Fosamax For Osteoporosis
February 20th, 2010
Have you been diagnosed with osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a clinical condition wherein bone mass has been depleted. This condition is characterized by brittled bones that are at high risk for fractures. Doctors often diagnose this disease by the presence of small bone fractures seen in x-ray films, past diagnosis of osteoporosis, presence of kyphosis as well as decreasing height. Women who are diagnosed with osteoporosis are mostly those who are into their post-menopausal stage. This is because the female hormone, estrogen, becomes depleted when the women begin to menopause. If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, therefore, the best treatment will be a constant supplementation of alendronate sodium, or Fosamax.
Fosamax has been created by Merck, an established international drug company, to treat osteoporosis. This drug is a potent bisphosphate known to treat not only osteoporosis but also that of other bone conditions. It is available in both tablet and oral solution forms which can be easily purchased from drugstores with prescriptions from the physician. Fosamax+D, which is alendronate sodium with vitamin D, is also available in the market.
Fosamax for osteoporosis is a prophylactic as well as treatment strategy to aide women of 50 years old and above prevent developing risks for fractures. As women grow older, their chances of getting a fracture become high. However, osteoporosis is a preventable and a reversible condition if the woman gets enough treatment with Fosamax. This can be simultaneously be used in conjunction with calcium and vitamin D to treat corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis. It has also been known to be indicated for clients with Paget’s Disease.
Although Fosamax is highly absorbed in the body tissues and excreted in the urine, studies have shown that it’s resorption rate has been decreased significantly with the intake of high levels of calcium or magnesium aluminum (or antacids).It is therefore recommended to take other supplementation after an hour of administering Fosamax. Intake of Fosamax is ideally during the morning upon waking up with at least 6-8 ounces of water. One should wait for at least 30-45 minutes for the drug to be absorbed by the body prior to eating breakfast.
Fosamax is relatively safe to use however, in 2008, the England Journal of Medicine cited that there have been 23 reported cases of esophageal cancer that are possibly related to the use of Fosamax. This drug has also been implicated with osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) which was under litigation in 2008. It was claimed that increased exposure to bisphosphates could lead to the presence of ONJ. The Food and Drug Authority (FDA) asked Fosamax manufacturers to provide a warning notes to physicians regarding its side effect of developing ONJ among their clients.
Fosamax oral solutions are available at 70mg/75 ml bottles and the tablets are available in 5mg, 10mg, 35 mg, 40 mg and 70 mg.