Did Merck Hide the Risks of Fosamax?

re: Did Merck Hide the Risks of Fosamax?

pshields_203 — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 15:57:27 GMT

Thank the Lord I never picked up my prescription. My doctor just phoned in one for me without asking me. Because of sites like this, I knew not to accept her advice. Even her nurse told me that she takes it and it's wonderful. A friend had to have all her teeth pulled after taking it because they all became loose. Thank you Dr. Mercola for keeping us informed.

re: Did Merck Hide the Risks of Fosamax?

Dr.G — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:41:40 GMT

The drug has an intersting mechanism - the chemical is laid down in the bone matrix as new bone is formed. When a cell that takes apart bone (an osteoclast) starts to do just that, it encounters the drug and it shuts down. After you get enough of the drug laid down in the bone you no longer have the ability to perform bone turnover - which is necessary to repair minor stress and strain fractures that occur (in active people) every day.

The Jaw can receive over 400 pounds per square inch of force, plenty to cause micro-fractures, which will not get repaired. The area between teeth and gum tissue is always insulted with bacteria - without the ability to turnover the bone directly around the teeth and adding stress and strain issues to infection/bacterial presence, you get massive uncontrolled infection and necrosis of the bone.

I wonder if the fracture rate is going to start creeping back up??? Truly an uncontrolled massive experiment is going on. So many of my patients are on this drug, I shutter to think what may happen to these wonderful people should this go very wrong - I have advised everyone to consider discontinuing, especially if they have been on for 3 years (which may be a magic number).

It's important to realize that all the studies with jaw infections were looking at cancer patient that had cancer in the bones, which they were giving extremely high doses to stop the cancer from causing pathologic fractures - and it worked, we just happened to get some jaw infections too.

Perspective is everything,

Dr. G (Periodontist, DDS, MS)

re: Did Merck Hide the Risks of Fosamax?

SteveBemis — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:15:03 GMT

The benefits of vitamin K2, which has only recently been quantified in 2006 by USDA for most foods, are more fully explained in a lengthy (and very scientific) article in the Spring issue of Wise Traditions, the magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation. In the article, K2 is described as the "Activator X" which Dr. Price had identified but could not fully analyze in the years before his death. It is most heavily concentrated in soy miso, but it is present in very large quantify, along with vitamins A and D (which K2 synergistically "activates") in the butter made from milk produced by cows eating fast-growing spring grass. The current undestanding is that K2 mediates the uptake of calcium, which is why its deficiency results in calcium going to the wrong places - to soft tissues like arteries and joints (causing "hardening" of the arteries and arthritic joints) and not to the right places like bones and teeth (causing osteoporosis and tooth decay). The article's author cites large Danish studies of over 4000 men in which diets with adequate K2 were responsible for up to 50% reductions in heart disease. It would appear K2 is the next really significant breakthrough understanding in basic nutrition and health.

re: Did Merck Hide the Risks of Fosamax?

LorraineZuk — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:39:31 GMT

I just got a prescription from the Dr. filled $84.00. Dr. subscribed because of my age 79 as a precaution of possibly falling and having a hip fracture. After reading your report, I will not take it. Did not start yet. I guess I'll just have to write off the 84.00. No returns permitted!

Lor in Il.

re: Did Merck Hide the Risks of Fosamax?

curious7 — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:45:47 GMT

Understand osteoporosis is caused by a leeching of calcium from our bodies, to cope with such things as phosforic acid, caffine, ANIMAL PROTEIN, and sugars to name a few. So go ahead go to your doctor get a calcium replacement pill, and all you are doing is trying to fill a bucket full of holes, with water.

This is our singled minded Healthcare system, we do not get to the cause of any malady, we put a band-aid on it and hope for the best. Why, because there are trillions to be made. So what if people die, it is the money that is of importance. Diabetes, cancer, hypertention, asthma, and arthritis, are the plagues we must cope with, and if the FDA, FTC, FCC all have anything to say about these maladies will remain so. And we the public continue to here only one side of the story, and accept the word of "Big Pharma," as gospel, and never look further than our noses. How stupid we are toplace our well being in the exclusive hands of other.

Why we will buy a new vehicle, and read the owner's manual cover to cover, and yet when it comes to the most important machine of all we are in the dark, and we allow someone else to tell what is what.

re: Did Merck Hide the Risks of Fosamax?

Thr3e — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:40:00 GMT

Maybe instead of class action lawsuits that these huge companies probably budget for anyhow (and still come out ahead), maybe we should start executing the people responsible like they do in China. Sure, a bit drastic, but the lawsuits don't seem to be getting anyone's attention at these companies.

re: Did Merck Hide the Risks of Fosamax?

bagarino — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 11:39:18 GMT

Come come Dr. Mercola! "Phossy (or "Fossy") Jaw" is a much older (related) condition that was seen in munitions workers about 100 years ago who handled white phosphorus. Nasty condition indeed but the new dentist nickname for complications from Fosamax and its relatives has another derivation. I've no doubt about any of the other stuff in the article.

Osteoporosis is a classic disease for prevention rather than cure. Build up your bones while you can in life (roughly the first half) and hang on to them as long as possible they'll last you most if not all of the second half as well. Sit around inside drinking soda, eating burgers and dodging dairy products and be prepared for old age in a cast.

re: Did Merck Hide the Risks of Fosamax?

Seasun — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:30:05 GMT

Against my better judgement, I went along with my doctor's recommendation to take Fosamax, and it's a decision I'll always regret.

The pain in my spine was so excruciating, I had to get a cane to help me move around. At first, I did not associate the pain with Fosamax, and my doctor even re-assured that Fosomax ws not the culprit.

After 4 agonizing months, I decided to stop using using Fosomax, ad immediately the intensity of the pain started to subside, but it never went away completely, and I still have to use a cane.

re: Did Merck Hide the Risks of Fosamax?

Russ Bianchi — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 21:19:38 GMT

MERCK HIDE SOMETHING?!

Why I'm just SHOCKED! SHOCKED, I TELL YOU!

Those saintly, good doing, helping grandmas across busy pedestrian intersections, patriotic, apple (gmo?) pie, freedom loving, fair play, moral, ethical, prudent, frugal, pure as the freshly fallen undriven snow,
happy, baseball loving, baby kissing (they aren't Roman Catholic Cardinals are they?), vetted, cleared, open minded, charitable, philanthropic, nice, mentoring, viral (call 911, if erection lasts over 4 hours), heros, heroines (hey, want a nickel bag?), upright, holy, truthful, merciful, gracious, nonprofit, pastoral, calm, tranquil (but, he's flat lining!
All Clear! ZAP), bunch of honorable white coats?!

Hey, what's the cadaver toe-tag say? "George W. Merck"...

OK, morgue shelf 4-F.

re: Did Merck Hide the Risks of Fosamax?

mmc88121 — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:24:52 GMT

Of course Merck hid the risks. in plain site in the drug information sheet that is included with each prescription. That is if you can see well enough to read it. Why can't they make those inserts easier to read. Because they don't want people to actually know what the side effects of the medications are. They just put the information out there so they can say they complied with the law.

Mary

re: Did Merck Hide the Risks of Fosamax?

ChiroTom5 — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:58:23 GMT

Of course they hid the risks! Just like they hid the risk for VIOXX. It's OK if a million people die because they'll sell so many drugs before they're finally called out on it that they'll still come out way ahead even after the law suits!

re: Did Merck Hide the Risks of Fosamax?

Rogway — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 09:58:13 GMT

Sure they hid the risk. How many articles like this have we read about and all of them pretty well proves merck hids the risk. This is the only way they can servive. They cannot have any hummanity about them at all.

MERCK=Medcinal Evil Represents Chronic Kaos.