Today, I am reminded again, how sometimes pharmaceutical treatments are worse than the disease.  In spite of the “full court press” by the drug companies to sell alleged osteoporosis-reversing drugs, all is not as it appears.  Sometimes osteoporosis meds do not deliver what they are claimed to  do. Other times, they cause horrifying side effects, such as deterioration of the jaw bone, a bonanza for the legal profession, inaffectionately termed phossy jaw.

We frequently see side effects actually contributing to the very symptoms the drug is intended to cure.  For example, one of the Evista side effects is arthritic pain.  In 40 years of practice, I have yet to see a patient with osteoporosis not confused by the fact that there is no pain associated with the condition, unless there is a fracture.  Therefore, with one side effect being joint pain, they dutifully continue on their osteoporosis meds thinking it will help their joint pain, which it will not.

Meanwhile, they drink milk which has been shown to actually contribute to osteoporosis!  Go figure.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 10th, 2011 at 4:30 am and is filed under Osteoporosis Treatment, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.