e. In thepast 2 weeks she had notices the pain has gotten worse, the only way to get relief is to draw her legs to her chest and lay still. She was really sick for 3 days after the IV
She is 79 years old and has heart problems and is bent over really bad. Her stomach hurts especially when she tries to eat. She takes Vidakin for pain. This is a lady who can work circles around a person. But since she took the IV she lays down alot and can't eat much.
Jen,
Has she told her doctor about what she's experiencing? I would definitely recommend talking to the doctor about her symptoms. And since she's had such a bad experience, she will most likely want to avoid another infusion of the Reclast. There are other options available for the treatment of osteoporosis, and she should talk to her doctor about using Fosamax, Boniva, or Actonel instead of the Reclast infusions.
Best of luck,
Casey
Hi Jen: That's terrible your mom is having all these problems. Unfortunately, the flu-like sypmtoms usually last several days for most, but usual subside after that.
Has your mom ever had a back injury? I know that drawing my knees towards my chest helps with back pain, but I've had 7 back surgeries to explain this.
I would go with her to the Dr, if you can, and if she wants you too, and ask about any possible back injury. Bone and joint pain are also side effects of Reclast, but most find that it goes away soon. Which leads me to believe that something else might be going on to cause this pain, but only your Dr can figure this out.
Generally the iv osteo meds are much easier on your stomach, so if her stomach problems aren't resolving, then she should ask what she might be able to take to help this situation.
Also ask about any correlation between Reclast and the heart problems. Originally the FDA put out a warining on atrial fibrillation in conjunction to Reclast and other bisphosphonates, but since retracted that statement saying they couldn't find a true correlation between the two, a-fib and Reclast, and that they didn't recommend Drs stopping the iv since the risk of fracture was much higher than the group with heart problems. Also, some in the study had previous existin heart problems before the IV, so it was hard to determine if it was a result of their current heart probs or the IV med.
Keep an eye on all this, since the infusion is done and you are stuck, so to speak with whatever side effects she may have. Hopefully her problems will go away as it has for others, but if it doesn't make sure her Dr knows this and figures out a treatment for it.
If you want to read about Reclast IV, here's a link from The New England Journal of Medicine that lists all the side effects and many other concerns, it's also easy to understand and worth reading.
I wish you both the best and hope these problems go away, as it has for many others. That's not to say these things don't happen, because they do in some, it's just impossible to know if you will have these particular reactions since we are all so very different, with reactions.
Hi Jen: I definitely agree with Casey on her recommendations about notifying her Dr as I mentioned, but I'm having a hard time believing that making a decision to stop the infusion today or even in a week, when all possible other contributing factors haven't been ruled out, seems hasty, plus she has a long time to decide this, since the treatment can't be reversed and won't come up again for close to a year.
There are other meds your mom can take, if she needs to, but deciding to stop Reclast at this point in treatment seems premature to me, since she will have to live with or without these symptoms for the next 10 months anyway, and I hope it will be the later (no symptoms) that actually happens.
If her symptoms would continure for the remaining 10 months of treatment then there would be no debate about stopping it, but if it was me, I would wait to see what happens first, and if the side effects stop, for whatever reason; if they continue then Reclast will probalby not be an option she'll want to do again.
I've personally had many situations where side effects that I thought were drug related weren't, but after further testing and a new diagnosis, I found out that what I thought was a drug reaction wasn't the actual cause, it just was a sitution where the effects just happened to occur at the same time as the medical treatment (infusion) in question .
Thanks Casey for your astute observations. :)
And Good luck Jen and to, and your mom-your a great advocate for her, and we all need to follow your lead in helping others with this bone disorder.
Important:
We hope you find this general health information helpful. Please note however, that this Q&A is meant to support not replace the professional medical advice you receive from your doctor. No information in the Answers above is intended to diagnose or treat any condition. The views expressed in the Answers above belong to the individuals who posted them and do not necessarily reflect the views of Remedy Health Media. Remedy Health Media does not review or edit content posted by our community members, but reserves the right to remove any material it deems inappropriate.
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2012 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
