Atypical Fractures
Broken Thigh Bone Linked to Drug
Q. My sister (60 years old) just broke her femur without any trauma. She simply stepped down and as she stepped her femur snapped. She had taken Fosamax for 5 years and stopped last year when she hear…
Are Osteoporosis Drugs Counterproductive?
Q. I was prescribed Fosamax for over six years and then switched to Actonel for the past three years, along with extra calcium. My doctor was concerned that I was at risk for osteoporosis. Now my bone…
Osteoporosis Drugs Linked to Atypical Breaks
Popular drugs for osteoporosis appear to pose a risk for unusual fractures. Bisphosphonates such as Actonel, alendronate, Boniva, Fosamax and Reclast have been promoted to prevent hip and spine fractu…
Broken Thigh on Osteoporosis Treatment
Q. My sister has been on the osteoporosis drugs Fosamax, Forteo and Reclast during the last ten years. The first of March her leg just gave way and she had a broken femur. She has also had jaw and tee…
Concerns About Osteoporosis Drugs
Another controversy involves the use of bisphosphonate drugs to treat osteoporosis. Medications such as Actonel, Boniva, Fosamax and Reclast are supposed to reduce the risk of broken bones. A new stud…
Do Bone Drugs Cause Fractures?
Q. I began taking Actonel in December of 2004. In October of 2008 I was walking down the hall in my home. I heard a loud pop in my right femur, and down I went. I was rushed to the hospital and went i…
Osteoporosis Drugs and Unusual Thigh Fracture
Drugs that are supposed to prevent weakened bones may actually increase the risk of a rare but dangerous kind of fracture of the thigh bone. A report from the American Society of Bone and Mineral Rese…
Bone-Building Drug Led to Thigh Fracture
Q. Two weeks after I suffered a thigh bone fracture that had started as a hairline stress fracture, a friend alerted me to your column citing an article in the Journal of the American Medical Associat…