Strontium Ranelate

[Bev53-SB]

I’ve just read a NOS announcement. They have updated their website because Strontium Ranelate is now back on the market and on prescription. I’m nearly 4mths into treatment with Raloxifene without any side effects but it is good to know there is now another option, without having to consider bisphosonates.

[Kaarina]

Yes, it is absolutely brilliant news. A forum member posted about it's return in January a few weeks ago. I was devastated when it was withdrawn in August 2017. It was not withdrawn for long, was it?

[Bev53-SB in reply to Kaarina]

No it wasn’t withdrawn for long. When I was in a dilemma about which medication to take in the autumn of 2018 I rang NOS. The nurse I spoke to told me then that the withdrawal of Strontium Ranelate was being reconsidered because of the outcry from those who had been successfully taking it. I was under pressure to start treatment because of a fractured sternum, two compression fractures at T8 and T9 and a DEXA scan which had shown significant bone loss. I opted for Raloxifene and because I am feeling well on this I will remain with it until my next DEXA to see if it is helping. My consultant says it is known for strengthening the spine but not proven to prevent hip fractures. Strontium Ranelate will be my next choice if Raloxifene isn’t helping.

[LynneH-19]

Hi Bev. I contacted the new Manufacturer when the NOS first mentioned it and was told it would be available in the UK from the 14th of January. I put my repeat prescription back into the ‘system’ last week with the details and now waiting to hear when I can fetch it.

I never had problems with the original, so hope this is the same.

I hope you will soon be improving on your medication, if so I wouldn’t recommend you swap to SR, because of the disadvantage of SR not giving accurate DEXA scans. I haven’t been allowed a rept scan since 2013.

Best wishes

[Bev53-SB in reply to LynneH-19]

Thanks Lynne, I certainly will keep my fingers crossed thar Raloxifene does strengthen my bones, if not I am so very opposed to bisphosonates I would have consider Strontium Ranelate. I wouldn’t do this lightly because I have a pacemaker and although I don’t have heart disease there are concerns with SR about heart and clotting issues. They all come with a catch 22 scenarios don’t they.

[Kaarina in reply to LynneH-19]

I understand from NOS it is exactly the same drug as before. nos.org.uk/media/100252/dru...

[LynneH-19 in reply to Kaarina]

Yes, it should be the same formula, even though it’s manufactured by a different company in a different country.

My friend takes statins and found that she reacted differently to the cheaper, generic version of that.

At present, I just hope it comes soon, so I can start taking it every night.

Best wishes

[Bookwormlover in reply to LynneH-19]

Hello LynneH-19 I am new to the forum but had osteoporosis for many years due to early menopause at 40 and I have been on Strontium for the past 9 years until it was withdrawn. Do you know where the Manufacturer is based in the U.K. I still have it on my repeat prescription but not sure whether my pharmacy will know where to get it from. Thanks x

[LynneH-19 in reply to Bookwormlover]

Hi Bookwormlover. I’ve just replied to you under a different thread?

My reply was as follows:

Hi Bookwormlover.

I contacted Ian Chatterton, the Marketing Direct of Aristo Pharma Ltd UK last year. I was initially concerned that the parent company was based in India.

He assured me that the SR is made in Germany and would be available in the UK from the 14th of Jan.

As a result I put my repeat prescription into the system in plenty of time, but when I called at the Well pharmacy adjoining the GP surgery, this morning, I was dismayed to hear that they couldn’t trace any, even though I had given then all the Aristo details weeks ago.

Well pharmacy in my village, only use 2 suppliers and neither appear to deal with Aristo, even though the office is UK based.

They are going to make further enquires on Monday. I’ve also contacted Aristo UK this morning by phone ( recordered message) and email.

The details are;

[e-mail]

01353 887 100

Aristo Pharm

The North Suite

Avro House

49 Lancaster Way Business Park

Ely, Cambridge

CB6 3NW

Hopefully you will have more success. Let me know how you get on. If necessary I will have to try other chemist chains in my area, like Boots. Which means physically collecting my prescription from the GP each month and then delivering it somewhere else.

Certainly not as convenient as Well pharm arranging it all for me.

Good luck

[walk21 in reply to LynneH-19]

Thank you so much for this. I have emailed asking for information. Our Lloyds Chemist could not trace it either, but I will try again in a couple of weeks' time. I guess it may take time to get organised.

[Bookwormlover in reply to walk21]

Hi walk21, I have just got my repeat prescription accepted from my gp,but my pharmacy is only a small pharmacy one so not expecting them to gt it next week, but I see Boots is the parent company of Alliance Healthcare,so we should be able to get it from them eventually, fingers crossed, like you say it is early days yet.

[walk21 in reply to Bookwormlover]

I did not know that Alliance Healthcare and Boots were linked. Useful thing to know. I had an email from the Sales Director at Aristo, saying that SR would be with Alliance on 24th Jan. and with Phoenix Healthcare Distribution a week later. I had my GP prescription refused on 19th; obviously I was too soon. I will take the prescription back next week. There is no hurry for me as I had a Prolia injection, and must wait for that to work it's way out of my system. But I need to know that I've got SR before the blood tests are due for another injection. It's all looking good now!

[Bookwormlover in reply to walk21]

Hiya Walk21 I only found out about Boots because I looked at the Alliance Healthcare website and it said Boots UK parent company since 2006,but it is also good to hear about Phoenix Healthcare,my husband said I should have waited another few weeks before asking for a repeat script, also I am due for my yearly appt with my consultant, so any problems in getting it, I will mention it to her. She was trying to persuade me to have the Prolia injection, but I was put off as a few years ago I reacted badly with the Ibrandrate (sp) 3 monthly injection, gave me terrible headaches for 10 of those weeks, also my dentist will not do any extractions for me,although it is 9 years since my last injection when I had to stop them.

[walk21 in reply to Bookwormlover]

I did not want the Prolia injection, but cannot tolerate alendronic acid and the likes; but I was told that Prolia wears off after six months so dental work should be done at the end of the six month period. I don't know about ibandronate. If you want your dentist to work on you perhaps you could get some written information from your consultant? It is easy to be impatient because it means a lot to us, doesn't it.

[LynneH-19 in reply to Bookwormlover]

Just another update. A friend who first told me about SR in 2010, has just received the following information from Aristo:

It’s the distributer, Alliance Healthcare being slow, the SR will be at the pharmacies soon, the guy at Aristo will let me know and then I’ll tell my pharmacy they can order it:

The more of us who contact Aristo, the more they will pressurise Allience Health. I just hope WELL pharmacy deal with them.

Best wishes

[Bookwormlover in reply to LynneH-19]

Thank you very much LynneH-19 for your help, it is much appreciated. I will try and ring Aristo next week, hope we can all get our prescriptions a.s.a.p. My yearly appt with my consultant is at the end of Febuary,so maybe she will be able to help us. I will let you know.

[LynneH-19 in reply to Bookwormlover]

Hi Bookwormlover and other SR users.

Just had a phone call from Aristo to say it should be safe to tell the pharmacy to contact Alliance Healthcare by Friday. Hopefully the delay will be sort by then. I may leave it until next Monday, to be on the safe side.

Best wishes

[Bookwormlover in reply to LynneH-19]

Hi LynneH-19 I am going to try and order my prescription and going to tell my pharmacy to use Alliance Healthcare and see what happens, will let you know, x

[Ronnie101]

Given the problems with all the other osteoporotic drugs this seems to good to be true. Could anyone point to a reasonable critique of strontium?

TIA

Ron

[Bev53-SB in reply to Ronnie101]

Hi there, it may be worth looking at the NOS leaflet on Strontium Ranelate. There are some concerns about heart issues and clotting risks so it would be important to assess your own risks, perhaps with your GP or practice nurse before deciding if this medication is the one for you. It also causes some issues with DEXA results. It is worth doing more research before you decide. Perhaps looking for a more in depth critique on the internet.

[Kaarina in reply to Ronnie101]

I found I had no side effects from SR that I know about. I took it for abut 2 years before it was unfortunately withdrawn. It does give a false reading on a DEXA scan. It is not really known how long it stays in the body after stopping it so even if one waits 6 months before having a DEXA one cannot be sure if the DEXA report is correct or not. There is a calculation that should be done for those on SR and having a DEXA but this is very rarely done possibly due to the fact that the person looking at the scan has no idea how to do this. It gives a better reading if this calculation is not done - hence giving a false reading. SR does come with cardiovascular risks. I was given a 24 hr BP monitor to wear before I was granted permission to take SR. I have a feeling that a GP cannot prescribe SR only an OP specialist but I may be wrong on this. SR will only be prescribed, if thought appropriate, after a patient has first been prescribed AA and Risondronate.