is looking at genetics to try to evaluated which cases of osteoporosis respond well to which drugs so we don't have to be our own guinea pigs.

On a different note, I injured a nerve in my left arm which left the arm alternatively painful, numb or tingly. A neurologist diagnosed it as both compressed in one segment and hyper-extended in another. It took some time to self-resolve but did do so and I wish the same goood result for you!

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What did the neurologist have you do to resolve the nerve pain? Was it from a pinched nerve in your spine?

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@suzfuse46

What did the neurologist have you do to resolve the nerve pain? Was it from a pinched nerve in your spine?

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I injured the nerve while camping that caused the symptoms I mentioned along my whole left arm. The nerve was compressed in the neck area but hyper-extended in the lower arm. I was carrying really heavy stuff then slipped onto that arm to make things worse. Then slept on my left side on a hard cot with no room to stretch out or move around much. I woke up with a semi-numb arm that got progressively worse. The neurologist I saw said the nerve 'might' relax and the hyper-extension go away but might not. It did but took literally years and my left us still not as strong as it was before I fell on it.

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I am new to the Bones, Joints and Muscles Group and unsure how to introduce my issue, so am taking a chance on using the "Comment" window.
I'm a thin 80 yr. old who declined bisphosphonates for my osteoporosis 15 years ago, now in chronic pain from my most recent spinal L1 unstable compression fracture. I began Miacalcin and am considering my Kaiser internist's suggestion I begin a biphosphonate.
I foresee a dreary future of paraplegia.
Others' thoughts?

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