Side effects of bisphosphonates

Posted by arthritichands @arthritichands, Aug 22, 2017

Before Fosamax hit the market my rheumatologist had me on Didronel, a bisphosphonate for Paget's disease, for my osteoporosis. Then, I took Fosamax for years followed by Actonel to minimize the esophageal irritation. I soon had the feeling that something was in the back of my throat all the time, but had no pain. Following an upper GI endoscopy, I was diagnosed with chronic esophagitis. I had no other choice besides Miacalcin injectable or nasal spray. I chose the nasal spray. After years of using the nasal spray, I was not gaining/maintaining bone mass as desired, so I started Reclast IV infusion

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.

Continuing the previous discussion: my third & last dose of IV Reclast was in March, 2015. My first IV Reclast dose was in late 2012.
In early 2012, I had a dental implant placed in my last upper right molar space. I waited 6 months to make sure it was well-seated before starting Reclast. July 24, 2017, during a routine dental cleaning, I mentioned that the implant was loose feeling. An x-ray was taken and an appointment made for tightening the abutment on July 26, 2017. The crown was removed and attempts to tighten the abutment failed. It would have to be removed on August 10th. On August 8th, the screw fell out on its own. The implant failure was blamed on the Reclast.
I was scheduled to start Prolia injections just prior to the dental issue, so I canceled the appointment until after it was resolved. Although Prolia is not a bisphosphonate, I am having reservations about taking the injections. All this to ask, what would you recommend?

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Hello @arthritichands, it sounds like you have had quite the journey as of late and I can understand your hesitancy towards starting a new treatment.

I'd like to invite some members who have discussed taking Prolia to this conversation so they can share their experiences and thoughts with you. If you are replying by email notification, click VIEW & REPLY on the bottom so that you can see the full discussion and @arthritichands' post on osteoporosis and the concerns with starting a new treatment.

@veriska, @cairnmama, @crenhov, @ritafarmer, @amber67, if you are comfortable, would you mind sharing what has your experience has been like with Prolia? @dolan, you have shared your thoughts with prolia many times in the past on multiple discussions and your posts have been very helpful for new members, would you mind sharing with @arthritichands your experience with prolia?

@arthritichands, if you feel like sharing, what are your reservations about the injections in particular?

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Jawbone necrosis is listed as an adverse effect of taking Prolia. All my upper front teeth are crowns to cosmetically correct gaps in my smile. My teeth were triangular shaped, leaving gaps at the gumline. The remaining molars are caps due to large fillings being non-replaceable. I also wore braces for 4 years prior to the crown work. In light of all the dental work I have had, taking Prolia doesn't seem like a wise decision. In hindsight, I probably should have insisted on veneers for my front teeth. Although, that is what I thought I was getting at the time. My dentist still refers to these crowns as my "veneers". A serious misunderstanding on my part. By the time I realized what all the grinding was about, I had nubs for teeth.

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@arthritichands

Continuing the previous discussion: my third & last dose of IV Reclast was in March, 2015. My first IV Reclast dose was in late 2012.
In early 2012, I had a dental implant placed in my last upper right molar space. I waited 6 months to make sure it was well-seated before starting Reclast. July 24, 2017, during a routine dental cleaning, I mentioned that the implant was loose feeling. An x-ray was taken and an appointment made for tightening the abutment on July 26, 2017. The crown was removed and attempts to tighten the abutment failed. It would have to be removed on August 10th. On August 8th, the screw fell out on its own. The implant failure was blamed on the Reclast.
I was scheduled to start Prolia injections just prior to the dental issue, so I canceled the appointment until after it was resolved. Although Prolia is not a bisphosphonate, I am having reservations about taking the injections. All this to ask, what would you recommend?

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I had many reservations about starting Prolia. But I have been on it for 2 years now. No side effects & gained some bone mass in my hip. At least I haven't lost any. I am very satisfied.

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