Several years ago, I warned you about the terrible side effects of the drug Fosamax. This popular osteoporosis drug causes some horrible side effects. One of the worst is a painful condition we call jaw osteonecrosis. This is a fancy word for decay and crumbling of the jawbone.
Just how painful is it? Ask Rochelle Kenig. She took Fosamax for nine years until she woke up one morning in 2004 with excruciating, excruciating pain in her jaw.
This has been a living nightmare, and nobody knew anything about it, she said.
I wish she had read Second Opinion, because she would’ve known about it. It could have saved her from some horrible treatments. She had repeated surgeries. Then she had to take potent antibiotics to fight the resulting infections. She even had some alternative therapies, including hyperbaric oxygen and acupuncture. Nothing helped.
Then a group of surgeons replaced part of her jaw with a titanium plate secured with metal hinges. But, Kenig said, the decay and infections had caused a permanent loss of sensation on the right side of her lip and face. She even lost several teeth.
Kenig is not the only one going through this nightmare. Hundreds of people now have permanent jaw trouble thanks to Fosamax. Many of them are now suing Merck, the drugs maker.
How could I predict these bone complications years ago? It was not hard to do. Science has known for years that bisphosphonate drugs kill bone-remodeling cells called osteoclasts. Your bones might get denser, but more brittle. And your jaw is subject to tremendous pressure from chewing.
Since bone density is the target, not bone quality, the drug got approved (yes, that is how the idiotic system works). As a result, Merck will have to pay millions for lawsuits against another of its failed drugs.
If you want to prevent osteoporosis or stop its progression, keep your body alkaline by eating plenty of fruits and veggies. You also may need bio-identical hormones (ask an integrative physician to check your hormone levels). And you can also take many supplements, including magnesium and strontium. My favorite formula for maintaining healthy bones is Healthy Resolves Ultimate Bone Support. Together with MaxPlus, it can work wonders for your bones.