Once in a while we get emails from our customers that are worth sharing. KW in Texas was suffering from Osteonecrosis of the Jaw. She blamed the onset of the problem on biophosphonates that had been prescribed for her following breast cancer.
She wrote to us and said. “
I wanted to let you know how much relief the mat has provided me regarding the osteonecrosis of my jaw. I no longer have pain and my mouth has healed. I know that the electromagnetic pulsing the mat provides has helped in this situation.
There are so many others who have been diagnosed with this horrific condition…….caused by the greedy drug companies releasing drugs that are unfit for human consumption……as well as the medical system that refuses to accept responsibility to look outside their paradigm and see that there are better ways for the body to heal than using drugs.
I am still looking for a way to remove the drugs from my bones to stop the necrosis process………but feel that as long as I have the mat, I will be fine!
Thank you so much………Your help has most likely saved my life.”
KW in Texas.
(Author’s note: The Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy device Curatron is not an FDA approved medical device here in the USA. Please read our “DISCLAIMER” page on this website. Some of our customers do use the Curatron 2000 for medical applications. We do not condone or recommend medical use.)
The prescription drug Fosamax (the generic is alendronate sodium) is a medication which has been prescribed to hundreds of thousands of postmenopausal women to treat osteoporosis and help increase bone mass thereby reducing the chance of spinal or non-spinal fractures. Fosamax has also been prescribed to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis. Brand name Fosamax is manufactured in the United States by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. In about 2008-2009, Fosamax became widely available in its generic form (alendronate sodium).
Side effects of Fosamax may include the following:
1. Esophagus problems including irritation, inflammation, or ulcers
2. Low blood calcium levels (hypocalcemia) which may lead to muscle spasms, twitches, or cramps as well as numbness or tingling in the face, fingers, toes, and around the mouth
3. Severe jaw bone problems (osteonecrosis of the jaw often abbreviated as “ONJ”)
4. Bone, joint, or muscle pain
5. Unusual femur (thigh bone) fractures
ABC News ran a story on May 10, 2012 about the dangers of “bone drugs” stating, “In a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration raised concerns about the potential for some serious side effects in women taking bone-building drugs called bisphosphonates, specifically Fosamax, Actonel and Reclast. The published findings are not new. In 2011, the agency voiced concerns that taking the drugs long-term may actually make bones weaker and increase the risk of rare but serious side effects such as atypical fractures of the thigh bone, esophageal cancer and osteonecrosis of the jaw, a rare but painful condition in which the jaw bone crumbles. To investigate, the FDA reviewed data from women who had taken the drugs for six to 10 years.” Underscoring just how commonly these medications are prescribed, ABC News commented, “According to the FDA, doctors wrote more than 150 million prescriptions for bisphosphonates between 2005 and 2009.”
At the end of 2013, Merck settled with about 1,200 plaintiffs alleging that Fosamax caused them to suffer osteonecrosis of the jaw (“ONJ”). ONJ is a rare condition in which the patient suffers degeneration and deterioration of the jaw and often necessitates surgical repair with bone grafting. This recent settlement requires a total of about $27.7 million to be paid by Merck. Before anyone feels bad for Merck, he or she should also know that some researchers estimate that Merck “earned” about $3 billion (with a “b”) in 2007 from Fosamax. There are still many unsettled suits.
While alendronate sodium does have some appropriate indications, there are serious side effects which can occur. Most of the lawsuits focus on one of two harms – femur fractures or osteonecrosis of the jaw. Each is treated differently by many of the lawyers handling these cases. If someone has taken brand name Fosamax and suffered either of these harms, he or she should immediately consult with his or her physician and then consult with an attorney who is experienced in handling such a matter.
– Paul
Paul J. Molinaro, M.D., J.D.
Attorney at Law, Physician