akohekohe

I just got my results back from a bone density scan and they were not good. I've got a t-score of -0.9 for my spine and -3.0 for my femur neck. The -3.0 gets me a diagnosis of osteoporosis. My doctor is recommending Fosamax. I did find some posts on the 50+ forum back some years ago where people were favorable about the drug but I thought I would see how people feel about it these days and if there are alternatives I should consider. I feel great and have no symptoms but I watched both my mother and my grandmother suffer from this and that is not something I really want to go through.

B. Carfree

RFK Jr. used to do a radio show called Ring of Fire. His co-host was a lawyer from Florida (Mike Papantonio?) who was the lead council in a large lawsuit over fosamax. I don't remember the outcome of the suit, but some of the problems that long-term users had were unpleasant, to say the least. I do know several dentists who won't take patients who have been on it because of these side-effects.

I would say I would steer clear of fosamax, but I have such dense bones that the last time I had a leg X-ray my physician called the entire sports medicine department in to see the densest tibia/fibula he had ever encountered, including all the ones on the Sacramento Kings, so I am unlikely to ever have a need of such a drug. Good luck finding a solution that works for you.

Louis Le Tour

My mother was on it for awhile. Her doctor forgot to tell her to remain vertical for at least 30 minutes after taking it and to drink plenty of water. She "burned" her throat so bad she could hardly talk for a week.