Traditional osteoporosis drugs could be doing you harm

Added 19.05.2009

Osteoporosis, the progressive thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density, is a huge global problem with more than 200 million people affected. It's no surprise that the pharmaceutical industry has keyed in on people's fear of thinning bones and fractures.

Pharmaceutical drugs claim to prevent bone deterioration and preserve bone mass; but did you know that some of these medications are in fact linked to an increased risk of fractures? If that's not bad enough, there are a string of unpleasant and sometimes serious side effects associated with osteoporosis drugs. So much so, that the U.S. Food and Drug Admnistration (FDA) posted a warning on their website about the side effects of bisphosphonates. Here are just a few of the many side effects of osteoporosis drugs:

• Bisphosphonates like Fosamax, Boniva or Actonel have resulted in osteonecrosis of the jaw (breaking down of the bone, also called rotting jaw bone).
• Increased risk of thigh bone fractures.
• Inflammation of the oesophagus and gastric ulcers.
• Serious eye problems.
• Flu-like symptoms (fever, muscle/joint pain, headache).
• Hot flushes.
• Blood clots.
• Nausea.
• Skin rash.
• Dizziness.
• Mood disturbances.
• Irregular heartbeat.
• Gallbladder disease.

References:

Dr. Bo Nielsen's comments:

When deciding whether to accept taking a synthetic drug for the rest of your life, you need to weigh the benefits and disadvantages (risks) and even take into consideration any natural, side effect-free alternatives that are as effective as synthetic drugs. Unfortunately, only a few medical doctors are aware of alternatives to synthetic drugs and advise their patients about them. One major reason why most doctors do not know of alternatives is that 98% of all medical information is directly or indirectly sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry, according to a Swedish study. A recent study reveals that most pharmaceutical companies spend twice as much on marketing as they do on research. This lack of knowledge about alternatives to traditional drugs is an increasing problem as more and more people become aware of the limitations of traditional medicine. Osteoporosis treatments are prime examples where traditional drugs have unpleasant side effects and newly developed, 100% natural supplements have the same effect but no side effects.