Actonel Can Cause Serious Side Effects in Some Patients

By PETER GOTT

Dear Dr. Gott: I can relate to the side effects of Actonel, which one of your readers had.

A couple of years ago, my then primary doctor prescribed Actonel due to some bone loss.

The day after my first dose, I experienced tightening across my chest and low-back pain. The back pain was so severe that I needed help to arise from the couch and bed. I could barely walk and had to use the walls or whatever was near that I could grasp. When I went to the doctor, I had to be driven and needed to use both hands to lift my right leg into and out of the car.

My doctor found my symptoms hard to believe and gave me medication for my discomfort. I was supposed to take this pill again the following week to see if I had the same reaction. Needless to say, I didn’t take it again and told her those pills were awful.

Dear Reader: Experiences like yours are one reason I that I try to keep my readers informed in my column.

Actonel, in general, is a beneficial drug. However, it can have serious side effects for some people. I recommend that you increase your calcium and vitamin D intake. Over-the-counter calcium plus D supplements are available in most pharmacies and grocery stores. They are relatively inexpensive and often make a substantial difference.

To date, I have received only a handful of letters like yours about Actonel. Your experience was startling and deserves to be published. Perhaps your experience will help another person. Thank you for writing.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Osteoporosis.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped No. 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

Write Dr. Gott c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave. 4th floor, New York, NY 10016.

(Distributed by NEA)

Originally published by PETER GOTT Newspaper Enterprise Association.

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