Is My Osteoporosis Medication Defeating Me? Side Effects of Long-Term Actonel Use

Actonel is the second-best-selling medication in a class of osteoporosis medications called bisphosphonates.

Ironically, bisphosphonates are a key ingredient in such things as soaps, dishwashing liquid, and heavy lubricants. Proctor and Gamble, the makers of Actonel, are also in the business of manufacturing laundry detergent.

What you may find even more disturbing is that data gathered on bisphosphonate use suggests a link between the long-term use of the drug for the treatment of osteoporosis and spontaneous leg fractures. The risk is real enough that the FDA has mandated that Actonel and Actonel with Calcium be sold with warnings on their labels about the risk of leg fractures. In addition, it is now mandatory to sell the drugs together with a medication guide that notes the risk.

 

If you have recently sustained a leg fracture while taking Actonel, contact an Actonel femur break attorney at 1-888-824-3400 to learn more about your legal options.

 

How Could Actonel Have Caused My Leg Fracture?

 

While we tend to think of bone as something permanent and unchanging, it is, in fact, a tissue that is constantly in the process of regenerating itself. Osteoporosis is a condition in which the natural breaking down of bone by cells called osteoclasts begins to overtake its replacement, causing a reduction in bone density.

Doctors prescribe bisphosphonate drugs to slow down this breakdown of bone by osteoclast cells.

While the short-term use of Actonel to treat osteoporosis has proven to be effective, what remains uncertain is the long-term usefulness and safety of the drug. There is mounting evidence that the long-term use of the drug may in fact be counterproductive, leading to rarely occurring types of femur (thighbone) fractures.

The current theory is that Actonel and other bisphosphonate drugs may have this effect by causing an increase in the numbers of osteoclast cells, which in turn may lead to the increased brittleness of the thighbone - and by interfering with the bodily process by which bone is remodeled.

 

If you have suffered a femur fracture while taking Actonel, you likely have many questions and concerns. Contact an Actonel femur break attorney to obtain answers to your pressing questions.