Osteoporosis Drug Blamed For Leg Breaks (VIDEO)

ABC news reported Monday that a growing number of women are experiencing "unusual breaks" in their thigh bones. Now, many are pointing to the popular osteoporosis drug, Fosamax, as a possible cause. Doctors from top institutions have suggested that a correlation exists between the osteoporosis drug and the skyrocketing cases of femur breaks in women using the medication.

According to the report, the drug initially strengthens bones, but could contribute to brittle bone disease over a prolonged period of time. Both the FDA and Fosamax developer, Merck, have come under fire for what is perceived as inadequate efforts at publicizing Fosamax's potentially harmful side effects.

Watch:

The following day ABC News provided an exclusive update, featuring personal stories of Fosamax users who have been affected by the drug. After Dr. Besser's World News reports the FDA has now announced that it will investigate the link.

Watch:

Read the whole story at ABC News.

Comments

[jeffreydach]

03:58 PM on 03/18/2010

The Fosamax (Alendrona­te) study done for FDA approval failed to show any benefit for the majority of the worried well, which is the
osteopenia group defined as T score greater than -2.5. This Osteopenia Group actually had higher fracture rates than placebo. This was
published by Cummings in JAMA in 1998.

Bisphospho­nate drugs like Fosamax have severe adverse side effects of jaw necrosis (OJN), spontaneou­s mid-femur fracture, heart rhythm
disturbanc­es, and severe bone and joint pain.

The spontaneou­s mid femur fractures are especially troubling, since these are spontaneou­s fractures without any trauma.
Subtrochan­teric fractures are pathologic­al fractures, indicating the underlying bone matrix is abnormal. This anormal weakening and
brittlenes­s is directly caused by the bisphospho­nate drug.

Bottom Line: These are BAD drugs that actually make the bones weaker not stronger, and they should be banned by the FDA . However,
knowing the FDA which is in the pocket of the drug companies, no action will be taken until many more women victims suffer from these
drugs, and many more cases work their way through drug litigation court.

For More: http://www­.drdach.co­m/Fosamax_­Fractures.­html

jeffrey dach md

[Palemoon]

04:04 AM on 03/15/2010

Wow, just WOW! To think my mom, who is 75, is currently recovering from a severe break in her femur and she's been taking some kind of osteoporos­is drug. I'll have to tell her about this and find out which one she's on. I smell a lawsuit.

[babyboomerorig]

11:02 PM on 03/13/2010

Took this medication for a while, but it was a pain to deal with. Took an hour to take it effectivel­y.

Now I'm glad it was a pain.

[farmilyman]

04:44 PM on 03/12/2010

These kind of drugs only make the outer shell of the bone harder while the inside keeps dissolving­. That's why there are fractures.

The FDA will come to the rescue of these drug companies though.

[time4truthnow]

09:01 AM on 03/12/2010

I was given Fosamax years ago but had a feeling about it & stopped. My osteoporos­is has been reversed somehow as the test said so.

I also was given viox & the same feeling saved me there. I have since gotten new doctors & stay away from those who push the pills for every little thing.

Not to say some aren't necessary but it's gotten way out of hand.

[pointyheadprodigy]

11:56 PM on 03/11/2010

Another "break through" for big pharma and modern medicine. Have a raise, dig deep its all for you.

[arabianway]

09:14 PM on 03/11/2010

Another example of the "cure" being worse than the condition it was prescribed for.

Big Pharma wants to sell drugs, Drs. are complicit. It is up to the consumer to inform and educate herself.

I have had some very scary experience­s with physicians leading me to do just that. Now, I take nothing but an aspirin. Also, not mentioned here but equally as important are drug interactio­ns. I am appalled at the quantities some folks take because their Dr. said they should. I mean, after a point how do you know WHAT you should be feeling like?

Clean up your diet by losing the processed foods, sugar, and most of the meat and fish, and watch yourself get better naturally.

[StephenJK]

06:26 AM on 03/12/2010

I am in the same boat as you are. Except I don't take aspirin everyday. LOL

[erdoc53]

06:59 PM on 03/11/2010

I am a doctor. I remember reading about this years ago when the drug first came out. They brushed it off as being a rare side effect. I would never take that drug, especially they way it is marketed.

[StephenJK]

06:28 AM on 03/12/2010

Doc, the whole industry is a very dangerous (getting even more dangerous and insidious) racket. Lots of people waking up to this fact that Big Pharma (among other things OK'ed by this government­) is killing us slowly.

[Soliel]

06:20 PM on 03/11/2010

It never fails to amaze me the damage that pharmaceut­icals do.

The truth is, you can prevent osteoporos­is thru diet. NO, I am not talking about drinking milk as the countries with the highest milk/dairy intake have the HIGHEST percentage­s of osteoporos­is.

Please look this up and get educated.

The strength of our bones has to do with the acid or alkaline level in our blood. When we eat acidic foods (meat being one of the highest acidic foods) the body needs to rebalance and thus it takes CA out of the bones to re balance...­thus, over time, if the offense is committed over and over you will slowly get brittle bones.

If you don't acidify your blood, get some exercise and eat mineral rich plant foods...yo­u won't need these horrible horrible drugs in the first place.

Please read The China Study about this or look up "osteoporo­sis and meat" or "Acid blood and osteoporos­is".

My foot doctor commented on the strength of my pinky toe bone. He said many people have very porous bones, "like cheese". He asked me why I was different. I said "I don't do dairy and I don't do meat thus I don't have CA loss".

We need to get the info out there. Giving people drugs for this conditions that harms them is a crime.

[Dipseadawdler]

06:00 PM on 03/12/2010

Wow, this really hit home! I'm a 62 year old female in good health, normal weight. I don't take any prescripti­on drugs.
Last year I had a borderline high calcium reading on my blood test. I also had a Bone Density test and it indicated excellent bone health for a woman of my age and build.
My GP is cautious however and recommende­d a visit to an endocrinol­ogist to explore the elevated calcium. I walked away from the endocrinol­ogist office with a diagnosis of high parathyroi­d and a prescripti­on for Fosamax as a 'safeguard against developing osteoporos­is'. He explained it was just a preventati­ve, no bad effects could come from it!
I wasn't convinced and threw the prescripti­on away and now I' really glad I did!
Time for the FDA to wake up!!

[NHGranite]

05:43 PM on 03/11/2010

Yaz. Premarin. what else do they give women that the don't really test? And even the stuff they test, when they recite all the side affects, who would ever take them? But we trust our doctors.

[tucsoncindy]

03:51 PM on 03/11/2010

We have become Ginny pigs for the drug companies Once again
it all revolves around $$..more investigat­ing reporting is needed.
on the drug companies. Thank you ABC for your report and
keep investigat­ing.

[ddanimal]

03:19 PM on 03/11/2010

Merck created a phony, counterfei­t medical journal to promote Fosamax.

http://www­.the-scien­tist.com/t­emplates/t­rackable/d­isplay/blo­g.jsp?type­=blog&o_ur­l=blog/dis­play/55671­&id=55671

Should you trust these criminals with your life? Of course not.

[ddanimal]

01:45 PM on 03/11/2010

"If you have pain in your thigh, see your doctor right away"

LOL!

WTF is your doctor going to do? Fix your bones that have been damaged by Fosamax? Doctors cant do anything to fix this damage. Is it permanent? Who knows? But your doctor cant do sh*t to help you.

"Important to remember Fosamax is very valuable for preventing hip fractures"

LOL Again! This report makes clear that Fosamax also does the opposite. Which is it ABC?

Fosamax is a dangerous drug. Merck has lied for years about its benefits and side effects. Fosamax also causes jaw bone necrosis (death and infection of the jawbone). Merck even published a PHONY, COUNTERFEI­T science journal to promote Fosamax. Merck uses ghostwritt­en science articles, sponsorshi­p of medical conference­s etc to influence doctors. Not even scientific articles can be trusted.

And there are very safe and effective NATURAL NUTRIENTS that can prevent bone fractures and improve bone health, such as vitamins K and D.

The FDA works for the drug companies. The FDA is a wholly owned subsidiary of the drug industry. They must not be trusted.

[ddanimal]

01:33 PM on 03/11/2010

More drug carnage. Drugs dont fix anything.

To prevent osteoporos­is, take the following:

vitamin K2 500 mcg
vitamin D3 5000 units
magnesium

And AVOID fluoride. Get a fluoride water filter.

[StephenJK]

06:32 AM on 03/12/2010

Yeah don't drink tap water. It's nearly ALL fluoridate­d. I haven't had any tap water in years.

[Principaldad]

10:34 AM on 03/12/2010

To prevent osteoperos­is there are better ways than listening to a random commenter on a message board. Reputable resources like the National Osteoperos­is Foundation and the Mayo Clinic offer sound advice for prevenetio­n, advice which does not include the taking of pharmaceut­icals.

Also, talk whatever you do over with your doctor. Even with supplement­s there may be other drug interactio­ns and other factors to consider.

[ddanimal]

12:35 PM on 03/12/2010

Research these options for yourself, and you will see that I am right. See vrp.com, lef.org, and mercola.co­m, for starters.

The National Osteoporos­is Foundation­, like almost all disease foundation­s, is corrupt and receives its funding from drug industry and medical industry groups. The NOF does not disclose its funding sources, except to say that they do get at least $1,000 each from Bayer, Amgen, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmith­Kline, Proctor and Gamble Pharmaceut­icals, Roche, and Wyeth Pharmaceut­icals (see their 2008 annual report).

The NOF's recommenda­tions for vitamin D are pathetical­ly inadequate­, at 800-1000IU daily. They are absolutely wrong because this is not nearly enough to achieve optimal blood levels.

Also, the NOF is silent on the issue of Vitamin K2, which is a necessary cofactor for bone mineraliza­tion. Same thing with magnesium. The NOF's nutrient recommenda­tions are a joke.

I find it revealing and disgusting that an organizati­on that supposedly specialize­s in osteoporos­is is so pathetical­ly ignorant of the science on vitamin D and vitamin K, and nutrient-b­ased treatments for osteoporos­is generally. I believe they are willfully ignorant because NOFs true purpose is to carry water for the drug companies.

The drug industry is powerful. They have infiltrate­d and influence almost every single patient and disease advocacy group in the country.

[Principaldad]

02:30 PM on 03/12/2010

I repeat to anyone. There are better ways to prevent osteoperos­is than listening to random commenters­, especially commenters who post links to web sites that are peddling supplement­s. Choose reputable sources for your informatio­n.

[Halsey]

01:29 PM on 03/11/2010

Holy Shit...."f­irst do no harm.."..u­nless it pays big bucks...

I had great bone mass for my age, but chemo took a toll..so..­some doc's suggested going ON Boniva or this fosomax thingy...I LOOKED at the potential side effects and said NO WAY..I'll up calcium and Vit. D and Magnesium.­.. the last time I took a medication (to help me put on the massive amount I lost in chemo)..I ended up almost dying from a pulmonary embolism..­.a "verY' small number have THAT side effect... I HATE drugs...pe­riod...som­e we need...but give me a break..and I don't mean that literally.­.