Retired physician John R. Agnew has an amusing take on Big Pharma’s bombardment of consumers with DTC advertising. Writes Agnew:
The drug commercials seem to me to be insulting. They overstate the benefits, minimize the side effects and ignore the cost: “Panacea is not for everyone,” they warn. “Let your doctor know if you have liver disease (he is too dumb to figure it out for himself) or are allergic to this drug (which you wouldn’t know in advance anyway). Side effects include fainting, jaundice, suicidal thoughts, constipation and sudden death. Do not operate heavy machinery after taking the first dose, and tell your doctor right away if you are dying”…
My favorite is Reclast, a once-a-year treatment for osteoporosis. It comes with many warnings, of course, including “jaw problems have been reported.” Jaw problems? What does that mean? Lock-jaw? Fossy-jaw? (I looked it up, and you don’t want to know while eating breakfast).
Reclast, like Fosamax and Boniva, is a treatment for osteoporosis, which refers to an extreme loss of bone density, most common in postmenopausal women. All three drugs are known as bisphosphonates.
The difference is that Reclast offers a level of convenience that the others don’t. Reclast is the first drug approved by the FDA (in 2007) as a once-a-year, intravenous treatment. As Novartis states on the Reclast Web site:
A single dose, along with daily calcium and vitamin D, helps strengthen your bones and protect them from fracture for 12 full months.
Reclast, along with Fosamax, Boniva and other bone-building drugs, have a number of side effects — but currently the FDA is most concerned about studies that show these drugs can produce irregular heartbeats in some patients. The most recent study, focusing on Fosamax, came out just last month.
Reclast’s jaw side effect, by the way, is osteonecrosis (“bone death”) of the jaw bone; it has occurred only in rare cases. Here’s a full list of Reclast warnings and precautions.
More on Reclast vs. Fosamax here.
11 responses so far ↓
1 Jo Coudray // Jul 16, 2009 at 9:38 pm
I just cancelled an infusion for Reclast after reading of the side effects. I think I would prefer to shrink and die naturally rather than go through all the worries of the pharmaceutical industry profit. Thank you very much!
2 Summer Smith // Oct 14, 2009 at 9:20 am
I had my Reclast infusion in June, and it altered my body chemistry dramatically! I am now allergic to eggs, cheese, dairy and any and all calcium supplements! In addition to which, I have also developed an extreme allergy to antibiotics. Another side effect for me has been the loss of energy — I used to be much more active and could stay up later at night. Not any more! All I can say is this: I sure hope the Reclast infusion is doing something for my bones, because it sure has messed me up in other ways!!
Bottom Line: I won’t do it again!
Summer Smith
3 Gini // Oct 16, 2009 at 11:25 pm
I had this infusion two days ago. It will be my last!! I was up all night… never so sick in my life…a headache that would not quite, chills, all over body aches, weakness, etc. It was awful.
4 Pat // Nov 10, 2009 at 8:04 pm
I had an appointment today to get reclast, but cancelled after reading all of the side effects, especially the loss of jawbone, not to mention kidney problems, and low blood calcium.
5 Brittany // Feb 21, 2010 at 4:33 pm
I am a student at the University of Oklahoma and am working on my capstone project which requires me to interview women with osteoporosis. It’s upsetting to hear what you women have gone through and I am curious if you have started any new treatments to help prevent your osteoporosis from worsening?
6 Pam // Feb 24, 2010 at 8:22 am
This drug sucks! Never again!!
7 nancy // Mar 26, 2010 at 9:55 pm
read this too late.Information on Bisphosphonates (marketed as Actonel, Actonel+Ca, Aredia, Boniva, Didronel, Fosamax, Fosamax+D, Reclast, Skelid, and Zometa)
FDA ALERT [1/7/2008] – FDA is highlighting the possibility of severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint, and/or muscle (musculoskeletal) pain in patients taking bisphosphonates. Although severe musculoskeletal pain is included in the prescribing information for all bisphosphonates, the association between bisphosphonates and severe musculoskeletal pain may be overlooked by healthcare professionals, delaying diagnosis, prolonging pain and/or impairment, and necessitating the use of analgesics.
The severe musculoskeletal pain may occur within days, months, or years after starting a bisphosphonate. Some patients have reported complete relief of symptoms after discontinuing the bisphosphonate, whereas others have reported slow or incomplete resolution. The risk factors for and incidence of severe musculoskeletal pain associated with bisphosphonates are unknown.
This severe musculoskeletal pain is in contrast to the acute phase response characterized by fever, chills, bone pain, myalgias, and arthralgias that sometimes accompanies initial administration of intravenous bisphosphonates and may occur with initial exposure to once-weekly or once-monthly doses of oral bisphosphonates. The symptoms related to the acute phase response tend to resolve within several days with continued drug use.
Healthcare professionals should consider whether bisphosphonate use might be responsible for severe musculoskeletal pain in patients who present with these symptoms and consider temporary or permanent discontinuation of the drug.
I have been severely suffering since I was given Reclast. Only thing I can do it take prednisone to get sed rate (imflamation down) this round of that terrible drug(which only treats the symptons) was 20 days ago. My ACL that was replaced and was in great shape 12/08 just dissapeared 12/09. No injury or acccident…… Reclast is killing me Still!
8 nancy // Mar 26, 2010 at 9:59 pm
I have been severely suffering since I was given Reclast. Only thing I can do it take prednisone to get sed rate (imflamation down) this round of that terrible drug(which only treats the symptons) was 20 days ago. My ACL that was replaced and was in great shape 12/08 just dissapeared 12/09. No injury or acccident…… I believe that Reclast is killing me Still
9 Judith Peck // Apr 4, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Thrilled with it. Osteoporosis since age 50 curtailed lots of fun activities with my grand kids. Made some progress on orals, but GERD necessitated gut biopsies and esposphogeal dilatation.
I can tell you after 35 years as a nurse, this is a great drug. If you think it is not worth a few punny side effects what will you be saying after you are in the nursing home when you fracture your hip (no hip pinning for people with osteoporosis) or have horrible chronic back pain from vertebral fractures. Or dead. Good luck, I see it every day!
10 Linda Jordan // May 23, 2010 at 10:56 am
I’m 58 years old with osteoporosis. I have taken reclast 2 times. The first year I did have flu like symptons and this went away after 2 days no problems at all after this. The second infusion, the following year in 2009,I had no problems whatsoever. I can say with the reclast treatment and I also take Citracal -2 tablets- twice a day and a vitamin D supplement. I feel much stronger than before
11 sharon frickey // Jul 8, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Ihave had REclast twice. The first time I done very good. This last time I thought I was doing okay but have had alot of trouble with my feet hurting and burning causing me pain to walk. Also have had sprained thumb that took forever to heal and alot of aching. Not sure if I should go on with this
Leave a Comment