Q. My doctor recently put me on Fosamax for osteoporosis once a week. A few days later I was in terrible pain with my arthritic thumbs. They hurt so much I wanted to cut them off.
I called my doctor and he put me on Actonel once a day instead. The pain in my thumbs has subsided but now I have pain in my lower back and hip that I never had before.
I am 67 years old and in good health. Is the pain I'm getting caused by either of these drugs? If it does not stop soon, I am just going to quit taking the Actonel and take my chances. Strengthening my bones is not worth this pain.
A. The FDA recently issued an alert about side effects associated with bisphosphonate osteoporosis drugs like Actonel, Boniva, Fosamax and Reclast. The agency says there is a “possibility of severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint and/or muscle pain in patients taking bisphosphonates.” Perhaps you are susceptible to this complication.
Not everyone can tolerate this type of osteoporosis medication, but there are other ways to reduce the risk of weak bones or fractures. We discuss several different sorts of medicines and non-drug approaches to osteoporosis prevention in our book, Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy. It is available in libraries, bookstores and online at this Web site.
