Alendronate for Osteoporosis User Reviews (Page 4)

• Shirl
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 19, 2017

"I have osteoporosis in my left hip, My doctor prescribed alendronate I took it 4 weeks the 2nd day I started having and continue to have hip, back, arm and leg pains. I did not have any pain before the meds. I went back to the doctor he said my side effects were not normal and to keep trying for 4 more weeks.. I have not continued it, I see no reason to continue something that has only caused me intense pain. I have a very high tolerance for pain but I hurt all the time now. I exercise by walking 2+ miles every day, it is helping but if I miss a day the pain is twice as bad again. I do not want to see or even think about of what another 4 weeks would do to my body."

• Lambert
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 20, 2021

Fosamax (alendronate) "I have just taken my 4th weekly Fosamax pill. For 3 weeks I have been exhausted. I am active and now I don’t feel like doing things. I’m making myself walk. I have trouble sleeping. This is also new. My son looked at me yesterday and told me I look very tired. He’s right. I have also had the expected increased heartburn. I already have GERD and take medication for it. I don’t have any of the pain others describe. I wish there was another option. I have -2.9 in T3 T4."

• Liza
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 17, 2023

"I was on alendronate for 2 years. I had one side effect: constipation. That's it, that's enough. No other side effects. I was irritated having to take a pill every week, early in the morning sitting up. My doctor suggested having an infusion once a year. I jumped on it. No side effects whatsoever. I've had 2 treatments. Did said medication help prevent fractures? No, lifting my bedroom window in May 2023 caused T11-12 vertebral fractures. X-rays showed I now have arthritis in my back. I NEVER had back pain until I fractured my vertebrae."

• Jerry...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 24, 2018

"The low dose (10 mgs) a day raised my blood pressure sky high starting with the first day of use. My cardiologist recommended stopping the drug and when I did, the B/P came down to normal the next day after stopping this drug."

• Wag
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 28, 2020

"Take 70 mg once weekly but have bloating and acid reflux, which I didn't make the connection until reading the reviews. Recently have knee pain and stiffness and extremely tender bumps on my lower extremities. Not sure if I should continue taking This medication but would like to see if my next bone scan improve."

• Reeni...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 26, 2020

"I used Alendronate along with Fosamax (separately through the years) for almost 6 years every Saturday as directed but still got osteoporosis. I can’t understand this and I’m wondering if this has happened to anyone else?"

• Malihai
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 12, 2016

"My husband is on alandrnate (fosomax) expensive. Severe low back pain, bloating and gas, and ankle pain did not connect the dots. Pain goes on since last April now I have asked him to stop since today have to wait and see. I myself have severe jaw pain took fosomax in those days heart burn continues though I stopped long time ago. I take condratin sodium. My bone reading is from osteoporosis. to osteopenia now."

• Kathy
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 27, 2020

"I began alendronate after breaking my pelvis. Bone density showed osteoporosis. I began having constant coughing and shortness of breath. Doctors do not believe it's connected. I feel terrible and want off of it."

• Kate
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 3, 2023

Fosamax (alendronate) "I have only been on Fosamax for seven weeks and so far have had no adverse effects. The only possible effect I've noticed is that my fingernails seem to be growing a lot faster than they previously did. I am 82 years old and very active and the only "symptom" I've had is morning low back pain which so far still persists. My doctor suggested treatment with Fosamax after a test he ordered following my last PE."

• Cindy
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2020

"I took my first dose of alendronate this week. I had severe diarrhea, and it came with no warning-- almost exactly 8 hours after taking the medication. I am glad I was at home when it happened. This was nearly like prepping for a colonoscopy. I hope my second week is not a repeat performance."

• Yarnl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 6, 2022

Fosamax (alendronate) "Was on fosamax for just two weeks when started PMS symptoms (I’m post menopausal)……then started my period. Have to go through all kinds of testing but I think it’s the fosamax! Anyone else experience this side effect???"

• Debra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 5, 2020

"I'm on the once weekly 70 mg alendronate, and have taken for four weeks. I'm fine, maybe a bit of diarrhea after the first dose. I hope it works! Am wondering if it's caused some muscle weakness during my workouts, but will keep monitoring."

• Charl...
• December 19, 2020

"I have been using alendronate. (Generic for Fosamax) for 1 year and 6 months, I have now stop using it because I've been having severe lower back pain, also in my hips, legs and knees. The pain was so bad it woke me up out of a dead sleep. I will tell my Doctor on my next appointment I am hoping that after a while the pain will stop."

• jbike
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 20, 2023

"74-year-old male. I have taken this drug, 70 mg weekly, for 3 years. I haven't had any side effects. I am fairly active, doing long walks and bike riding. I have had crashes on the bike, yet no broken bones. I think it helps. No aches or pains, but I didn't have them before either."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 20, 2020

"I took alendronate for osteoporosis for about a year. I just moved into osteopenia. The Alendronate worked! I don't have to take this drug anymore. I am on 1200 mg calcium and 800 IU vitamin D. I didn't notice any side effects."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 13, 2024

"I have been taking this medication for 4 years, in which Kaiser claims I had severe bone density. No issues whatsoever. I am retaking my bone density test today at another hospital (outside of Kaiser). I never broke a vital bone (except my big toe) when I was pregnant 48 years ago. I have had lots of falls, skiing, bowling, and falling down steps. I never broke any other bones. No side effects, no bone issues."

• Gigi
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 6, 2021

"Have both hips replaced fifteen years ago. One day my leg crumpled under me and again three months later out of nowhere. Dislocated both times. Read some of small print on alendronate and it warns about hip issues. I discontinued use."

• 12345
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 18, 2022

"My dose is 70mg weekly 3 year scan helped to confirm improvement in bone density. Increased water intake on the dose day which helped to prevent head aches. A one hour period after taking tablet before food. Didn’t take medication until 2 hours after dose (especially calcium)"

• Shamsi
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 28, 2020

"Please don't take fosamax more than 2 years. My shaft femors were broken during 2 years, and I had hard operation 7 days ago. It was very bad side affect of fosamax. I am very sad because of taking this drug more than 2 years, just be careful."

• Worried
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 28, 2022

"This is my mum's life, she has osteoporosis and religiously has been taking the alendronate acid for nearly 5 years they have not helped, I know there is no cure but I thought they were to help slow it down but it's not worked for my mum"

• Dot
• August 21, 2023

"I took alendronate once a week for osteopenia. I had absolutely no side effects. After a few years, my bone density was normal. I've had 3 more normal bone density reports, each one 3 years apart since. I would highly recommend it based on my experience."

• susan
• April 3, 2023

"I want to know if anyone else got bad nose bleeds. I never had nose bleeds before taking alendronate. Every day 3 and 4 times a day, I had bleeding with large clots. It took 3 and 4 hours to stop each. It doesn't show as a side effect but after stopping I had one nose bleed."

• Horse...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 30, 2021

"Just took my 3rd dose...second time it has caused diarrhea. Also, went to my chiropractor for an unusual return of a below the waist hip pain (left back) that I had about 4 years ago (that was caused by an injury). But there was no reinjury! Also, I'm experiencing a recurrence of bursitis in my right hip that's been gone for several years! I'm stopping this drug immediately! Seriously, after reading a lot of the other comments along with my own experience, I am totally completely shocked that this drug has not been removed from the marketplace!"

• Patri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 21, 2023

"No side effects that I am aware of. Downside is that I can’t even have black coffee for half an hour. My morning routine is to get up early, eat a light breakfast and go for a walk. If there’s something I need to do early like an appointment, then the med really messes with my routine. I can’t rate the medicine itself till my next bone density scan. I suppose I will have to put up with the inconvenience at least a year before I know if it has any effect at all. Even then, unless bone density has SIGNIFICANTLY improved, I won’t really know. I would like to see blinded, long-term, randomized controlled studies vs placebo, looking at measurable outcomes"

• Aglow...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 18, 2020

"I’ve been taking Alendronic Acid since 2009. Had a break for 3 years (2016- 2019) which caused an increase of bone loss so I restarted it. 3 and a half weeks ago I had sudden onset of upper left abdominal pain. The doc wanted to prescribe a PPI which could bring other problems. So I’m seeing another doc to discuss the probability that Fosamax is causing my pain. I have an appointment in Dec, with the osteoporosis team to discuss a different medication."