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Fosamax Weekly 70mg, alendronate information
Consumer Medicine Information
Some common questions about Fosamax (Alendronate):
It is particularly important that you read the sections ‘When to take it’ and ‘How to take it’ before you take this medicine.
This page does not contain all of the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Fosamax against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
What Fosamax Once Weekly is used for
Fosamax Once Weekly (Alendronate) is used to treat osteoporosis. This condition is caused by changes in the way bone is normally maintained.
Understanding bone
Bone is living, growing tissue. Throughout life, our bodies are breaking down old bone and rebuilding new bone in a continuous cycle. Until our late twenties while bones are still developing we gain bone by building more than we lose.
From then until about age 35 the process is usually in balance so that the amount of bone lost is about equal to the amount that is replaced. After about age 35 this balance is disturbed, with bone loss occurring at a slightly faster rate than it can be replaced. In women after menopause, hormonal changes cause bone loss at an even faster rate.
When bone loss is excessive, bones can become thinner and weaker making them more likely to break.
How does Fosamax (Alendronate) work?
Fosamax works by slowing down the process of old bone being removed, which allows the bone forming cells time to rebuild normal bone.
Fosamax not only helps prevent the loss of bone but actually helps to rebuild bone and makes bone less likely to fracture. Thus, Fosamax reverses the progression of osteoporosis.
Fosamax starts working on the bone cells immediately but measurable effects on bone mass may not be seen for several months or more.
Fosamax (Alendronate) belongs to a group of non hormonal medicines called bisphosphonates.
Osteoporosis
‘Osteo’ means bone, and ‘porosis’ means something that has holes in it, like a sponge. Therefore, osteoporosis is a disease which causes bones to become more porous, gradually making them weaker, more brittle and likely to break. Osteoporosis is common in postmenopausal women.
Menopause occurs when the ovaries virtually stop producing the female hormone, estrogen, or are removed for example, at the time of a hysterectomy. At this time, bone is removed faster than it is formed, so bone loss occurs and bones become weaker. The earlier a woman reaches menopause, the greater the risk of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis also occurs in men but is less common.
Early on osteoporosis usually has no symptoms. However, if left untreated it can result in broken bones also called fractures. Although fractures usually cause pain, fractures of the bones of the spine may go unnoticed until they cause height loss. Fractures may occur during normal everyday activities such as lifting or from minor injury that would not ordinarily fracture normal bone. Fractures usually occur at the hip, spine or wrist and can lead not only to pain but also to considerable deformity and disability, such as stooped posture from curvature of the spine and loss of mobility.
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