Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: A Key Concern of Taking Fosamax

Osteonecrosis of the jaw or Dead Jaw syndrome is characterized as a condition that involves the presence of exposed bone in the mouth, which fails to heal after appropriate intervention over a period of six or eight weeks, medical experts say. Symptoms include bleeding gums, swelling, numbness, jaw pain, loose teeth, gum infection, or slow healing of the gums from dental injuries and surgical procedures. Treating this condition focuses on prevention and treatment of infection with treatment regimens highly individualized,  depending on the severity. In most cases it is recommended that surgery be performed to remove the diseased marrow usually by curettage and decortication. This not a very well understood condition and is thought to be caused by any number of factors such as dental surgery or procedures, diagnosis of cancer and concomitant therapies, poor oral hygiene, infection and other disorders.

Fossamax or alendronate sodium is a drug marketed as being able to prevent bone fractures or osteoporosis from forming in patients that have cancer, Paget's disease of the bone, osteogensis imperfecta, old age or any other condition featuring bone fragility. This drug supposedly prevents fracture formation in the skeleton by changing the way osteoclasts or bone cells form bone and thus minimizing the loss of calcium in bones by binding to it. For almost as long as this medication has been on the market, it has also been linked to be the cause of increased chance of patients developing osteonecrosis of the jaw. There have been studies and cases claiming that Fosamax and other biphosphonate medications are responsible for the increased incidence of this degenerative jaw condition.

Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: A Key Concern of Taking FosamaxSome medical research theorizes that this may have something to do with how alendronate sodium is taken and the precautions one must follow in order to take this medication properly; even when taking Fosamax as prescribed by taking this with simple distilled water in an upright position upon rising in the morning, with no other medication, food or drink to take with the drug. In addition to this any one taking this medication should wait thirty minutes before taking any food, drink or other medications. But despite these complicated precautions for taking it, Fosamax is still known to cause upper gastrointestinal tract problems, including stomach and esophageal ulcer. It is possible that, aside from long-term use, as much precaution is taken in ensuring that Fosamax does not cause any undue side-effects or hazards from taking it; since it may also be capable of causing adverse effects such as osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Patients who are prescribed this drug should seek the advice of their physicians and closely weigh the benefits and risks associated when taking this medication.

URL references:
usatoday.com/news/health/2005-03-13-jawbone-deaths_x.htm
merck.com/newsroom/news-release-archive/corporate/fosamax_statement.html
medicalconsumers.org/2009/03/01/fosamax-induced-osteonecrosis-of-the-jaw-more-common-than-previously-thought/