fosamax vs actonal

[vcaz]

Just talked to both my doctor and a pharmacist in the huge Kaiser
Permanente Health system in California about the difference of these
two drugs. I was told that the two are in the same family, both can
be taken once weekly, both have the same requirement and side effects.
Weight gain is not one of the side effects. stomach pain is the most
common. Other less common side effects are nausea,
vomiting,heartburn, stomach fullness, gas, constipation, diarrhea,
headache or altered taste. it's essential to take this medicine on an
empty stomach, best after a night's sleep, not with any other medicine
or fluid but just plain water, swallow whole. & do not eat or lie down
for at least 30 minutes. I just took my first tablet this morning,
took a walk for 40 minutes so I wouldn't inadvertently sit down--and I
had no problem. Grateful for I do have gastrointestinal issues. I
was disturbed to read about one Fosamax person who after 4 years
improved so little. It's Nonabsorption if she's following the
directions precisely. Her doctor should have put her on to something
different by now. I've always gone natural with so many things and
have had good results, but calcium is something I haven't seemed able
to absorb despite taking a lot, and am now taking enzymes with
hydrocholoric acid.

My Kaiser doctor and the pharmacist recommended Fosamax because it's
been around the longest. Kaiser, with its huge number of patients,has
monitored it intensively and the results have been good. Actonal is
much newer and the evidence is not comparable at this time. Kaiser
has other methods of treatment if Fosamax causes problems or is
ineffective, but prefer everyone to start with Fosamax because they
consider it to be the best treatment. If I had to pay full price it
would be $177 for 12 weeks. My copay gets it for $15. Whew!

A few days ago I wrote what I think is an interesting--though a bit
depressing and startling account of the search of an osteoporosis
cure & test results, numbers being questionable under "Advacal & the
osteoporesis connundrum".
You might check it out.

[RStevrock]

>whole. & do not eat or lie down
>for at least 30 minutes. I just took my first tablet this morning,
>took a walk for 40 minutes so I wouldn't inadvertently sit down--and I
>had no problem.

I think you understand that you can sit, just not lie down. Also if you
do not care to eat after taking it, you must wait for 2 hours to lie down. (I
always care to eat.)
I was with a dear friend who needed to take some medicine. Her sister
told her she needed to eat something first, so she ate a cracker. It never
occurred to me that someone would consider eating one cracker as eating
something. I often wait for 2 hours to eat after taking Fosamax, just because
I have a paper route. When I come home I eat a full breakfast. If something
can cause gastro intestinal problems, I think eat means really eat.
Sammy

[Cylise]

On 07 Sep 2003 15:33:09 GMT, rstevrock@aol.com (RStevrock) wrote:


> I was with a dear friend who needed to take some medicine. Her sister
>told her she needed to eat something first, so she ate a cracker. It never
>occurred to me that someone would consider eating one cracker as eating
>something.

Depends on the med. If it's Ibuprofen or aspirin, one cracker or two
of them is probably enough. If it's one that says, "take with meals",
it's probably not.

[John/Carmen]

Hi,
I have osteopenia. My doc mentioned Fosamax to me. I'm scared to take
drugs, but I do have a 1.5 bone lose so I have to do something to
improve my bone decrease.
Does Fosamax cause constipation? I get constipated very easily and I
don't need to take Fosamax if it's one of the side affects.
Milk usually gets me constipated, but this week I've been drinking non
fat milk and it seems to be agreeing with me.
I need to start taking calcium supplements, but I have to find the right
one, that won't make me constipated. The pharmacist told me that they
all cause constipation, but if a person drinks enough water and eats
enough fiber foods, it will help. I do both of those things.
Can anyone tell me of a good calcium supplement that won't get a person
constipated?
I don't think I'm going to take Fosamax.

Carmen

Talk to you later.