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FOSAMAX FOR OSTEOPOROSIS ONCE A WEEK
Fosamax is a primary treatment for osteoporosis, but it can cause burning in the esophagus. A study from Merck and Company shows that it is far less likely to cause stomach burning when given once a week.
If a woman lives long enough, she can expect to develop osteoporosis. Doctors order a special test to measure bone density and if it shows osteoporosis, they usually prescribe Fosamax or estrogen. Fosamax rarely causes side effects when it reaches the stomach, but if it sticks in the esophagus, it can cause a terrible erosion with pain and burning in the chest or stomach and belching.
Fosamax is less likely to cause these side effects when it is given in a dose of 70 mg once a week, rather than the usual 10 mg once a day. Other treatments include a calcitonin nasal spray once a day, Raloxifene pills for women who are at increased risk for breast or uterine cancer, lifting heavy weights, calcium and vitamin D.
T Schnitzer, HG Bone, G Crepaldi, S Adami, M McClung, D Kiel, D Felsenberg, RR Recker, RP Tonino, C Roux, A Pinchera, AJ Foldes, SL Greenspan, MA Levine, R Emkey, AC Santora, A Kaur, DE Thompson, J Yates, JJ Orloff. Therapeutic equivalence of alendronate 70 mg once-weekly and alendronate 10 mg daily in the treatment of osteoporosis. Aging - Clinical and Experimental Research, 2000, Vol 12, Iss 1, pp 1-12.
Checked 9/3/05