Good morning all. I have been given Alendronic Acid tablets to take for osteopenina.Having read the side effects I am really reluctant to start on these. Has anyone had any esperience of these. I so can you help.X
Hi, Mattsmam, I have been given these to take along wirh Adcal as I have been diagnosed with osteoporosis in my hip. I, too, don’t want to take them as I feel I have enough chems in my system with chemo. I am going to show my DXA scan results to mt Onc on Thursday and ask for his opinion.
Carol
I am on Alendronic acid tablets weekly because i too have osteopenia due to cancer treatment and have had an induced early menapause.
Initially they made me feel quite bloated and sick on the morning that I took them so I went to my doctors for an alternative and they gave me Bonadrat which was monthly. i found this much worse and had stomach ache on and off for about 10 days after taking it ( I tried it about 3 times and it was the same each month.) So i went back to my GP and went back on the alendronic acid and have got used to them.
Make sure you follow the instructions and drink plenty of water with them, are you on those big calcium tablets too?
Hope this helps.
Good luck x
Thank you Meggars for your quick reply. Yes am also taking big white tablets. Just taken the first one. Have almost decided not to take
Alendronic although will speak to the oncologist or breast nurse to get there advise. I think I may be older than you and am thinking that maybe good diet and big white tablets may do the job. It sounds from your post that the side effects are not good. Frankly I have had enough after latisimus, chemo and radiotherapy. Will let you know how I go on. X
PS. Carol, Have just seen your post. Mine is also hip and bottom of spine although I knew my spine was a bit iffy a few years ago. Hope you keep me up to date. X
Hi
Is there any chance that you could have it via IV, I have it that way, once a month. The side effects are slightly achy joints after first infusion, but then nothing.It beats fiddling around with tablets.
x sarah
Hi Ladies
One word of advice - please see your dentist before taking any bisphosphonate. I wasn’t asked to, before starting Alendronic acid and my dentist was really cross, as it is very important that dental treatment is up to date before starting it. I took alendronic acid for a year, I didn’t enjoy taking it, more due to the inconvenience of not lounging in bed with a cup of tea, one morning a week! than any discomfort, I did feel a bit iffy a couple of times, but I think this was due to the water needed to flush it down, which I forced down before I was fully awake.
I now have bone mets so have been moved onto Zometa which is once a month by infusion. (Sarah I think this may be to replace the daily bondronant tablets, not alendronic acid which is just taken once a week for osteopenia…but somebody correct me if I’m wrong! that’s just my experience of the 2.)
Hope you all get on with whatever treatment you decide on,
Nicola
Hi I do agree with Nicki. I collected my alendronic acid tabs and just co-incidentally had a dental appt the following week ( had lost 2 fillings) I held off taking it as I read the leaflet and d/w my dentisi who was fine and pleased that I was not on it then.Interestingly all went well with 1st 5-6 tabs then the last 2 I have felt bloated and nauseous and generally yukky the day I take it.I had been blaming the Arimidex for the nausea though. I had thought of trying just AdcalD3 and upping the dietary calcium but got cofused with that as had 3 different views on amount of dietary calcium required- 700mgs,1,000mgs and 1,400mgs daily so a significant difference between lower and upper amts.My Onc prescribed this stuff will be seeing him in 2 weeks so will have a chat with him then. Knowing him he may well put the ball back in my court and say it is up to me.Also only have very mild osteopenia in lower spine and above average bone density in hips.It never ends does it am so fed up of all the meds. Love Jackie
Hello again ladies. Well have spoken to breast cancer nurse who said I should take alendrinic and see how I go. Will maybe start next week as I have now got flu, just my luck, flu jab next week, and she said to get over that first. Think I will contact my dentist and get a check up before I start. Not too sure, is this something I will have to take forever or is it just short term. I forgot to ask GP. Like you I am fedup of tablets, its not my thing to pill pop. Nurse said some of her ladies had no problem with alendronic but others seem to struggle. Think its a strange way to take tablet, so no more early cuppas for me. She couldn’t tell me why you have to be upright!!!
Thankyou all for you advise X
The reason you have to be upright is that it does horrible things to your oesphagus (spelling?). Thats why I cant take it. I tried it once ond after 18 mins I was on the phone to the hospital, my GP my mum cos I thought I was having a heart attack!
I should mention before you panic that I have a history of gastro stuff wrong with me so they knew it wasn’t going to work but apparently the hosp said that I had to have it for me not to tolerate it so they could give me something else. weird. Then they tried to give me Strontium which I cant take cos of blood clots.
So anyway apparently I have to have a monthly injection but I have been told I cant have it on the NHS. Any advice anyone?