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More On The Bisphosphonates Scandal – From A Dentist

Written by Wellness Club on January 22, 2008 – 6:29 pm -

Our recent article The Ugly Truth About “Bone Building” Drugs For Osteoporosis drew plenty of responses expressing outrage that these drugs, with their potentially devastating side-effects, are being so heavily promoted – pushed – by drug companies and conventional doctors.

One regular reader of HealthBeat, a well-known, straight-shooting dentist in Phoenix, wrote to say that he and his colleagues were well-aware of the dangers.

Dr. Denny writes to say:

Yep, dental dudes and dudettes have been aware of the Bisphosphonate scam for a couple of years; NOTHING will fix the necrosis, either- lots of therapies/protocols have been tried, none successfully.

WORSE: even if a patient discontinues a [bis]phosphonate right here right now… the half-life is 7-10 years !!! SCREWED !

Some pharmacologists have argued that the risk/benefit ratio is very much in favor of society-at-large, and the incidence ratio IS very low (essentially unknown)… it must be ok… unless… you come out to be one of the unlucky rarities.

So…take it, and face a myriad of problems; discontinue it, but it will continue to plague you for a decadeor so…. yeah, sterling bit of pharmacological heroin mentality: hooked forever, even when you quit!

What Do You Need For Healthy Bones?

Written by Wellness Club on November 18, 2011 – 4:56 pm -

Bone Health Or Bone Death?

By Nurse Mark

We get a lot of questions about osteoporosis – it is a very confusing and rightfully frightening subject for older people.

Big Pharma takes advantage of that confusion and fear to offer a variety of drugs that are so dangerous that if they were subjected to the same intense scrutiny by the FDA that mere vitamins and supplements are they would be instantly banned!

Big Medicine is a willing accomplice to Big Pharma, using such things as “bone density tests” to terrorize women into agreeing to take some variety of a bone-killing bisphosphonate drug.

Did I just say “bone Killing“?

Yes! These drugs “work” by actually killing one kind of bone cell – here is an explanation from Wikipedia:

Bone undergoes constant turnover and is kept in balance (homeostasis) by osteoblasts creating bone and osteoclasts destroying bone. Bisphosphonates inhibit the digestion of bone by encouraging osteoclasts to undergo apoptosis, or cell death, thereby slowing bone loss.

This rather reminds me of that famous quote from the Vietnam War years: “It became necessary to destroy the town to save it” (that quote has transformed over the years into “We had to destroy the village in order to save it.”) It seems that Big Pharma has adopted that strategy, saying “We have to kill your bone cells in order to save your bones.”

Yikes – what a strategy! A strategy only Big Pharma could get away with and only the FDA could approve of!

Has Big Medicine never heard of “preventive medicine”?

One of Dr. Myatt’s long-standing patients, Joyce, wrote recently to say that she was being pressured to accept one of the more recent bisphosphonate offerings and to ask Dr. Myatt’s opinion. Here is her question and Dr. Myatt’s answer:

HI I WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION. I was told that I have osteoporosis after having a bone density test, it is not real bad they did want to put me on more calcium and vitamin D3 but I think there is enough in my Maxi – Multi’s. They also wanted to put me on a once a year treatment of Reclast given I V for 20 min. Because I don’t trust them I said no. Any way all I wanted to know is if there is enough calcium & vitamin D 3 in my Maxies. Thank you Joyce.

Hi Joyce:

Wow… Here’s the scoop.

Maxi Multi’s contain enough cal:mag for almost everyone except post-menopausal women.

The recommendations for post menopausal females is 1200-1500 mg/day calcium, 500-800 mg/day.

In order to achieve this dose, most women add 3 caps per day of Cal-Mag to their protocol.

You might not need the additional if your diet contains enough extra calcium and magnesium.

Also, strontium has been found to work as well as drugs for building bone.

“Bone-building drugs” actually are bone-killing drugs. We’ve written about this in HealthBeat: The Ugly Truth About “Bone-Building” Drugs for Osteoporosis

My complete recommendations for ensuring strong bones and preventing osteoporosis can be found on our website at this link: http://drmyattswellnessclub.com/osteoporosis.htm

Please check this page out. It will give you complete instructions including amounts to take and why your idea of “no Reclast” is, in my opinion, a good decision.

Hope this helps and here’s wishing you and yours a Happy Turkey Day!

In Health,
Dr. Myatt

Now, just in case anyone thinks I am exaggerating the dangers of bisphosphonate drugs, I have taken the following information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine a government website that bills itself as “The World’s Largest Medical Library” and as a resource for conventional medical doctors:

What side effects can this medication cause?

Zoledronic acid may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

redness or swelling in the place where you received your injection

red, swollen, or teary eyes

constipation

nausea

vomiting

diarrhea

stomach pain

loss of appetite

weight loss

heartburn

mouth sores

excessive worry

agitation

depression

difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

fever, chills, and other signs of infection

white patches in the mouth

swelling, redness, irritation, burning, or itching of the vagina

white vaginal discharge

numbness, burning, or tingling in fingers or toes

hair loss

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

rash

hives

itching

swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, throat, hands, arms, feet, ankles, or lower legs

difficulty breathing or swallowing

upper chest pain

irregular heartbeat

numbness or tingling around the mouth

sudden tightening of muscles

unusual bruising or bleeding

painful or swollen gums

loosening of the teeth

numbness or heavy feeling in the jaw

poor healing of the jaw

dull, aching pain in the hips, groin, or thighs

Zoledronic acid may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
Being treated with a bisphosphonate medication such as zoledronic acid injection for osteoporosis may increase the risk that you will break your thigh bone(s). You may feel pain in your hips, groin, or thighs for several weeks or months before the bone(s) break, and you may find that one or both of your thigh bones have broken even though you have not fallen or experienced other trauma. It is unusual for the thigh bone to break in healthy people, but people who have osteoporosis may break this bone even if they do not receive zoledronic acid injection. Talk to your doctor about the risks of receiving zoledronic acid injection.

Please read the last paragraph again: “Being treated with a bisphosphonate medication such as zoledronic acid injection for osteoporosis may increase the risk that you will break your thigh bone(s).”

Does this sound like a drug that anyone should be taking?

References:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000306/#a605023-sideEffects

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphosphonate

Posted in Bone and Joint Health, Drugs and Alternatives, Health Questions | Comments Off

The Ugly Truth About "Bone-Building" Drugs for Osteoporosis

Written by Wellness Club on February 2, 2009 – 8:27 pm -

The Ugly Truth About "Bone-Building" Drugs for Osteoporosis

(And The Safe, Natural, Effective Alternative)

By Dr. Dana Myatt

Osteoporosis means "porous bone," a bone-thinning disease that affects some 25 million American women. It is called a "silent" disease because it comes on with few or no symptoms. Often, a fall resulting in a fracture is the first evidence of weakened bones. Other symptoms and signs of osteoporosis include a decrease in height, spontaneous hip or vertebrae fractures, and back pain. (Note: most back pain is NOT caused by osteoporosis, so don’t get hypochodriacal on me!)

In elderly women, death resulting from complications of hip fracture is far more common than death from breast cancer, yet few people realize the potential seriousness of this condition. Although osteoporosis is more common in post-menopausal women, it also occurs in younger women, in men, and in all age groups. Caucasian and Asian women are at greatest risk because their bones tend to be less dense to begin with.

OK, you get the picture. Osteoporosis is clearly a real health problem for many Americans. So it seems reasonable to take a medication that can make bones thicker if you’ve been told that you have osteopenia or osteoporosis, right? Please don’t go there until you consider these facts.

The Drug Is A Success – The Bone Died. ("To Save The Village We Had To Burn It Down")

The popular drugs prescribed for osteoporosis — alendronate (Fosamax, Fosamax Plus D), etidronate (Didronel), ibandronate (Boniva), pamidronate (Aredia), risedronate (Actonel, Actonel W/Calcium), tiludronate (Skelid), and zoledronic acid (Reclast, Zometa) — are all in a class of drugs called "bisphosphinates." (Abbreviated as "BP’s"). Although they are marketed as "bone-building" drugs, the real truth is quite a bit more ominous. These drugs work by killing a type of bone cell called osteoclasts. You read that right — the drug works by killing normal bone cells.

But Wait! There’s More! ("Other Than That, Mrs. Lincoln, How Was The Play?")

In addition to this insane "mechanism of action" (killing normal bone cells), the potential side-effects range from a mere nuisance to deadly serious.

Stomach upset, inflammation and erosions of the esophagus are a common side-effect of the oral forms of these drugs. But not to worry that this might be a sign that the drug isn’t healthy for your body. Your doctor will simply tell you to "remain seated upright for 30 to 60 minutes after taking the medication." Wasn’t that easy? Problem solved.

Bisphosphonates given by injection bypass the stomach troubles but have their own problems, including "flu-like symptoms after the first infusion." Manufacturers claim that this only happens the first time, but a quick search of online bulletin boards of people who have had this reaction tells a different story. Many people report severe flu-like symptoms and bone pain that was aggravated by each subsequent dose.

One study found in increase in "serious atrial fibrillation" among zoledronic acid (Reclast, Zometa) users, but the FDA dismissed this as "not significant." Since all these drugs are in the same class, however, the finding raises concern about this atrial fib connection and ALL bisphosphonate drugs.

[Nurse Mark Note: Atrial Fibrillation can quickly develop into a heart attack]

Last and not least, bispohsphonate drugs (ALL of them) are associated with a osteonecrosis of the jaw. In plain English, this means death of the jaw bone. The problem occurs more often with IV BP’s but is also seen in oral BP use. As one medical article stated, "This complication can have a significant impact on the quality of life for those patients with advanced stages of necrosis." Uh, you mean because the dead part of the jawbone will have to be removed and possibly bone-grafted? With resultant facial deformity (not to mention pain and suffering)? Yeah, that might ruin your week… or month… or life…

Is Bone Death Better Than Osteoporosis? (Is That Really A Serious Question?)

Obviously, I’m not a fan of bisphosphonate drugs. The class of bone cells that they destroy — the osteoclasts — help to "remodel" bone. This means that bone is supposed to be a living, growing, constantly changing tissue. Bisphosphonates change all that.

On the other hand, a life-threatening fracture from osteoporosis is no picnic, either. So what do I recommend for osteoporosis prevention and reversal? Nature’s way, of course!

Rebuilding Bone The Natural Way

It has long been known that declining sex hormones are associated with decreased bone mineralization. It is also known that un-natural hormone replacement, as practiced in conventional medicine, is a cause of breast and other hormone-related cancers (and increased risk of stroke, heart disease, blood clots and dementia).
The "middle ground" on hormone replacement therapy is to use natural (bio-identical) hormone replacement therapy as practiced by holistic medical practitioners. Following hormone testing (urine testing is better than saliva or blood tests), a custom formula using doses and forms as found in nature will be prescribed.

Normal bone formation requires the right "mix" of nutrients. Vitamin D is necessary for proper bone mineralization, and the latest medical research shows that we are getting far less than we really need. [NOTE: Maxi Multi’s have just been re-formulated to include 800IU instead of the previous 400IU per daily dose]. Folate, vitamin B6, B12 and vitamin K should also be in your daily "mix" and are found in optimal amounts in Maxi Multi’s.

Exercise, especially the kind that puts some stress on bones such as walking, help "tell" the bones to take up more minerals.

And of course, the minerals that build bone must be present. This usually requires mineral supplementation with calcium, magnesium, boron, manganese, zinc, copper and the "forgotten mineral," strontium.

Strontium, the "Secret Sauce" for Strong Bones

Strontium, a naturally-occurring mineral in the same class as calcium and magnesium, has been shown to prevent bone loss AND increase bone density even in already-established cases of osteoporosis. This, plus strontium (NOT the radioactive kind!) has little if any negative side effects. Read more about Strontium: The Missing Mineral for Osteoporosis Prevention and Reversal in this previous edition of HealthBeat.

The Short Course On Strong Bones And Bone Remineralization

Osteoporosis is not caused by a bisphosphonate deficiency! Given the potentially devastating side-effects of this class of drugs, doing it "nature’s way" should be a first choice for most people with osteoporosis (or those interested in prevention).

Exercise, sex hormone balance and obtaining all necessary bone nutrients including strontium will prevent and reverse most cases of osteoporosis without causing harm in the process.
References:

References:
1.) Osteoporosis: Part I. Evaluation and Assessment. American Family Physician, March 1, 2001.
2.) Side effects courtesy of Merk’s Fosamax website: http://www.fosamax.com/alendronate_sodium/fosamax/consumer/side_effects/index.jsp
3.) Ale
ndronate and atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2007 May 3;356(18):1895-6
4.) Once-yearly zoledronic acid for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. N Engl J Med. 2007 May 3;356(18):1809-22
5.) Osteonecrosis and bisphosphonates in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2007 May;19(2):199-206.
6.) Biophosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws. Dent Clin North Am. 2008 Jan;52(1):111-28.
7.) Bisphosphonate Use and the Risk of Adverse Jaw Outcomes: A medical claims study of 714,217 people. J Am Dent Assoc. 2008 Jan;139(1):23-30.
8.) Osteonecrosis of the jaws secondary to bisphosphonate therapy: a case series. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2008 Jan 1;9(1):63-9.
9.) Bisphosphonate osteonecrosis of the jaws; an increasing problem for the dental practitioner. Br Dent J. 2007 Dec 8;203(11):641-4.
10.) Bisphosphonates and bisphosphonate induced osteonecrosis. Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2007 Nov;19(4):487-98, v-vi.
11.) The current state of postmenopausal hormone therapy: update for neurologists and epileptologists. Epilepsy Curr. 2007 Sep-Oct;7(5):119-22.
12.) Strontium Ranelate Reduces the Risk of Nonvertebral Fractures in Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis: Treatment of Peripheral Osteoporosis (TROPOS) Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005 May; 90(5):2816-22. Epub 2005 Feb 22.
13.) Picking a bone with contemporary osteoporosis management: Nutrient strategies to enhance skeletal integrity. Clinical Nutrition (Epub ahead of print, 2006 October 12).
14.) The effects of strontium ranelate on the risk of vertebral fracture in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis.” New England Journal of Medicine 350 (2004):459 – 68.
15.) Strontium ranelate reduces the risk of nonvertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: Treatment of Peripheral Osteoporosis (TROPOS) study. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 90 (2005):2816 – 22.
16.) Strontium in Finnish foods. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 52 (1982): 342 – 50.
17.) Gaby AR. Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1994, 85–92 [review].
18.) Strontium ranelate: a dual mode of action rebalancing bone turnover in favour of bone formation. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2006 Jun;18 Suppl 1:S11-5.

Posted in Bone and Joint Health, Drugs and Alternatives, Nutrition and Health, Senior Health, Women's Health | Comments Off

The Ugly Truth About "Bone-Building" Drugs for Osteoporosis

Written by Wellness Club on November 19, 2008 – 3:21 pm -

The Ugly Truth About "Bone-Building" Drugs for Osteoporosis

(And The Safe, Natural, Effective Alternative)

By Dr. Dana Myatt

Osteoporosis means "porous bone," a bone-thinning disease that affects some 25 million American women. It is called a "silent" disease because it comes on with few or no symptoms. Often, a fall resulting in a fracture is the first evidence of weakened bones. Other symptoms and signs of osteoporosis include a decrease in height, spontaneous hip or vertebrae fractures, and back pain. (Note: most back pain is NOT caused by osteoporosis, so don’t get hypochodriacal on me!)

The Drug Is A Success – The Bone Died. ("To Save The Village We Had To Burn It Down")

But Wait! There’s More! ("Other Than That, Mrs. Lincoln, How Was The Play?")

In addition to this insane "mechanism of action" (killing normal bone cells), the potential side-effects range from a mere nuisance to deadly serious.

[Nurse Mark Note: Atrial Fibrillation can quickly develop into a heart attack]

Is Bone Death Better Than Osteoporosis? (Is That Really A Serious Question?)

On the other hand, a life-threatening fracture from osteoporosis is no picnic, either. So what do I recommend for osteoporosis prevention and reversal? Nature’s way, of course!

Rebuilding Bone The Natural Way

Exercise, especially the kind that puts some stress on bones such as walking, help "tell" the bones to take up more minerals.

Strontium, the "Secret Sauce" for Strong Bones

The Short Course On Strong Bones And Bone Remineralization

Exercise, sex hormone balance and obtaining all necessary bone nutrients including strontium will prevent and reverse most cases of osteoporosis without causing harm in the process.

References:

1.) Osteoporosis: Part I. Evaluation and Assessment. American Family Physician, March 1, 2001.
2.) Side effects courtesy of Merk’s Fosamax website: http://www.fosamax.com/alendronate_sodium/fosamax/consumer/side_effects/index.jsp
3.) Alendronate and atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2007 May 3;
356(18):1895-6
4.) Once-yearly zoledronic acid for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. N Engl J Med. 2007 May 3;356(18):1809-22
5.) Osteonecrosis and bisphosphonates in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2007 May;19(2):199-206.
6.) Biophosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws. Dent Clin North Am. 2008 Jan;52(1):111-28.
7.) Bisphosphonate Use and the Risk of Adverse Jaw Outcomes: A medical claims study of 714,217 people. J Am Dent Assoc. 2008 Jan;139(1):23-30.
8.) Osteonecrosis of the jaws secondary to bisphosphonate therapy: a case series. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2008 Jan 1;9(1):63-9.
9.) Bisphosphonate osteonecrosis of the jaws; an increasing problem for the dental practitioner. Br Dent J. 2007 Dec 8;203(11):641-4.
10.) Bisphosphonates and bisphosphonate induced osteonecrosis. Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2007 Nov;19(4):487-98, v-vi.
11.) The current state of postmenopausal hormone therapy: update for neurologists and epileptologists. Epilepsy Curr. 2007 Sep-Oct;7(5):119-22.
12.) Strontium Ranelate Reduces the Risk of Nonvertebral Fractures in Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis: Treatment of Peripheral Osteoporosis (TROPOS) Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005 May; 90(5):2816-22. Epub 2005 Feb 22.
13.) Picking a bone with contemporary osteoporosis management: Nutrient strategies to enhance skeletal integrity. Clinical Nutrition (Epub ahead of print, 2006 October 12).
14.) The effects of strontium ranelate on the risk of vertebral fracture in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis.” New England Journal of Medicine 350 (2004):459 – 68.
15.) Strontium ranelate reduces the risk of nonvertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: Treatment of Peripheral Osteoporosis (TROPOS) study. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 90 (2005):2816 – 22.
16.) Strontium in Finnish foods. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 52 (1982): 342 – 50.
17.) Gaby AR. Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1994, 85–92 [review].
18.) Strontium ranelate: a dual mode of action rebalancing bone turnover in favour of bone formation. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2006 Jun;18 Suppl 1:S11-5.

Posted in Bone and Joint Health, Drugs and Alternatives, Hormones, Senior Health | Comments Off

The Bisphosphonate Scandal Continues To Generate Outrage

Written by Wellness Club on March 21, 2008 – 8:32 pm -

The Bisphosphonate scandal that Dr. Myatt wrote about in a recent article The Ugly Truth About Bone Building Drugs For Osteoporosis continues to generate comments from those outraged that the FDA and Big Pharma continue to push these poisons, putting profits before health or safety. Recently, Doctor Jeffrey Dach sent us the following succinct note:

Bisphosphonates Increase the Fracture Rates for Osteopenia

The fracture rates for women with osteopenia (T greater than -2.5) actually increases on bisphosphonates. JAMA.1998;280:2077-2082.Cummings

The following quote from John Abramsons book, Overdosed America, Chapter 13.

What about using these drugs to prevent osteoporosis? The study of Fosamax published in JAMA in 1998 also included women with osteopenia. Did Fosamax reduce their risk of fracture? The results show that the risk of hip fractures actually went up 84 percent with Fosamax treatment. The risk of wrist fractures increased by about 50 percent. JAMA.1998;280:2077-2082.Cummings. Quote attributed to John Abramson MD.

For more see:

Bisphosphonates for Osteoporosis, A Closer Look at the Data by Jeffrey Dach MD

Jeffrey Dach MD

Posted in Bone and Joint Health, Drugs and Alternatives, Health Freedom, Senior Health | Comments Off