Fosamax Fracture Lawsuit

Osteoporosis is one of the major health problems that causes alarm in people, especially women in their menopausal stage. The mere thought that they might already have the disease before they know it may be the root of this fear. In fact, some women opt to undergo an osteoporosis screening despite its being unnecessary. Help can also come from medicines, among biphosphonates, of which Fosamax is an example. Fosamax has been linked to the abrupt increase of people experiencing femur fractures. Now, this Fosamax issue resulted to studies devoted to explaining these femur fractures.

The suffering caused by Fosamax is not only because of femur fractures. It is an essential thing to know about these other conditions found and reported because it can be helpful.

Cancer of the Esophagus

Consumers may have been warned that Fosamax can highly irritate the esophagus. Yet, there is a study saying that taking Fosamax for a long time could double the likelihood of anyone developing esophageal cancer. To diminish this effect, it is advised that one should remain in an upright stance for at least 30 minutes after taking the drug.

Severe Musculoskeletal Pain

A number of patients reported severe pain on the bone, muscle or joints, particularly in the hip, groin or thigh area. Merck, the manufacturers of Fosamax, included this on the side effects column of its medication guide. Yet many health care providers still overlook this. Most of them just regard these pains as normal. This would cause a delay in the diagnosis, lengthen impairment, and require the use of analgesics.

Osteonecrosis of the Jaw

Another very alarming side effect that has been linked to prolonged Fosamax use is the death of a jawbone tissue, also known as osteonecrosis of the jaw. Oftentimes the patient would feel pain in the jaw, swelling, numbness, or loose teeth. As a precaution, it is best to tell your dentist, before a dental procedure is done, that you are taking the prescription drug Fosamax. A temporary halt of your therapy may be necessary.

Atypical Fracture of the Thigh Bone

In 2008 the Journal of Orthopedic Trauma reported a number of long-term Fosamax patients who sustained a rare, low-impact fracture on their femur. While a deeper investigation was still ongoing, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered to have the Fosamax label updated. Doctors now prescribe Fosamax to their patients for a period of not longer than four years even without FDA advice as a result.

No matter how disturbing these side effects of Fosamax may sound, it is important to note that not everyone taking the drug experienced all these ailments. As problems like people experiencing Fosamax femur fracture kept on increasing, the best thing to do is to consult a doctor regarding the risks and its prevention.

References:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2010/11/03/calgary-university-bone-structure-study-osteoporosis.html http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/f/fosamax/fosamax_mg.pdf
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/29/us-women-osteoporosis-idUSTRE77S46M20110829

As one of the major health problems, osteoporosis alarms many people especially women in the menopausal stage. For this reason, some women undergo unnecessary osteoporosis screening. Furthermore, they could be advised to take bisphosphonates like Fosamax, which unfortunately has been said to cause serious side effects.

Esophageal Cancer

We have been warned that Fosamax can highly irritate the esophagus. In line to that, there is a research suggesting that taking Fosamax for a period of time could increase your chances of having esophageal cancer. To reduce the chances of damaging your esophagus, it is advised to remain in and upright position at least thirty minutes after taking the drug. Severe Musculoskeletal Pain Severe pain on the bone, muscle or joints – especially in the hip, groin or thigh area is another severe side effect said to have caused by the drug. Despite Merck , the manufacturer of Fosamax, warning us about this specific effect, some health care provider would overlook this as a normal ache. This results in a delay in diagnosis, prolonged impairment and a necessity of analgesics.

Osteonecrosis of the Jaw

Another disturbing repercussion of prolonged Fosamax use is the death of a tissue in the jaw known as osteonecrosis of the jaw. Most of the time, it presents a severe pain in the jaw accompanied with swelling, numbness, or loose teeth. It is best to inform your dentist before a needed dental procedure that you are taking Fosamax. Your drug therapy might need to be held for some time.

Atypical Fracture of the Thigh Bone

According to a study issued in the Journal of Orthopedic Trauma in the 2008 edition, a number of long-term Fosamax patients sustained a rare low- impact fracture on their femur. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered a change in Fosamax label while it[FDA] makes a deeper investigation on the said case. Even without FDA’s statement some doctors recommended Fosamax to its patients over a short time or nothing more than 4 years.

Despite being really troubling, it is essential to mention that not all patients taking Fosamax succumb to such pharmaceutical beacklash. You need to confer with your doctor regarding your risks and how you can prevent yourself from suffering such adversities. On a another angle, a number of individuals have pursued a Fosamax lawsuit against Merck as the company purportedly failed to warn its patients and the doctors of the risks involving with the use of the drug.

Cancer patients are treated with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and steroid medication treatments but there is an additional intervention added to their care plan and that is intravenous administration of bisphosphonates. One of the commonly used bisphosphonate drug administered in large doses to cancer patients is Fosamax (generic name of Alendronate Sodium), which was used to counter the negative effects of the chemotherapy, radiation therapy and other cancer treatments used. But reports were found concerning Fosamax, and other intravenous bisphosphonates used for adjunct cancer treatment, and its tendency to cause osteonecrosis of the jaw. Bisphosphonate-induced Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BONJ) A bone, just like any other part of the human anatomy, is made up of special and specific cells that needs sufficient supply of nutrient-rich blood in order to grow, develop and stay healthy, but in the case of osteonecrosis of the jaw, there is an abnormal lack of blood supply to the jaw bone which ultimately leads to a “dead” bone.ONJ also comes in many names which defines the disease condition and these are: Bis-phossy jaw, Bisphosphonate-induced Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BONJ) and Deterioration of Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ). As the bone dies, it affects the surrounding areas causing unimaginable jaw pain, which is associated with the process of inflammation, thus the swelling, and numbness; eventually gum infection occurs, poor gum healing after injury or surgery and loose teeth are then observed which are some of the frequently reported symptoms experienced by those who had ONJ. ONJ Treatments
The jaw bone's condition is not ideal for intensive invasive and traumatizing surgical interventions since the disease process causes a decrease in bone healing ability of the affected bone area. Antimicrobial rinses, systemic antibiotics, systemic or topical antifungals, discontinuation of bisphosphonate therapy and no dental therapy or minimally invasive dental therapy (such as root canal therapy instead of extraction) are the non- surgical ONJ managements utilized by experts. Sadly, there are no sure-proof procedures for long- term management of osteonecrosis of the jaw. There were jaw bone reconstructive efforts proposed but seldom done by some experts. Experts tried different techniques to aid in correcting this anomaly but admittedly these procedures are still under deep scrutiny and these are hyperbaric oxygen use (HBO) and reconstructive transfer of vascularized tissue to the affected part. The alarming information about ONJ can be unsettling, especially for those who are already victims of the biphosphonate drug which can also cause femur fracture according to some users. If you were injured by Fosamax and experienced any of the given Fosamax side effects, such as osteonecrosis of the jaw, you can set your Fosamax lawsuit into action by talking to a reliable and adept Fosamax lawyer. Consult an adept Fosamax lawyer for free right now to set your Fosamax fracture lawsuit   into motion. For more information, visit Fosamax lawsuit sites right now.