Fosimax, femur fractures and HR

[Woodstock Hippy]

Hello everyone,  I'm a 3.5 year bilateral veteran and I have been enjoying the hippy life.  Running 3 to 4 days a week, cycling, swimming.  These new hip joints have allowed me to return to triathlon and running with great success.  This spring I finished first in my age group in one of the toughest multisport races in the country, American Ziffingen;  5 mile mountain train run with four climbs, 29 mile road bike with three brutal climbs, 5 mile run, 29 bike, 5 run.  Three weeks later I went to Oahu and competed in an ocean swim race from Sunset Beach to Bonzai Pipeline.  I finished mid pack but it was a great day.  Life is really good with these new hips!

Now I was diagnosed with mild ostopenia in my forearms and lower back.  They usually test your hips, but there was no point in that.  The doctor prescribed Fosimax.  When I checked the side effect I found the ''spontanious femur fractures'' is one of the side effects, yikes!

''Femur Fractures

For those taking Fosamax, perhaps the most frustrating side effect is the drug’s propensity to cause fractures of what is one of the strongest bones in the body â€" the femur. These low-energy fractures, also called stress fractures, often happen when patients least expect it. Some patients reported breaking bones while they were doing normal, everyday tasks such as walking or sitting. Merck said the fractures usually come after weeks or months of groin or hip pain. Researchers are still trying to determine why Fosamax is linked to bone breaks, especially in patients taking the drug for five years or longer. Many scientists theorize the drug shuts down the body’s bone-renewing process and creates more brittle bones.''

This sounds like it would be disatrous for a fun loving hippy like me.  Does any one know anything about this?  Has anyone out there been prescribed Fosimax

[JHippy]

Yea I read that too, it's a real curious potential side effect. I was actually prescribed Fosamax by my HR surgeon for the 6 months after surgery. He uses it in patients that he feels are at higher risk for early fractures. In my case my bone strength was excellent but my BMI was high. It was only 6 months though, and he doesn't allow impact during the first six months anyway. Long term, I don't know.