More about Fosamax and femur fractures

If your doctor was to prescribe you a "bone-sparing" drug, such as Fosamax, or Aledronate and you were aware that the US courts are filling up with cases alleging that these drugs were the cause of increased fracture risk, would you still take the drug?

Look at these figures for Fosamax alone!

Fosamax femur fracture lawsuits numbers as of March 31, 2015:

515 cases have been filed in California state court for femur fracture

1,040 were pending in the Fosamax femur fracture MDL in federal court; and
3,050 cases have been filed in New Jersey state court for femur fracture

975 cases alleging osteonecrosis of the jaw

Yikes!  I wonder what the figures are in New Zealand where it is next to impossible to sue for this kind of harm?

Source of these figures below (refer PDF - pages 20-21).

You will get a fright when you see all the cases pending for osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) as well (this refers to the death of the jaw bone which is a horrific side effect of these drugs):

Merck Quarterly Report 2015

 About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

"Bone strengthening" drugs associated with numerous side effects

When reading this notice for medical practitioners from Medsafe, please bear in mind that what is being advised applies to all "bone-sparing" drugs of the bisphosphonate class, including the Fosamax which, among other brands, is the subject of thousands of court actions in the USA.
http://blog.garymoller.com/search/label/fosamax-lawsuits

I use the phrase "bone-sparing" with extreme cynicism because just two of this class of drug are blamed for causing 31,500 femur and hip fractures in the USA alone!

Bear in mind that less than 10% of adverse reactions ever get reported.

Read on and read the links I have provided.  As I said in an earlier article, "You would have to be nuts to be taking these".

Key Messages

• Patients who are treated with zoledronic acid can experience acute phase reactions.
• Symptoms include fever, diffuse musculoskeletal pain, gastrointestinal effects, and eye inflammation.
• The risk of renal reactions can be prevented by keeping patients adequately hydrated prior to and following infusions.

Acute Phase Reactions

Zoledronic acid (marketed as Aclasta and Zometa in New Zealand) is a bisphosphonate administered to patients by intravenous infusion. Prescribers are reminded that patients may experience an acute phase response or adverse effects on renal function following administration.

Acute phase reactions may present with the following symptoms: chills, fever, influenza-like symptoms, night sweats, rigors and shivering, diffuse musculoskeletal pain, gastrointestinal effects, and eye inflammation¹.

Acute phase responses can occur at any time up to approximately two weeks following an infusion¹. The majority of patients will experience symptoms within the first three days after an infusion¹. These reactions are usually self-limiting and resolve completely within 24 to 48 hours². However, in some patients symptoms may persist for longer periods.

Supportive and symptomatic management with paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is recommended, once other serious causes of fever such as infection have been excluded². Pre-treatment with paracetamol or ibuprofen may also be helpful for some patients².

Renal Reactions

Renal reactions can also occur shortly after infusion. Adequate hydration can help to reduce the risk of renal deterioration after a zoledronic acid infusion^4–6. Renal deterioration, progression to renal failure and dialysis has been reported in patients following the initial dose of zoledronic acid⁵.

If patients show signs of renal function decline after infusion, the benefits and risks of harm of continued treatment should be evaluated.

Factors which may increase the risk of renal deterioration following zoledronic acid infusions are:

• dehydration
• pre-existing renal impairment
• multiple cycles of zoledronic acid or other bisphosphonates
• concomitant use of nephrotoxic drugs
• a shorter infusion time than recommended.

Bisphosphonates are also associated with ocular inflammatory effects such as uveitis and scleritis³. Ocular complications are uncommon. However, patients should be advised to seek immediate medical attention if they experience any ocular symptoms while being treated with a bisphosphonate.

The Centre for Adverse Reaction Monitoring (CARM) has received 153 reports of musculoskeletal adverse reactions starting within one month after a zoledronic acid infusion. CARM also received 26 reports of ocular adverse reactions and 33 reports of urinary adverse reactions within one month following an infusion.

Healthcare professionals are encouraged to report all suspicions of medicine adverse reactions to CARM.

References

1. Reid IR, Gamble GD, Mesenbrink P, et al. 2010. Characterization of and risk factors for the acute-phase response after zoledronic acid. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 95: 4380–4387.
2. Tanvetyanon T, Stiff PJ. 2006. Management of the adverse effects associated with intravenous bisphosphonates. Annals of oncology 17: 897–907.
3. Medsafe. 2011. Reminder: Keeping an eye on bisphosphonates. Prescriber Update 32(3): 24. URL: www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/PUArticles/BisphosphonatesSept2011.htm (accessed 19 May 2015).
4. Attivi D, Kosmalski G, Zeghmouli C, et al. 2014. Effect of intravenous hydration in patients receiving bisphosphonate therapy. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy 36: 1277–1281.
5. Novartis New Zealand Limited. 2014. Zometa Data Sheet. 21 October 2014. URL: www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/datasheet/z/Zometaconcinf.pdf (accessed 19 May 2015).
6. Novartis New Zealand Limited. 2014. Aclasta Data Sheet. 8 October 2014. URL: www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/datasheet/a/Aclastainf.pdf (accessed 19 May 2015).

Source of release:
http://medsafe.govt.nz/profs/PUArticles/June2015/June2015ZoledronicAcid.htm


Further reading:
http://blog.garymoller.com/search/label/fosamax

 About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

You'd have to be nuts to take this drug after watching this video!

Prolia is one of the bisphosphonate class of drugs that work by killing off one of the cells that remodel old bone (osteoblasts).  The result is the buildup of old bone.  While it gives the impression that bones are stronger, this is completely untrue with an increase in fractures a few years later.

Below is a promotional video intended to get mostly older women to enthusiastically get onto these drugs.  I want you to watch this and take careful note of the long list of horrific side effects:

Would you take this drug after seeing the long list of side effects?  Osteonecrosis of the jaw?

Osteonecrosis of the jaw

In the USA the drugs companies are being sued left, right and center by patients who have been harmed by these drugs; yet they still continue to actively sell these because their profits dwarf what all the lawsuits may end up costing.  The listing of the horrific side effects is the only concession that they have to make.  They can go on selling these drugs so long as they spell out the dangers.

Remember that less than 10% of all drugs adverse reactions are ever reported.  Some cynics believe the figure is closer to 1%, so a lot of people are being harmed.  When you are reading the side effects such as heart damage and loss of one's jaw (Just how horrific is that!), bear in mind that these are listed because an unspecified number of poor souls suffered these horrible things.  I'd rather be dead than to have no jaw.  A broken bone is a preferable health problem in my opinion.

Here in New Zealand, there is no need to properly inform you of these horrific side effects: your doctor has his/her arse well protected by ACC and the Health and Disability Commissioner, neither of whom are genuinely interested in your health and welfare.  If you try to complain, let alone sue your doctor in New Zealand, I say "Good luck to you!"

If you have been told you have low bone density then it surely makes better sense to identify and treat the root causes, rather than treat the symptoms with a highly toxic poison?

If your doctor tells you that you need to take one of the bisphosphonate drugs, my advice is turn your back and get out of that office as fast as your legs will take you.  Go find a health practitioner who is genuinely interested in your health and get your bone strong and supple once more by nurturing them and not poisoning them.

By the way, did you know that the average contact time between patient and doctor in the United States is a mere nine minutes?  For a Naturopath it is over an hour per consultation.  Who would you put your faith in?  Things are not much better in New Zealand.  Sadly, we have adopted the failing US health model.

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

31,581 femur fractures blamed on Fosamax and Alendronate use!

These drugs are enthusiastically promoted on New Zealand television by celebrities such as Judith Dobson to prevent fractures.  The evidence is growing that they INCREASE fractures (Please bear in mind that as few as 1% of cases are ever officially reported).

Total reported major side effects for these two "bone sparing" drugs exceeds a whopping 200,000! :

Most common side effects for patients taking FOSAMAX:
FEMUR FRACTURE (26988 patients) 
FALL (21241 patients) 
OSTEONECROSIS (15354 patients) 
OSTEOARTHRITIS (14625 patients) 
ANXIETY (14421 patients) 
DEPRESSION (14302 patients) 
HYPERTENSION (12928 patients) 
LOW TURNOVER OSTEOPATHY (12755 patients) 
ARTHRALGIA (11612 patients) 
TOOTH DISORDER (11082 patients) 

Most common side effects for patients taking ALENDRONATE SODIUM:
FEMUR FRACTURE (4593 patients) 
FALL (2879 patients) 
LOW TURNOVER OSTEOPATHY (2222 patients) 
OSTEOARTHRITIS (1728 patients) 
ARTHRALGIA (1680 patients) 
HYPERTENSION (1357 patients) 
PAIN IN EXTREMITY (1351 patients) 
STRESS FRACTURE (1293 patients) 
ANXIETY (1255 patients) 
BACK PAIN (1082 patients) 

Source: http://medsfacts.com/index.php

Is your doctor in the "health" business or the "drug-pushing" one?

Make sure that you choose a doctor who understands the business of health (unfortunately these are rare creatures).

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

Merck Faces More Than 4100 Fosamax - Femur Fracture Lawsuits As Of September 30, 2013

Merck Faces More Than 4100 Fosamax - Femur Fracture Lawsuits As Of September 30, 2013 According To SEC Corporate Filing

Next Bellwether Trial Dates: In New Jersey, One To Three Cases Set For March 2014; And, In Fosamax Federal Court MDL, One Case Set For May 2014

(Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com)
We have an update from Merck on the Fosamax litigation concerning the femur fracture side effect -- not the osteonecrosis of jaw (ONJ) injury -- and it shows that the number of these lawsuits filed against the drug company continues to increase.
From the Merck SEC Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2013 (93 page PDF document):

• ... plaintiffs in approximately 4,115 of these actions generally allege that they sustained femur fractures and/or other bone injuries (“Femur Fractures”) in association with the use of Fosamax.
• ... approximately 1,085 cases were pending in the Fosamax Femur Fracture MDL as of September 30, 2013.
• ... Judge Pisano set a May 5, 2014, trial date for the bellwether trial of a case where the alleged injury took place after January 31, 2011. The case to be tried on May 5, 2014, is expected to be identified in December 2013.

_____________________________________________________________________

Free Fosamax Case Evaluation 

Strictly Confidential, No Obligation.

_______________________________________________

Gary:

A few years ago it was just a few cases; earlier this year it broke a thousand and now it is over 4,000 cases of spontaneous fracture of the femur!  Scandalous when you bear in mind that the health professionals that continue to dish these awful drugs out are actually doctors!

First, do no harm

They should know better.  They deserve to be sued.  Note the link above to the free Fosamax case evaluation by Tom Lamb Law, if you feel you have been harmed by one of these drugs.

What these bone sparing drugs can do to the jaw bone

Meanwhile, here in New Zealand, celebrity and self-appointed bone health expert, Judith Dobson, drones on dulcidly on national television, advising women to get intravenous shots of these "bone-sparing drugs", while ignoring the mounting tide of evidence that these bisphosphonate drugs cause enormous and irreparable harm, including the
dreaded osteonecrosis of the jaw (refer photo to right).

"Hey, Judith!  Why are you promoting these  harmful drugs?  Is it just for the money?  Will you demonstrate their safety by having an intravenous shot yourself?  C'mon, Judith, don't be a scaredy-cat!"

More reading about bisphosphonates here

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

Fosamax - Femur Fracture Lawsuits Filed Against Merck Said To Total 3,940 As Of June 30, 2013

Example of "Fossy" jaw

Fosamax and other bisphosphonate drugs have to be among the most harmful drugs that have ever been prescribed in modern medicine.  They are increasingly associated with a long list of feared diseases, including cancer, heart failure, liver damage and dementia.

Despite these being prescribed to prevent osteoporosis, the evidence is that they actually increase bone fracture!

It is no medical mystery why this happens:  Bisphosphonates are a poison that should never be put into a human being.  It is particularly toxic to bone cells (I explain their action in this article here).  While there may be a brief reduction of bone fracture, this is quickly replaced by increased rates of catastrophic bone death.  This includes osteonecrosis of the jaw which is about the worst disfigurement one could ever wish upon a person - Horrific!

An example of "Fossy Hip"

Here in New Zealand, despite the growing evidence of horrific harm, media personalities, like Jude Dobson, continue to reassuringly purr on during prime time television about the wonderful benefits of these drugs.  I wonder how much she is being paid?  Meanwhile, the campaign to terrorise women about osteoporosis continues while offering only one solution: Harmful megadoses of synthetic vitamin D along with bone-killing bispohosphonates.  Of course, there are safe and effective alternatives but these get no mainstream attention because there is no money in them.

The sale of bisphosphonates drugs is a billion dollar industry worldwide and the profits far exceed any expense from consequent law suits.  Also bear in mind that many of the elderly women who suffer bone death end up dying before they can sue the culprits!  Those that do sue face years of legal torture by defendants with bottomless pockets and many will be sidelined due to ill health, as the article below highlights for one of the first cases to go before the New Jersey courts.

This whole business is medical madness, if you ask me.  How come this scandal is not headline news in New Zealand and elsewhere?  Meanwhile these drugs continue to be advertised on New Zealand television.  Is it because of the money?  What about the health of the people taking it?  Don't they have the right to know?  What is the responsibility of the prescribing physician who must surely be aware of the thousands of lawsuits in the USA alone?

Please read the article below and follow the links and you will see that I am not alone in thinking this is crazy stuff.

Fosamax - Femur Fracture Lawsuits Filed Against Merck Said To Total 3,940 As Of June 30, 2013

Drug Company Reports 2,660 Cases In New Jersey State Court Consolidation, 1,075 Cases Are Part Of Federal Court MDL, And 470 In California

(Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com)
About five months ago we posted "March 2013 Fosamax Product Liability Litigation Update: Femur Fracture Cases Against Merck -- December 31, 2012 Totals: 2,075 New Jersey (NJ) State Court Lawsuits, With 820 Cases Pending In Federal Court Fosamax MDL And 420 California Claims".
As seen in Merck's SEC filing for the second quarter of 2013, the number of Fosamax cases alleging femur fracture as the drug injury -- as opposed to osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) -- is growing albeit at a relatively modest rate.
And that total number will certainly get higher as we and other law firms around the country continue to investigate for litigation new Fosamax - femur fracture cases that will eventually be filed as lawsuits.
From the Merck SEC filing we get this update for the New Jersey consolidated Fosamax litigation:

As of June 30, 2013, approximately 2,660 cases alleging Femur Fractures have been filed in New Jersey state court and are pending before Judge Higbee in Atlantic County Superior Court. The parties have selected an initial group of 30 cases to be reviewed through fact discovery. The first trial of the New Jersey state Femur Fracture cases, Su v. Merck, began on March 11, 2013, but a mistrial was declared on March 28, 2013 after the plaintiff suffered a serious medical issue unrelated to her use of Fosamax that prevented her from proceeding with the trial. The next trial, Unanski v. Merck, was set to be tried beginning November 4, 2013, but has been continued and is expected to be tried in 2014.

Here is the Google search string for most of the articles I have written about bisphosphonates.


Fosamax lawsuits articles

About megadoses of vitamin D

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

Lawsuits alleging harm by osteoporosis drugs are now being won!

I have been reporting for years about the horrible injuries that these anti-osteoporosis drugs (bisphosphonates) are causing - Bone death, disabling fractures, cancer, dementia and heart disease.  I was right all along:  These drugs cause enormous harm and are doping so on a scale that is scandalous to the extreme.  Just one brand alone, Fosamax, is now facing in excess of 4,000 lawsuits in the United States alone - mind-boggling!

Meanwhile, New Zealand is one of the few countries in the world that allows these drugs to be marketed directly to the consumer on prime time television using "personalities" like Judith Dobson, who's job is to lull the consumer into a state of dulled complacency.  Is anybody in New Zealand monitoring these drugs?  Or is it a case of the fox guarding the chicken coup?

Merck claims that it gave adequate warning of the risks associated with these drugs but still lost.  This claim of theirs is rubbish: If you can read the small print on that 30 second television ad as it flashes across the screen, then you are doing far better than me!  The family doctor is our reliable health professional who we trust is diligently working to protect our health; but this is no longer the case, since they are well and truly ensconced within the the drugs industry encampment nowadays and at their beck and call to promote their drugs.

You can no longer rely on your doctor to protect you from dangerous drugs such as bisphosphonates

Why do they keep selling these drugs despite losing hundreds of thousands per lost law suit?  Because they can make many millions more by still selling the poison to unsuspecting people, mostly elderly women who they know will never fight back.  In New Zealand it is harder to sue, by the way.

Here's the latest news.....

(Reuters) - A federal jury on Tuesday ordered Merck & Co Inc to pay $285,000 in a lawsuit over the risks of its osteoporosis drug Fosamax, the second loss for the company after several earlier trials. 

A federal jury on Tuesday ordered Merck & Co Inc to pay $285,000 in a lawsuit over the risks of its osteoporosis drug Fosamax, the second loss for the company after several earlier trials.
The eight-person jury in U.S. District Court in Manhattan found that Merck failed to warn plaintiff Rhoda Scheinberg's doctors of the risks associated with Fosamax. The jury rejected the plaintiff's argument that Fosamax was a defective product.
More than 4,000 lawsuits are pending in federal and state courts arising out of injuries allegedly caused by the one-time blockbuster medication. Seven cases have now gone to trial, and Merck has won five and lost two.
This latest trial was one of the so-called "bellwether" cases in the Fosamax litigation. Judges order bellwethers in mass litigation to assess trends and outcomes that could play out in similar lawsuits. A string of wins by plaintiffs could, for example, give them a stronger hand in settlement talks with defendants to end all of the cases.
Lawyers for Scheinberg, a 69-year-old New York resident, contended Fosamax caused her to suffer delayed healing and a bone disease of the jaw after a tooth extraction. The jury found that Merck's failure to warn of the drug's risks was a cause of her injury.
"With this victory, this litigation has a renewed purpose and a renewed focus," Tim O'Brien, a lawyer for Scheinberg who also represents other plaintiffs in Fosamax lawsuits, said in a statement.
Merck said in a statement that it disagreed with the verdict and noted that the jury returned a mixed verdict.
"Merck provided appropriate warnings, and the plaintiff was at increased risk for dental and jaw problems regardless of whether she was taking Fosamax," said Merck lawyer Chilton Varner of law firm King & Spalding.
The lawsuit, filed in 2008, was one of 975 pending before U.S. District Judge John Keenan in New York after a judicial panel consolidated Fosamax cases alleging jaw-related injuries.
Another 842 lawsuits alleging femur injuries are pending in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey. Other lawsuits are pending in state courts.
The only other Fosamax case that Merck has lost at trial resulted in a $8 million verdict by a federal jury in Manhattan in June 2010 for Shirley Boles, a Florida woman who alleged she developed osteonecrosis of the jaw after taking the drug.
In October 2010, Keenan reduced the verdict to $1.5 million. Merck is appealing the case.
Fosamax had annual sales of $3 billion until its U.S. patent lapsed in 2008 and generic versions flooded the market.
Merck shares were up 53 cents, or 1.3 percent, at $41.38 on the New York Stock Exchange in late afternoon trading.
The case is Scheinberg v. Merck & Co, Inc., U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 09-4119.
(Reporting By Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Martha Graybow, Leslie Adler and Carol Bishopric)

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/05/us-merck-fosamax-idUSBRE91416H20130205

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

Why do many women have osteopaenia or osteoporosis?

Modern eternal war is the perfect
business model.
The other "Eternal War" is the one
to enslave the bodies
of womanhood

One of the most frequent inquiries coming my way is from women mostly over 40 who have been told by their doctor that they have weak bones.

It is needless terrorism

Some arrive on my doorstep in tears after being told they have either osteopaenia or osteoporosis.  This is a very serious thing to drop on an otherwise healthy woman; especially when the only solutions offered condemn them to a life time of drugs, mega-doses of harmful synthetic vitamins and minerals (vitamin D and calcium) and constant worry that they may trip and break a bone.

In many cases this is irresponsible, alarmist rubbish!

If there is an osteoporosis epidemic, then where are the hospital wards full of women with broken bones?  There aren't.  Yes, there is osteoporosis and some women do unfortunately fall and break a hip; but there is not an epidemic of fractures.  If a woman has low bone density, as many may, this is actually a poor predictor of fracture risk (There are articles linked later in this article which explain this).  Being on heart medication is a better predictor of fracture risk than a Dexa Scan.  

Did you know that "bone sparing" medication actually increases fracture risk after two years use!  Did you know that there are now more than 2,000 law suits pending in the New Jersey courts alone for osteonecrosis and hip fracture, allegedly caused by the use of Fosamax?  (Fosamax is just one of many kinds of "bone-sparing" drug of the bisphoshonate class).

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=fosamax+law+suits&aq=f&oq=fosamax+law+suits&aqs=chrome.0.57j62.15154j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Hardly any woman over the age of 50 will not be declared anything less than being osteopaenic following a scan.  This is simply the way it works: It is a test that is based on dodgy science using a scaling system that almost guarantees a diagnosis of low bone density.

The motivation is purely for commercial gain: In my opinion:

• The Dexa Scan is a high value service for the clinic that is quick and easy to operate.
• It gives the "evidence" for justifying a woman sacrificing her body for the cause: The war on osteoporosis which includes subjecting oneself annually to yet another source of cancer-causing radiation consuming expensive patented vitamins and minerals which will actually accelerate bone loss, arthritis and fatigue!
• And has them enroll in the clinic's profitable "bone strengthening" programme (A waste of money and effort if not combined with a proper drugs-free nutritional balancing programme).
• It has them coming back for an annual screen (A captured population and ongoing profitability).
• When this does not work, as it surely won't, then the clinic can put them on an even higher value "bone-sparing" drug like Fosamax which is guaranteed to destroy a woman's health, thus requiring even more high value drugs and medical procedures.

Screening programmes like these are a form of costly medical entrapment that has nothing to do with health.  In my informed opinion. Where's the published peer reviewed evidence of long term benefits such as improved life expectancy and improved quality of life?  I haven't found it yet.  

Incidentally, the Dexa Scan is now being extended to measure body fat: Yet even more cancer-causing radiation.  As if there wasn't too much already! This is totally contradictory in terms of  good health practice.

Real health has been hijacked and distorted 

for the purposes of commercial profit

A parallel health issue with equally dodgy motives and lack of credible evidence is the cholesterol lowering industry: http://blog.garymoller.com/2013/05/can-statin-cholesterol-lowering-drugs.html.  A further outrageous example of the hijacking of health for profit is the highly successful seasonal flu vaccine: http://blog.garymoller.com/2013/04/is-seasonal-flu-vaccine-actually.html and here: http://blog.garymoller.com/2013/02/the-flu-shot-dr-oz-is-getting-his-are.html

The osteoporosis industry reminds me of the Halliburton model for the "Business of War".  The next obvious move in the war on osteoporosis is to target men, similar to what the cosmetics industry has done after exhausting its supply of women for business growth.

Sex sells: Terror sells even better!

Here are a series of articles that you will find relevant to this discussion:

• Does calcium prevent osteoporosis? http://blog.garymoller.com/2012/01/inconvenient-truth-about-osteoporosis.html
• Calcium and heart disease: http://blog.garymoller.com/2010/08/study-finds-link-between-calcium.html
• http://blog.garymoller.com/2010/04/i-am-60-year-old-woman-diagnosed-with.html
• http://blog.garymoller.com/2009/09/how-much-calcium-do-we-need-in-our.html
• http://blog.garymoller.com/2008/08/i-am-29-year-old-female-very-active.html
• http://blog.garymoller.com/2007/06/spontaneous-fractures-and-fossy-jaw.html
• http://blog.garymoller.com/2012/09/anti-osteoporosis-drugs-evidence-mounts.html
• http://blog.garymoller.com/2010/05/would-rebounding-be-counter-indicated.html
• Vit D articles https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=gary+moller+vitamin+d&aq=f&oq=gary+moller+vitamin+d&aqs=chrome.0.57j62l3.10025j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
• Fosamax etc https://www.google.co.nz/search?newwindow=1&q=gary+moller+bisphosphonates&oq=gary+moller+bisp&gs_l=serp.1.0.0i22i30.139412.141861.0.144294.4.3.0.1.1.0.255.694.2-3.3.0...0.0...1c.1.11.serp.7UwUBSByEao
• Gillian Sanson http://blog.garymoller.com/2012/09/the-myth-of-osteoporosis-revised.html  and http://gilliansanson.wordpress.com/ (Highly recommended!).

Cochrane Reviews on osteoporosis:

http://www.thecochranelibrary.com/details/browseReviews/577511/Osteoporosis.html?page=1

Sadly, I can't find convincing evidence of benefit from these drugs in terms of life expectancy or morbidity when adjusted for "all causes".

You will realise there is good cause to be cautious about any health matters in which Big Business has a controlling hand . You may also appreciate why I decided to separate myself from the "system" some years ago. 

I am not winning any popularity contests for calling out aloud that the Emperor has no clothes but it is difficult to remain silent following the tearful visit from a healthy woman who has just been told she has a terrible disease that, in her case, may actually be an unsubstantiated  concoction of myth for commercial profit and she is given little in the way of treatment choice other than spending the rest of her life on harmful drugs.

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

New Australian Study Supports An Apparent Association Between Long-Term Fosamax Use And Certain Types Of Femur Fractures

The evidence keeps mounting that these so-called "bone-sparing" drugs are the complete opposite.

What these reports of terrible injury do not tell you is that most of these elderly women do not survive these fractures: They develop pneumonia and die.

It is outrageous that these drugs continue to be advertised on prime time television in New Zealand and doctors continue to dish these out like lollies to unsuspecting and trusting patients.

When there is so much increasing doubt about their safety there should be a moratorium on prescribing them.

If in doubt - Leave it out!

Researchers Find Increased Number Of Low-Energy Subtrochanteric Fractures For A Period Ten Years After Introduction Of Fosamax In That Country (Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com) At the Orthopaedic Proceedings section of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, British Volume, web site there is an item that presents some findings from a recent Australian study which supports the apparent link between Fosamax and atypical femur fractures. This new Fosamax research item is "Femoral Insufficiency Fracture Associated With Prolonged Alendronate Therapy".  From the Abstract for this item we get these five key findings about femur fractures in long-term users of Fosamax: Of the 41 patients with subtrochanteric insufficiency fracture, 40 (98%) had been taking [Fosamax (alendronate)] and one had been taking risedronate. Twenty-nine of the 41 (71%) complained of prodromal pain in the affected femur. The mean duration of [Fosamax (alendronate)] use in those with insufficiency fracture was 7.1 years. This is the largest study in the literature on subtrochanteric insufficiency fractures and [Fosamax (alendronate)] therapy. Confirming recent reports, [Fosamax (alendronate)] use was strongly suggestive of subtrochanteric insufficiency fracture. These Australian study findings seem consistent with two May 2012 Archives of Internal Medicine articles concerning a study out of Switzerland which found that the use of Fosamax as well as several other bisphosphonates seems to be associated with an increased risk of atypical fractures of the femur, which risk may be determined by the duration of Fosamax treatment. Those two medical journal articles are: "Increasing occurrence of atypical femoral fractures associated with bisphosphonate use"; and, "Atypical femoral fracture risk in patients treated with bisphosphonates". To date, more than a thousand Fosamax - femur fracture lawsuits have been filed against Merck, and more such drug injury legal compensation case filings are expected in the months to come.

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About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Anti-osteoporosis drugs - All Harm and no Good

Well, what do you know?  The number of lawsuits in the US against just one brand of bisphophonates (Fosamax) now exceeds 1,000!

These are horrific drugs which continue to be advertised on prime time television in New Zealand with no regard at all for the horrific side effects including osteonecrosis of the jaw ("fossy jaw") - The poor victim risks losing her jaw bone!  And all this prescribed by medical people who are supposed to be in the "health" business and who should know better.  Where's the care?

Here is the search string for many of the articles I have written on the subject.

Latest article from Tom Lamb:

Risk Of Femur Fractures From Osteoporosis Drugs Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel, And Reclast Related To Number Of Years Used

Using These Bisphosphonates More Than Three (3) To Five (5) Years May Not Only Increase Side Effect Risk But There May Be No Benefit To Most Patients
(Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com)

In May 2012 there were medical journal articles in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and the Archives of Internal Medicine which, together, may cause millions of women to stop using the popular osteoporosis drugs Fosamax (or alendronate, its generic equivalent), Boniva, Actonel, and Reclast due to these two primary findings:


First: There is an increased risk of atypical fractures (low-stress) of the femur in women who have used these bisphosphonate osteoporosis drugs for more than five (5) years; and,


Second: For perhaps 60% to 70% of women currently using Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel, Reclast, and other bisphosphonates there is little to no benefit when these osteoporosis medications are used for more than three (3) to five (5) years.]  Full article here.

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About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

The Fosamax lawsuits are now in progress!

There are now almost 1,000 separate lawsuits in the USA alleging that Fosamax caused harm.  This harm includes osteonecrosis of the jaw - a horrific condition where the bone of the jaw dies, causing disintegration of the jaw - Horrific!  This is stuff right out of a horror movie.

This harm is not isolated to Fosamax alone, Fosamax is a member of the class of drugs known as "bisphosphonates".  These drugs are widely prescribed in New Zealand.  For more about these drugs, please read the long list of articles I have written here about these horrible drugs - there is nothing positive one can say about them.  Sadly, despite all the dire warnings, doctors continue to prescribe these to trusting patients.

Read on.....
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Jury Is Told Numerous Times By Her Attorney That Fosamax Did Nothing For Sessner, It Only Did Something To Her

(Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com)

During his March 5, 2012 opening statement the plaintiff's attorney, Tim O'Brien, told members of the jury numerous times that Fosamax did nothing for Jo Ann Sessner, it only did something to her.

It is alleged in this Fosamax lawsuit -- Jo Ann Sessner vs. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., ATL-L-3394-11 (MT), which is currently ongoing in a New Jersey state court, with Judge Carol Higbee presiding -- that the osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) which Mrs. Sessner developed was caused by her six years of Fosamax use.   In medical terms, this condition is known generally as "bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw" (BRONJ).

To clarify what is meant by this contention that "Fosamax did nothing for Jo Ann Sessner, it only did something to her", the plaintiffs will introduce evidence during this Sessner Fosamax - ONJ trial that Merck's osteoporosis medication does nothing beneficial for a patient with osteoporosis after 36 months, or three years, of use in terms of preventing fractures.

Moreover, if that patient really only had osteopenia, and not osteoporosis, then there was never really any medical benefit gained from taking Fosamax, according to other evidence that the plaintiffs will put on during this Sessner trial.

Therefore, and this is presuming that Mrs. Sessner had osteoporosis (and not just osteopenia), after the first three years that she used Fosamax -- or, to put it otherwise, during the immediate three years before she was diagnosed with ONJ -- Fosamax was not helping Mrs. Sessner but only hurt her by causing the ONJ, which was vividly described by Mr. O'Brien in his opening statement as "a disfiguring, a disabling, and a life-changing disease".

Well, as it turns out (unfortunately), Mrs. Sessner has plenty of company in terms of the number of women who have been diagnosed with ONJ associated with Fosamax.  This evidence will be developed by the plaintiff's attorneys during the second week of this Fosamax - ONJ Sessner trial currently ongoing in a New Jersey state court.

Note: Courtroom View Network (CVN) has cameras that are webcasting the Sessner trial from Judge Higbee's courtroom in New Jersey to attorneys and other interested persons around the country.  I want to thank CVN for providing this remote access as it allows me to view and report on the Sessner trial without having to actually be there.

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DrugInjuryLaw.com: Legal Information And News About Prescription Drug Side Effects

Drug Injury Case Evaluation - Free & Confidential

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About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.