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Dangers of taking fosamax

This Week In The HSI Forum

Fosamax is the most-prescribed medicine worldwide for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. But that doesn’t mean that it’s good for you.

In an HSI Forum thread titled “Fosamax should I take this?” a member named TXHomemaker says that her mother is at high risk for fractures. TXH’s mom doesn’t like to take medication for fear of side effects. But she does take a number of supplements, including calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. Nevertheless, her doctor is insisting that, “nothing else will build bone except the Fosamax. Any comments?”

There certainly are some comments, starting off with a member named Gerry who states, “It seems the drug acts by inhibiting osteoclasts. That could be quite dangerous.”

And a member named Jerry agrees, posting this comment: “Bones are constantly being broken down and built up again. Osteoclasts break down the bone and osteoblasts build it up. Osteoblasts keep building up the bone and it does indeed become denser. However the denser it gets the more brittle it becomes. Think of a piece of chalk, it is dense but brittle. So even though your mom would have denser bones, in a few years I think they would break easier.”

In the e-Alert “Bad to the Bone” (4/29/03), I told you how the inhibition of osteoclast cells increases bone density, but as Jerry indicates, it’s a short-sighted solution that interferes with a complex natural balance. To make matters worse, Fosamax kills osteoclast cells with poisons that are the same class of abrasive chemicals you use to scrub soap and mildew off of tile. So no wonder that Fosamax comes with a long list of side effects, which brings us to this posting from a member named Clara:

“My sister-in-law is taking Fosamax and she let me read the ‘warnings’ enclosed with her supply. Yikes!! There are tons of nasty-nasties listed: ulceration of esophagus, vision problems, ulcers, joint pain, brittle bones, nausea, headaches, damage to gastric lining, liver damage, etc. Also, one should not take it if one has any kind of kidney issues.”

But the side effects apparently don’t stop there. A member named Mari writes, “I was on Foxomax for only one week. My blood pressure went up 40 points. It took three days off of Fosomax for it to return to normal. My Dr. insisted that it could not be the Fosamax as that was not one of the listed side effects. But I won’t try again.”

So, if TXHomemaker’s mother doesn’t take Fosamax, what should she do? To begin with, she’s on the right track with her supplement choices because magnesium and vitamin D aid the absorption of calcium. In addition, she could help her supplement efforts by increasing her intake of these foods that are high in calcium: cabbage; kale; yellow, green, or waxed beans; and salmon. Magnesium-rich foods include: leafy green vegetables, whole grains, bananas, apricots, meat, beans, and nuts.

And a member named Rick has this suggestion for increasing vitamin D intake: “Getting seniors to exercise or get out in the sunlight is the real problem. Do a web search on Sunlight and Bone Disease and you will come up with hundreds of hits like: How Sunlight Can Save Your Life. Old saying: Where Sunshine is – Doctors Ain’t.”

Adding another dietary tip, a member named Roz suggests using coconut oil. Roz says, “Osteoporosis is only one of the numerous maladies that coconut oil can be helpful for, esp. for anyone who’s not yet suffered much bone loss.” Dr. Joseph Mercola (whom I’ve referenced in the e-Alert many times) offers a high-quality coconut oil on his web site. To learn more, go to http://www.mercola.com/forms/coconut_oil.htm.

As the comments in this thread illustrate, there are plenty of natural and safe methods for addressing the risk of osteoporosis. And all of them are preferable to bathroom scrubbing chemicals.

Other topics on the HSI Forum this week include:

  • Organic gardening
  • Sun’s vitamin D
  • How to do low-carb on a very tight budget
  • Watch the FDA
  • Food humor
  • Anyone recommend a good quality B17 for Cancer?

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