Considering a Reclasp Injection as my next step

By Marie Wednesday, May 07, 2008

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I started taking Fosmax and experienced problems with my throat burning

along with sever indigestion. My Doctor said that drug was not helping

with my level of bone loss. My doctor suggested I try Boniva, mentioning

some of the side effects. After taking Boniva for just one months, I have

experienced 80 percent of the side effects listed for that drug. Reclasp

is my next choice, but I need more information on the injection and it's

side effects.

I am a small person and it doesn't take much of anything to effect me

medication wise. How do they determine the strength of this injection?

I weigh 110 pounds, would I receive the same dose as a person weighing

190 pounds. Where can I see a list of the side effects to this drug. Where

can I read more from people taking this drug, good and bad comments?

If I start developing similar side effects as Boniva, do I have to wait an

entire year for the drug to work it's way out of my system?

Marie

Comments (12) | Add comment

Maria Gifford, Editor

5/ 9/08 12:20pm

Hello Marie,

You've asked some good questions. Here's some info for you:

Reclast: How to Talk to Your Doctor about Zoledronic Acid for Osteoporosis Treatment

http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/9487/12611/talk-acid

Reclast (Zoledronic Acid) vs. Fosamax, Boniva and Actonel

http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/73/13598/reclast-acid/

Be sure to maintain close communication with your doctor, letting him or her know of the specific questions you have about Reclast, as well as any other drugs or treatments for osteoporosis.

Best,

Maria

Louise Magness

5/28/08 9:41pm

I have been on almost all of the osteoporosis medications (some before they were approved by FDA). I tried the Boniva tablet for one month, but experienced all of the side effects. Then, my doctor put me on the Boniva infusions. I had heard about Reclast when it was in experimental stages, but it was not available until the autumn of 2007.

I am my doctor's first patient on Reclast.

My first infusion came in March, 2008. I did experience approximately 10 days of bone pain, but the effects were not as severe as the Boniva tablet effects. I have NOT experienced any other side effects or bone or joint pain (other than what I consider normal for me) following the initial 10 day period. I certainly hope this medication helps me. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis in my late 30's and early 40's and I am now 67. My bone loss has decreased in recent years. Hopefully, the reclast will stablize my bone loss. I have felt better than I ever expected since I was fearful due to my experience with the Boniva tablet. The Boniva infusions did NOT cause any side effects, but the tablet caused me to have tremendous pain to the point I could hardly get up from a chair.

Sue

9/26/08 12:17pm

I too tried the Boniva pill once a month and experienced many of the side affects. My stomach is so sensitive to many things and even when not taking any bone medication, my stomach is still sensitive to many foods in general. You mentioned you had serious pain when taking the boniva injections. What type of pain was it that it got you so bad? A friend of mine is taking the injections and she is doing fine with it (about 2 years) and I was considering trying the quarterly shots. Have not heard about the Reclast but from your info, it sounds like it is working for you. Good luck with this new med.

Louise Magness

9/26/08 12:47pm

The type of pain I experienced the first 10 days (appr.) was flu like symptoms, but not anywhere as severe as the pain I experienced while on the tablet. This occured only after the first Boniva infustion. The remainder of my infusions were every three months and I experienced no pain with those.

When I took the Reclast the first time (March 08-I think), I experienced some flu like pain in my bones again, but it went away. Naturally, when the weather changes, I experience quite a bit of pain but this is normal for me. Once the rain starts, the barometer begans its upward trend, the pain decreases. AND, that has nothing to do with the infusions or medications!

Regarding your sensitive stomach, have you had it checked by your physician. I would most definitely suggest you do so. I am diary intolerant and learned I have a hiatial hernia causing mine to be so sensitive.

Good luck in whatever you do.

linda

4/13/09 8:26pm

Louise,

Are you still on Reclast? I am 66 and have been told that I either take this or Boniva infusion. My doctor gave me no out, but I must say that I am so nervous about the side effects I keep putting it off. My back pain, hip pain and of course neck pain are all related somehow; stress related too. Anyway, tell me about how you are feeling.

linda

Alma Louise Magness

4/15/09 10:21pm

Linda, I have experienced some other health issues and have not gone for my 2nd reclast infusion. I took Boniva infusions for about 4 months, but I don't think it was long enough to have helped improve my osteoporosis.

If you would like to contact me personally, email me at:

loufen@yahoo.com (in the subject area write: Reclast ) so if I find it, I will be certain to open it, otherwise I may accidently delete the message.

My reasons for not taking another Reclast at the present time had nothing to do with the Reclast..., but it last in your body for at least 10 years according to my Rheumatologist.

10/11/09 9:01pm

My first infusion of reclasp is scheduled for Oct 19, 2009. I am a little fearful since I have had side effects from fosomax(bleeding from rectum) and digestive stress from other pills. Pray for me. GM

Grace

1/ 9/10 11:15am

Linda,

I am at the point where I must choose reclast or boniva injection. Did you try either therapy? If so, what was your experience.

Anonymous

3/10/09 6:42pm

OsteoDenx is perfectly safe, but look at this .....

By ALAN BAVLEY
The Kansas City Star

After Geneva Grimpo fell and broke her hand and arm, doctors put the tiny, fragile-looking woman on drugs to strengthen her bones.
Three years into her drug therapy, trouble began.
Her lower jawbone poked out through sores on the left side of her mouth where her gums had decayed. The visible bone was dead, and she used her fingers to fish out tiny bits as they broke off.
"Now my right jaw hurts," said Grimpo, 85. X-rays show that bone is dying, too.
Her problem is a growing concern for dentists nationwide. It is called osteonecrosis of the jaw, or ONJ, a condition in which the gums become painful and infected, exposing underlying areas of dead bone in the jaw.
Dentists see ONJ in patients who take certain bone-strengthening drugs used to fight cancer or osteoporosis - drugs that include Fosamax, Boniva and Actonel, some of the most-prescribed medications on the market.
In severe cases of ONJ, the infections lead to chronic pain. Decaying bone gives off a foul odor. Eating is difficult.
Even with regular treatment, these oral wounds can take up to two years to heal.
In 2003, medical reports began linking ONJ to a class of drugs called bisphosphonates. Soon after, the Food and Drug Administration required drug manufacturers to include an advisory about ONJ in their product labels.
The earliest cases of ONJ were found among cancer patients who took large intravenous doses of the drugs to keep their cancers from spreading to their bones.
Up to 10 percent of cancer patients taking bisphosphonates may develop ONJ, according to one estimate.
But ONJ also is showing up in otherwise healthy patients, like Grimpo, who take bisphosphonate pills when osteoporosis weakens their bones.
Doctors and dentists had assumed that ONJ among osteoporosis patients was exceedingly rare - about 0.7 cases per 100,000 Fosamax users, according to one widely cited estimate from an American Dental Association panel.
But new research suggests that ONJ, while still uncommon, might afflict more osteoporosis patients. The specialists on the front lines who treat ONJ say they are seeing far more patients than past estimates predicted.
"I've had an explosion of patients," said Brett Ferguson, the chairman of oral surgery at the University of Missouri-Kansas City schools of medicine and dentistry. "No dentist in private practice wants to deal with this. It's a nightmare for them. They didn't learn about it in dental school."
Ferguson sees ONJ patients from throughout Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas. They began arriving at his Truman Medical Center clinic a few years ago. So far, he has seen more than 45 cases. While most are cancer patients, about one in five took oral bisphosphonates for osteoporosis.
" Ferguson said. "They all say, ‘Why me?'
Treatment can involve surgery to remove the exposed dead bone, long-term antibiotics, regular use of a prescription-strength antiseptic mouth rinse and scrupulous oral hygiene.
One of Ferguson's ONJ cancer patients, a woman in her 70s, developed the condition after a dentist routinely extracted the teeth in her lower jaw. A month later, her gums separated from her jaw.
"Each place that got (extracted) would not heal," Ferguson said. "You could look in her mouth and see her jawbone, her dead jawbone."
Ultimately the woman had to be fed through a tube.
Another of Ferguson's patients, a woman who took bisphosphonates for osteoporosis, lost the bone of three tooth sockets in a row in her upper jaw, exposing her sinus cavity.

Fosamax Lawsuits Continue to Pile Up Against Merck

August 21st, 2008 by Austin Kirk | PERMALINK

According to a report published last week by Lloyds Corporate Litigation Reporter, Merck & Co., Inc. faced approximately 655 Fosamax lawsuits involving over 1,000 plaintiff groups as of June 30, 2008. The lawsuits were filed on behalf of users who have suffered a disfiguring jaw condition, known as osteonecrosis of the jaw, and other side effects related to the oosteoporosis drug.

>>INFORMATION: Fosamax Lawsuits

Fosamax is a popular drug which is prescribed to reduce the risk of bone fractures for those with osteoporosis. It works by killing osteoclast cells which break down bone tissue. However, it has been linked to serious and potentially disfiguring side effects in the jaw, hip, shoulder and knees, known as osteonecrosis or bone decay.

Most of the Fosamax lawsuits which have been filed throughout the United States involve users who have developed osteonecrosis of the jaw, which can develop after dental surgery or any microtrauma to the jaw. It can cause severe pain in the jaw, swelling or infection of the gums, loose teeth and decay of the jaw bone. Open or exposed areas of jaw bone inside the mouth are often experienced, which could lead to a jaw infection requiring surgical removal of portions of dead or decayed jawbone.

Lawsuits have also been filed against Merck by users who have developed osteonecrosis of the hip, osteonecrosis of the shoulder and osteonecrosis of the knee as a side effect of Fosamax.

According to the article in Lloyds Corporate Litigation Reporter, Merck currently has a reserve of $50 million to cover their legal defense costs in the Fosamax litigation. They have publicly stated that they intend to defend all of the Osteonecrosis lawsuits. However, a similar tactic was employed by Merck following their recall of Vioxx. A global Vioxx settlement was eventually reached for $4.85 billion after several cases went to trial.

FOSAMAX ATTORNEYS

The Fosamax attorneys at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. represent individuals who have been diagnosed with osteonecrosis of the jaw, hip, shoulder or knees. For individuals who have experienced potential symptoms of osteonecrosis of the jaw, potential cases are being investigated and reviewed to determine if potential benefits may be available through a Fosamax lawsuit. To review a potential case,

smiley76

2/28/11 3:36pm

I took fosomax for several years, but after experiencing the pill not desolving properly I stopped. I have had two Reclasp treatments and have developed jaw problems. My dentist told me my jaws had died. I am unable to chew anything on my back teeth as I can't close my teeth all the way. I have had very little pain but just can't chew very well. Don't know if this is related to Reclasp. I just know I have a problem and do not know what to do about it.

Anonymous

11/15/09 6:45pm

http://www.inspire.com/groups/national-osteoporosis-foundation/

Try the above link..........

Eleamore Gencur

1/25/10 12:23pm

I have been watching your commercial and was wondering who that girl is that does the commercial - she reminds me of someone that was a star an I can't remeber her name. Please let me know.

Considering a Reclasp Injection as my next step

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