While the Fosamax Advisor does not aim to provide medical advice or direct legal advice, we do want to ensure that you have as much information as possible. Rather than searching through the entire site to find the details that you need, this FAQ page will help to address the most common questions.

Fosamax Questions

What Is Fosamax?

Fosamax is a prescription medication manufactured by Merck that is used to treat or prevent bone loss diseases like osteoporosis.

Why Is Fosamax Prescribed?

Fosamax is prescribed for those who are at the greatest risk for osteoporosis in order to prevent bone loss as well as for those who have already been diagnosed with bone loss conditions.

What Are the Most Common Fosamax Side Effects?

In most cases, patients taking Fosamax experience stomach pain, nausea, constipation and heartburn. More serious side effects include allergic reactions and, in rarer cases, osteonecrosis of the jaw and other more serious side effects.

Should I Quit Taking Fosamax?

If you are concerned about the risks of taking Fosamax, contact your physician. You should never stop taking a medication without consulting your doctor (when you do, you will also be able to discuss additional risks of taking the medication and your concerns).

Am I At Risk for Osteonecrosis of the Jaw or Other Serious Side Effects?

Everyone’s body responds differently to medications. The best way to determine your risk is to talk with your physician. However, what has been noted is that those patients who have taken other biphosphonates, who have had extensive invasive dental work and who have taken steroids while on Fosamax have an increased risk of developing osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Am I Able to Pursue a Lawsuit After Suffering Serious Side Effects of Taking Fosamax?

Only a lawyer will be able to determine whether or not you have a case; by filling in the request form on this page or on other pages of the site, you will be contacted by a lawyer who can help you to identify your next course of action.

If I Do Have a Case, What Can I Expect?

Those who have cases against Merck (the producers of Fosamax) will find that they are eligible to receive damages to offset medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and emotional distress. Your Fosamax lawyer will be able to provide you with more information.

Before you can really look at the reasons why Fosamax lawsuits exist and what the potential serious side effects are, it’s important to have an understanding of the medication – who makes it, who is treated with Fosamax and why the drug is used.

Fosamax is made by Merck and promises to help patients reverse bone loss in those patients for whom diet, exercise and vitamins are not enough to maintain bone health. In most cases, before Fosamax is prescribed, the patient has been diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Benefits of Fosamax

If there were not benefits to taking Fosamax – a biphosphonate – it would not be prescribed. For some patients, Fosamax:

• Slows down the activity of those cells that weaken the bone.
• Reduces the effects of cortisteroid medications and the impact of accelerated bone loss after a woman goes into menopause.
• Increases the amount of bone tissue seen in patients who are treated with the drug.

All patients are warned of the fact that there are potential side effects of taking Fosamax, and if your doctor has prescribed the drug, it is important to make sure that you do not just discontinue the medication (unless you are experiencing serious side effects from the medication). In other words, if you have concerns about the serious risks associated with taking Fosamax, your first step should be to consult a physician.

Osteoporoisis ia a disease that weakens bone tissue and makes the bones more porous. With increased pore size in the bone tissue, there is an increase in the brittleness of the bone and a weakness that develops and can lead to fractures. Unfortunately, while there are a number of consequences for those who develop osteoporosis, the disease often is without symptoms. Therefore, it’s important to know your risk factors for developing the disease.

Risk Factors for Women

Women are at risk for developing osteoporosis if the following are present:

• Infrequent exercise.
• Consumption of too little calcium.
• Consumption of too much caffeine or alcohol.
• Smoking.
• Medications like corticosteroids for asthma, thyroid medications, heavy use of antacids, anticonvulsants and others.
• Thin women and those with a petite build.
• There is a familiy history of osteoporosis.
• They are Caucasian or Asian.
• They have passed menopause or who have stopped having their period due to an eating disorder or other reason.

Risk Factors for Men

Men should be aware of the following risk factors for osteoporosis:

• Decreased testosterone levels.
• A family history of osteoporosis.
• Low body weight.
• Use of medications like corticosteroids for asthma, thyroid medications, heavy use of antacids and the use of anticonvulsants.
• Smoking.
• Alcohol.
• Infrequent exercise.
• Too little calcium consumption.

The best way to determine whether or not you should receive treatment for osteoporosis will involve bone mass density tests; however, depending on the risks involved for developing osteoporosis, some physicians will recommend preventative treatment.

Fosamax is often used both preventatively to strengthen bone tissue before osteoporosis develops and after osteoporosis has been diagnosed. Of course, not everyone will discover the same benefits of taking Fosamax.

Most medications carry a risk of side effects. Some of them are common and shouldn’t be a cause for alarm; others are far more serious and should be addressed by a doctor immediately.

Common Fosamax Side Effects

The most common side effects of Fosamax are the ones that you will read about on the insert that comes with your prescription:

• Abdominal pain.
• Nausea.
• Constipation or diarrhea.
• Flatulence.
• Vomiting.
• Abdominal distention (bloating).
• Headaches.
• Bone, muscle and joint pain.
• Dizziness or vertigo.

More Serious Fosamax Side Effects

These are those side effects of Fosamax that should lead to stopping Fosamax and contacting your doctor:

• Mouth sores and ulcers.
• Difficulty swallowing or pain when you swallow.
• Chest pain.
• New or more severe heart pain.
• Allergic reactions such as hives or swelling on the eyes, face, throat or lips and tongue.

As for the most severe side effects of Fosamax, Merck, the producer of the drug acknowledges that the medication can cause jaw problems such as infection of the bone and delayed healing after having a tooth extracted.

The most severe Fosamax side effects are the linking of the drug to:

• Osteonecrosis of the jaw.
• Atrial fibrillation.
• Stress fractures.