People's Pharmacy

Fosamax

Generic Name:alendronate

Revised:4/1/2000

Table of Contents

Overview

Fosamax is prescribed to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. It is also used to treat a fairly rare condition, Paget's disease of bone.

Bone is constantly being "remodeled," broken down by osteoclasts and rebuilt by osteoblasts. Under normal conditions, these two types of bone cells should work together.

With aging, the osteoblasts often slow down, and more bone is destroyed ("resorbed") than is constructed. Fosamax slows the osteoclasts so that bone-building osteoblasts can keep up or get ahead.