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ZyprexaFosamax
Fosamax is a bisphosphonate drug that helps to increase bone mass. Bisphosphonates are a class of drugs used primarily to increase bone mass and reduce the risk for fracture in patients with osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates are also used to slow bone turnover in patients with Paget’s disease of the bone and to treat bone metastases and lower elevated levels of blood calcium in patients with cancer. There are 7 FDA-approved bisphosphonates: alendronate (Fosamax, Fosamax Plus D), etidronate (Didronel), ibandronate (Boniva), pamidronate (Aredia), risedronate (Actonel, Actonel W/Calcium), tiludronate (Skelid), and zoledronic acid (Reclast, Zometa).
On May 3, 2007, an issue of The New England Journal of Medicine describe increased rates of serious atrial fibrillation (defined by the authors as life-threatening or resulting in hospitalization or disability) in two different studies of older women with osteoporosis treated with the bisphosphonates, Reclast and Fosamax. In both studies, more women who received one of the bisphosphonates (Reclast-1.3% or Fosamax-1.5%) reportedly developed serious atrial fibrillation as compared to women who received placebo (Reclast study-0.5%, Fosamax study-1.0%). In both studies, the rates of all atrial fibrillation (serious plus nonserious) were not significantly different between groups treated with bisphosphonate versus placebo.
Fosamax Side Effects
