Alendronic Acid

dreamdaisy

Morning all, I hope Sunday finds you as well as you can possible be.

Right, it's stupid o'clock and I am half way thro the great alendronic acid sit-up-straight-for-30-minutes palaver. I woke at 5.30, desperate for trammy of some description but remembered I had to do the AA (I am trying to ward off steroid-induced osteoporosis - gives a hollow laugh) and that has to be taken on an empty stomach followed by the sitting up. Is anyone else on this and if so do you bother with the sitting up bit? I think it's meant to stop the drug causing some sort of acid reflux or somesuch but surely once a pill is in your stomach it isn't going to roll out again just 'cos one is lying down. Anyhoo, my joints are screaming nicely now, it's going to take some serious whack of something to get this back under control - I am eyeing the oromorph. DD

frogmorton

Oh DD

I do hope you got back off to sleep...

Probably wise to do as you are told eh?

Love

toni xx

elnafinn

Hi DD

If that is the med for osteoporosis, my mum takes that weekly and does what the instructions say. I do hope you were able to get some more zeeeeeeeees after all that palava.

Luv
Elna x

cherrybim

Hello DD

Both OH & I were put on Alendronic acid but when I had to have some work done at the Maxo unit down at the hos the surgeon said it was a no no. I had a chat with our doc and she said she tended to agree with him after reading recent research. She told me to just keep taking the Adcal and leave the AA out.

This is, of course, only my experience and in no way is it meant to influence other peeps.

Cherryxx

Airwave!

Yes, wondrous stuff! I have the Ibandronic acid every month, staying upright means it doesn't rest in your esophagus and start dissolving there causing problems, your stomach can cope, your throat can't.

I do hurry mine along, take it and drink a couple of pints of water, getting it down straight away. It does cause me to feel slightly off colour for the day and OH stays out of my way!

I have seen a few press reports but they have not named any particular brand nor has anyone said don't take them although the nurse said she thought I was taking too many calcium (Adcal)tablets. There is not really any follow up system in place in the NHS, it just relies on us to step forward and ask what we should do, a big failing, I believe. Our illnesses go up and down over the course of time, but our medicines, type and amount, stay the same.

Does everyone get problems getting on to the forum? Wouldn't accept details or email address when I tried to re-register, said it was already in use.
8) Its a grin, honest!

dreamdaisy

Thanks everyone. Yup, airwave, I feel sick for about six hours after the AA, another one of life's little treats which I lap up with enthusiasm - not. It is an anti-oseoporosis med, having been on oral steroids for so long I suppose it is a wise move, I've been AAing for three years, I have no idea what my bone density is now - it used to be very good but that was before all this arthritis nonsense kicked in. I was prescribed it as I was told, much to my amusement, I wouldn't want the pain of broken bones: I suspect the pain of broken bones may serve as a diversion from all the other pain - I like, nay even enjoy, different pains now - they ring the changes and make life more interesting. So, I shall continue to do acid and sit up. Wot larks, Pip, wot larks. Thanks for your comments, everyone. DD

cherrybim

Hi DD,
I was wondering whether your doc sends you for a Dexa scan for your bone density? OH and I are sent for one every couple of years. Sadly both results are a bit parlous, Stu's more than mine but at least we know "what's occurring" as the young 'uns say.

Cherry x

dreamdaisy

Hi cherry, no-one has suggestd that but I will raise it with my consultant when I see her on 13.12.10, I am curious and I think I want to know if the AA has had any effect. As I am spending 26 hours a year sitting upright at stupid o'clock I want to know it's worth it! I think airwave made a good point - we have to ask and bother and hassle because the docs get used to the status quo regarding meds and dosages etc etc etc. We have to do so because as individuals we are not that important to our docs - I am sure we all blend into one amorphous blob for them! How's the coat? Still working its magic? DD

speedalong

Hi, I think you should definitely ask the consultant about the test for as you say -

spending 26 hours a year sitting upright at stupid o'clock I want to know it's worth it!

I would also ask a pharmacist for suggestions and check if other meds count re "on an empty stomach" ... as it would have been so much nicer to have had some tram-related med, nodded off, woken up and taken the AA med, pottered around - easily using up half an hour before sitting down to breakfast at a more civilised hour ....

Hope the sick feeling wears off in double quick time, today.

Speedy

cherrybim

DD you have such a lovely sense of humour and you don't take any truck with the ugly Arthur

My fur coat My little Granddaughter paraded about in it yesterday and said "Can I take him home with me Grannie?" Ooops not a good idea as my DIL is a veggie :oops: However son said "You wear it Mum, you'll look a treat going down the High Street on Enzo" (my red mobility scooter )

Take good care and ask and ask!

Love Cherry x

annebr

DD,

I think I know why you have to sit up, my Aunt takes this drug and this was the explaination given to her. The pill helps calcification so once you have taken it you have to drink water & sit up to ensure that it goes straight down. Sitting up and and drinking the water will prevent calcification of the little bones on the trachea. Hope this makes sense?

Not sure about taking other meds whether this counts as an empty stomach?

dreamdaisy

Oh cherrybim, Enzo! First out-loud laugh for ages, thank you! I love the idea of naming your mobility scooter after Mr Ferrari! When I get mine (that day will come) I think I shall name her Aston!

I still don't really understand the reasoning behind the 30 minute sit up - surely the tablet has to be digested to do its work? Could it really instantly calcify everything - and do we really have bones in our oesophagus? Shouldn't they be covered with tissue? (Not the paper sort, the skin sort: the trachea is the windpipe, I don't think it's meant to go down that tube!) Peristalsis and lots of water will surely whack the thing down to the stomach fairly rapidly. I prefer the notion that researchers/docs sit around a table and try to come up with more ideas to make an uncomfortable life even more of a nuisance/effort/performance. Viz. the empty stomach, I do take that literally, hence no pain meds, no matter how urgent the need. When I do wake up at a 'proper' time in the morning my second thought is 'cuppa', (my first being 'ouch') so I do end up doing the AA at all sorts of odd hours, usually between 3 and 6am. It's all part of life's rich tapestry. Ho hum. Once again, thank you for all your thoughts and ideas. DD

salamander

Hi DD,

The sitting up for half an hour is because, as I think someone said, it is corrosive to the oesophagus but not to the stomach. If you lie down you could get some leaking back into the oesophagus and it could cause problems further down the line. Apparently, all the drugs in that group do the same thing.

I came off mine,after all it is a preventative medicine for me, same as you on steroids. Rheumy agreed but said have to have Dexa scan in Jan.

I have taken painkillers in the middle of the night and then taken it in the morning. I would check with pharmacist how many hours 'an empty stomach' is.

hileena111

Hi DD, Sorry I'm just getting round to answering this now.
Yes I was on alendronic acid a while back....it is dreadful ....not being able to take painkillers ...not even a cuppa which is practically the first thing I do......GP said no drink during the night either.
The reason I was taking it is I had a dexa scan and was diagonosed as having osteopina....worse than bones should normally be but not quite osteoporosis {also on adcal} but after a while and a few moans from me the GP did some sort of test on the computer.....inputting loads of info and decided I wasnt bad enough to warrant it if I didnt want to take it...I jumped at the chance of coming off it. I will ask about another dexa scan sometime......want to get this back sorted out first

Love
Hileena

dreamdaisy

Hey hileena! You found us! I was so pleased to see your name, and thank you for your reply. Yes, this tablet is a pain, I had not heard I shouldn't drink during the night tho - too late on that front methinks, I get thro a pint at least every night - yes, water, not beer! - I suppose in the grand scheme of things this pill isn't really such a palaver but when one is in the dumps to start with, when one realises that there is no way out of this mess and that it is only going to get worse well, fannying about with pills and sitting up does get one's goat. My goat is resigned now to being got at all sorts of odd hours, he just rolls his eyes and follows me. Wise beast. I hope you are as well as you can be. DD

hileena111

Hi DD, I knowI've been away for a few days.....I might have been very poorly LOL
Anyway I know exactly what you mean....I used to hate Sun mornings......especially in the winter when all I wanted was a cuppa and not 2 or 3 glasses of freezing water It was such a pain.

Love
Hileena

lupin15

Hi hope you don't mind me joining this thread. I did take this awful drug two years ago but because i was struggling with side affects came off. I had a bone dens done and decided to leave it for two years and have another bone dens done to see if it had got worse and by how much.
Went to my GP to be told they are not allowed to send you for bone dens test that i will have to go through the hospital (in my case the oncol dept) What a pain.....sorry excuse the pun.
While talking to the doctor he mentioned that two new drugs were about to come onto the market..one next month and the other by feb next year. Decided to wait and try the new drugs to see how the side effects go......

dreamdaisy

Oh poor you, that must have been miserable. The only side effect for me is feeling sick for a few hours, which I know will pass. Coke helps that tho - drinking it, I mean, not the other! I hope that (if/when you begin one) the new drugs work better for you. DD