Fosamax
Merck provides this information for patients taking Fosamax (FOSS-ah-max) for osteoporosis. The generic name of the medication is alendronate sodium (a-LEN-dro-nate).
Please read this information before you start taking Fosamax. Also, read the leaflet each time you renew your prescription, just in case anything has changed. Remember, this leaflet does not take the place of careful discussions with your doctor. You and your doctor should discuss Fosamax when you start taking your medication and at regular checkups.
How should I take Fosamax?
These are the important things you must do to help make sure you will benefit from Fosamax:
1 . After getting up for the day, swallow your Fosamax tablet with a full glass (6-8 oz) of plain water only.
- Not mineral water
- Not coffee or tea
- Not juice
3. After swallowing your Fosamax tablet, wait at least 30 minutes before taking your first food, beverage, or other medication of the day, including antacids, calcium supplements and vitamins. Fosamax is effective only if taken when your stomach is empty.
4. Do not take Fosamax at bedtime or before getting up for the day.
5. If you have difficulty or pain upon swallowing, chest pain, or new or worsening heartburn, stop taking Fosamax and call your doctor.
6. Take Fosamax once a day, every day.
7. It is important that you continue taking Fosamax for as long as your doctor prescribes it. Fosamax can treat your osteoporosis or help you from getting osteoporosis only if you continue to take it.
8. If you miss a dose do not take it later in the day. Continue your usual schedule of 1 tablet once a day the next morning.
What is Fosamax?
Fosamax is for the treatment or prevention of osteoporosis (thinning of bone) in women after menopause. It reduces the chance of having a hip, wrist or spinal fracture.
You will find more information about osteoporosis at the end of this leaflet.
How does Fosamax work? Fosamax works by:
- Reducing the activity of the cells that cause bone loss
- Decreasing the faster rate of bone loss that occurs after menopause
- Increasing the amount of bone in most patients
Who should not take Fosamax?
Patients with:- Certain disorders of the esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth with your stomach)
- Inability to stand or sit upright for at least 30 minutes
- Low levels of calcium in their blood
- Severe kidney disease
- Allergy to Fosamax
- Pregnant or Nursing
What other medical problems should I discuss with my doctor?
Talk to your doctor about any:
- Problems with swallowing
- Stomach or digestive problems
- Other medical problems you have or have had in the past
What are the possible side effects of Fosamax?
Some patients may develop severe digestive reactions including irritation, inflammation or ulceration (occasionally with bleeding) of the esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth with your stomach). These reactions can cause chest pain, heartburn or difficulty or pain upon swallowing. This may occur especially if patients do not drink a full glassof water with Fosamax and/or if they lie down in less than 30 minutes and before their first food of the day. Esophageal reactions may worsen if patients continue to take Fosamax after developing symptoms suggesting irritation of the esophagus.
Like all prescription drugs, Fosamax may cause side effects. Side effects usually have been mild. They generally have not caused patients to stop taking Fosamax. Some patients treated with Fosamax experienced abdominal (stomach) pain. This is the most commonly reported side effect. Less frequently reported side effects are:
Nausea, heartburn, irritation or pain of the esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth with your stomach), vomiting, difficulty swallowing, a full or bloated feeling in the stomach, constipation, diarrhea and gas.
Rarely stomach or other peptic ulcers (some severe) have occurred.
Bone, muscle or joint pain, headache, or an altered sense of taste were also experienced by some patients. Rarely, a rash has occurred. Allergic reactions such as hives or rarely swelling of the face, lips, tongue and/ or throat which may cause difficulty in breathing or swallowing have also been reported. Mouth ulcers have occurred when the tablet was chewed or dissolved in the mouth.
Anytime you have a medical problem you think may be related to FOSAMAX, talk to your doctor.
What should I know about osteoporosis?
Normally your bones are being rebuilt all the time. First, old bone is removed (resorbed). Then a similar amount of new bone is formed. This balanced process keeps your skeleton healthy and strong.
Osteoporosis is a thinning and weakening of the bones. It is common in women after menopause. Menopause happens when the ovaries stop producing the female hormone, estrogen, or are removed (which mav occur, for example at the time of a hysterectomy).
After menopause, bone is removed faster than it is formed, so bone is removed faster than it is formed, so bone loss occurs and bones become weaker. Therefore, maintaining bone mass is important to keep your bones healthy.
At the start osteoporosis usually has no symptoms, but it can result in fractures (broken bones). Fractures usually cause pain. Fractures of the bones of the spine may not be painful, but over time they cause height loss. Eventually the spine becomes curved and the body becomes bent over. Fractures may happen during normal, everyday activity, such as lifting, or from minor injury that would normally not cause bone to break. Fractures most often occur at the hip, spine, or wrist. This can lead to pain, severe disability, or loss of mobility.
How can osteoporosis in postmenopausal women be treated or prevented?
Medication
Your doctor has prescribed Fosamax. Fosamax acts specifically on your bones. Fosamax is not a hormone and does not have the benefits and risks of estrogen (hormone replacement therapy) elsewhere in your body. Either Fosamax or estrogen may be used to treat or prevent osteoporosis. You may want to talk to your doctor about these options.Lifestyle changes
In addition to Fosamax, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following lifestyle changes:- Stop smoking. Smoking appears to increase the risk of osteoporosis.
- Reduce the use of alcohol. Too much alcohol appears to increase the risk of osteoporosis and injuries that may cause fractures.
- Exercise regularly. Like muscles, bones need exercise to stay strong and healthy. Exercise must be safe to prevent injuries including fractures. You should consult your doctor before you begin any exercise program.
- Eat a balanced diet. Adequate dietary calcium is important. Your doctor can advise you whether you need to change your diet or take any dietary supplements such as calcium or vitamin D.
This leaflet provides a summary of information about Fosamax. If you have any questions or concerns about either Fosamax or osteoporosis, talk to your doctor. In addition, talk to your pharmacist or other health care professional.
MERCK & CO., INC.
West Point, PA 19486, USA