| Drugs have side effects, and the decision to use a drug must be made carefully ... weighing the good & bad to see what comes out on top. My mom has taken Fosamax for many years. She has always been good about doing weight-bearing exercise, but was still at-risk. She is very slightly built, has scoliosis, and is definitely a great candidate for needing this drug. A couple years ago, she fell over while straddling her bike. She broke her pelvis. Last year, she fell while getting out of a pool. She broke the ball at the top of her ulna & fractured her shoulder. Her bones are so thin in the shoulder area that she had to wait a year just to see if it would heal on its own ... and now she has to wait another 5 or 6 months to get in for the surgery, which is a huge deal due to other health issues. Recently, her heart doctor took her off Fosamax. He told her that her internist should never have left her on the drug for so many years ... studies are showing that prolonged use is detrimental. It's not easy knowing what to do. |