Side Effects:
Primarily, patients have complained about Fosamax Side Effects problems with their digestive system. The most common side effect for Fosamax is either heartburn, indigestion and/or inflamation of the stomach or esophagus. On occasion, the esophagus will become so inflamed that a patient will find it hard to breathe. If this occurs, you should stop your Fosamax drug regimen and contact your doctor or local hospital immediately.
Other common problems that can occur while taking Fosamax (>3% reported) are:Stomach / Digestive:
abdominal pain, dyspepsia / indigestion, constipation, acid reurgitation and flatulence.
Muscular & Skeletal:
bone pain, joint pain, muscle cramps
Major Side Effects:
Less common side effects, but far more dangerous, involve Stevens Johnson's Syndrome and Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ). While rare, these side effects have been described by Merck by placing warnings labels on their Fosamax medications but are currently under investigation of possible Fosamax lawsuits for not mentioning the link between this bisphosphonate and ONJ.
ONJ Jaw Disorder:
ONJ, or Osteonecrosis of the Jaw, has been linked to Fosamax. Patients who are currently taking Fosamax have been warned by Merck to consult a doctor before having any dental procedures done, especially when those patients are receiving Fosamax intraveinously as a part of their cancer treatment. ONJ prevents proper healing of the jawbone when a tooth extraction or similar action takes place and this Fosamax dental risks side effect can cause irreversable jaw damage. If you are planning on having any dental work while on this or similar medications, you need to inform your dentist before they begin work on your jaw.
Fosamax Study Results:
Merck conducted a one-year, 2x blind Fosamax study to examine the safety of the medication before its release. In it, the main side effect cited was abdominal pain experienced by 3.5% of the patients when provided a weekly dose of Fosamax 70 mg. The results from this 70mg dose and the Fosamax 10mg daily medication were both similarly on-par. At the time of the drugs release in 1995, there was no reason to issue a warning for the potenial dangers of Fosamax causing Jaw Osteonecrosis because it was never correlated to cancer patients taking chemotherapy, which is the main cause of Fosamax ONJ.
Other nicknames for Osteonecrosis of the Jaw:
Fossy Jaw, Dead Jaw, Phossy Jaw, ONJ, Dead Jaw Syndrome