Thousands of women in Philadelphia and millions in the United States are on medications to control their osteoporosis. There is now anecdotal evidence that these drugs can actually cause bones to become brittle and break very easily.
The osteoporosis drug Fosamax has been linked to severe musculoskeletal pain and a serious jaw disease called osteonecrosis and now it is linked to reports that it is causing bones especially the femur to severely fracture or break. Reports have surfaced that women on the drug for five years or longer have suffered severe and spontaneous bone fractures. In some cases women were engaging in normal activities such as walking down the stairs. The femur is one of the strongest bones in the body but it seems to be the most common bone broken in women who are on this popular bisphosphonate.
Women suffering from osteoporosis lose their ability to remodel and regenerate bone and are most susceptible to hip and spine fractures that can become fatal. Fosamax works to help women re-grow bones but prolonged use seems to make bones brittle and more likely to break. The Food and Drug Administration along with the drug manufacture Merck so far have done nothing to affirm or refute the claims of bone fractures despite pressure from many in the health community. Doctors and patients need to be informed that prolonged use can cause bone breakage to adequately weigh the risk of taking Fosamax and other drugs like it.
Related Sources:
Fosamax: Is Long Term Use of Bone Strengthening Drug Linked to Fractures?
