Fosamax Side Effects

Fosamax Side Effects

Merck Laboratories has been at odds with the FDA for at least ten years over their inadequate labeling for side effects on Fosamax packaging. A letter sent to Merck by the FDA in 1997 (http://www.fda.gov/cder/warn/aug97/Fosamax.pdf) notes that the Fosamax brochures failed to adequately describe the possibility of esophageal ulcers. Today, the company suggests that you remain upright for thirty minutes after ingesting the drug. Presumably, the purpose of that instruction is to avoid extended exposure of the esophagus to Fosomax.

In the ensuing ten years, the list of Fosomax side effects has been expanded. In a document prepared for an FDA sponsored training program in 2005, the staff analysis included a concise list of reported Fosamax side effects. “Patients on alendronate [Fosamax] may develop severe digestive reactions such as irritation, inflammation, or ulceration of the esophagus. The most commonly reported side effect is abdominal pain, and other, less common side effects are nausea; heartburn…vomiting; difficulty swallowing…stomach or other peptic ulcers; gas; bone, muscle, or joint pain…” http://www.fda.gov/cder/training/cderlearn/osteo_print-friendly.htm.

Since 2006, Fosamax side effects have come to include the potential for developing osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). This serious affliction leads to the death of some or all of the jaw bone, leading to loss of teeth and other serious medical problems. Most recently, in October of 2007, the FDA began a preliminary review of an emerging pattern that Fosamax users may be more susceptible to atrial fibrillation, a cardiac arrhythmia that can lead to strokes. http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/early_comm/bisphosphonates.htm.

We’ve done our homework on the dangers of this drug. If you are or have been a Fosamax user and have experienced health problems that you believe to be related, get in touch with us and we’ll review your case with you, in depth and at no cost.