Problems getting hold of Strontium

[Bookwormlover]

My so called regular chemist put an order in of SR two weeks ago to Alliance Healthcare, not heard anything so I have rang the chemist up this afternoon and was told it was taken off the market, I put them right,having told them 2 weeks ago that it was now available again in the UK. Has anybody else on sr had problems from their chemist's. I know Lynne has managed to get her priscription but I am in the North West.

[LynneH-19]

Hi Bookwormlover

I also live in the north west and received my SR a week or 2 ago.

When I spoke to my Well pharmacy at the end of last month, she had just come off the phone to Alliance Healthcare. They found the paperwork of it having been received from Aristo/booked in, to their main warehouse, down south, but it seems to have slipped into a black hole! They promised to find it and I got it a few days later.

Your pharmacist MUST keep phoning Alliance. They have got it!

Best wishes

[LynneH-19 in reply to LynneH-19]

Hi bookwormlover

Your Pharmacist could also contact Ian Chatterton at Aristo Pharm Ltd. They are at Cambridge. Phone [phone]. He is the marketing director and was very helpful.

Good luck

[Bookwormlover in reply to LynneH-19]

Hi LynneH-19 thanks for your advice I have made a note of Mr Chatterton phone number, thanks for that Lynne, I am going to ring my pharmacy within the next couple of days as I don't think they are trying very hard.I left it 2 weeks before I rang the chemist to give them chance to get the meds in, my husband said if we haven't heard anything in the next week he will have a ride to our chemist and ask to speak to the pharmacist, might make him get a move on. But I have got my yearly appt coming up with my consultant towards the end of February.Suppose I am just being impatient lol. Christina,.

[tikigod18 in reply to LynneH-19]

Lynne: You can buy it online. Not too expensive unless your insurance pays for it.

[LynneH-19 in reply to tikigod18]

That’s interesting. What sort of strontium is it and which company is selling it? I ask because Aristo in Germany are the only company with the license to make Strontium Ranelate.

[DeannaAlphi in reply to LynneH-19]

Be careful with strontium. There is a supplement Strontium. Strontium Ranelate is not the same thing. Just in case you don't already know that. Dido xx

[ratoncita in reply to DeannaAlphi]

I take the Strontium supplement as I cannot get the RX.

[DeannaAlphi in reply to ratoncita]

Hi. SR was taken off of the prescription list for a while. It has only been available again very recently. The Osteoporosis Society told me it was being prescribed again and that it may be a while before pharmacists realise. You might have to tell them. Just wondered if you knew that. Dido xx

[LynneH-19 in reply to DeannaAlphi]

The Strontium ranelate prescribed in the UK and EU, was originally made by the French Pharma company Servier. When Servier stopped making it due to falling demand, there was an outcry both in the UK and EU. As a result the licence to make it was then taken up by the Pharma Company Aristo.

I’m happy to take this because its made in Germany, so strict Quality control will be in place. Had it been made in either China or India, I wouldn’t have been so keen.

I did actually take Drs Best Strontium bone maker ( Strontium citrate) for quite a few months, prior to getting prescription SR in 2011. I never had any problems from it. I did consider starting it again when SR stopped being made, just to find that Drs Best brand was also no longer available, due to falling sales.

[Bookwormlover in reply to LynneH-19]

Hi LynneH-19 Just letting you know I had a nice surprise this morning, it was a delivery from the chemist with my Strontium, so thank you very much for all your advice regarding suppliers etc. Really thought I would have to chase my pharmacy up again today.

[LynneH-19 in reply to Bookwormlover]

Good news indeed! I’ve been taking my Aristo SR over a week now and no problems from it, so I assume it’s identical to the original Server one.

Best wishes Lynne

[Bookwormlover in reply to LynneH-19]

Hi LynneH-19 It smells and tastes different to me,more creamy, I have a hiatus hernia and have to avoid anything creamy etc, but will see how I go, really don't want to go on to Prolia which my consultant has to try to persuade me to go on for the past 2 years, I told her no way last Feb,but she was on about the side effects of SR and more or less said don't blame me if you have a heart attack,which I wouldn't do anyway. Glad to hear your ok on it.Christina.

[LynneH-19 in reply to Bookwormlover]

Hi Bookwormlover

I appreciate your predicament. It’s so tempting to stick with a drug, if it appears to agree with us. That’s why I want to stay on SR.

There’s potentially, slight risks with everything we take and no easy answer as to what to do, to get peace of mind.

I haven’t seen my GP or a consultant for years, so the subject of Prolia, or any other alternative hasn’t arisen.

The impression I have from reading postings on the NOF forum, is that Prolia definitely reduces fractures, provided you don’t stop taking it.

If you do stop taking it, you need to replace it with drugs like bisphosphanates, otherwise there’s a danger of spinal fractures.

I couldn’t tolerate alendronic acid and stopped taking it after 10 weeks, so from my point of view Prolia wouldn’t be an option.

I hope your SR doesn’t upset your hernia.

Best wishes Lynne

[walk21]

My usual pharmacist said he could not get it, but our local independent chemist got it straight away!

[Bookwormlover in reply to walk21]

Hi walk21, my pharmacy is only a village one,but when I ordered my prescription I took Lynne's advice and mentioned Alliance Healthcare, and they got it ok. have you been ok on the new brand?

[walk21 in reply to Bookwormlover]

I have not taken it yet. I had one Prolia injection four months ago, and am not sure how much to overlap them. I will ring NOS next week for advice on that. I found the paperwork in the new packet a bit disconcerting, and want to see my GP about it first. I was 72 when I first took SR and had no problems with it, but I am nearly 83 now, which is a bit different. Don't want to continue Prolia though, and can't tolerate bisphosphonates, so not much choice. I have had several spinal fractures (only one since taking SR), so don't have the courage to do nothing.

[Bookwormlover in reply to walk21]

Hello walk21, I felt a bit like you when I opened my new box yesterday,I have been on ST (Protelos) for about 9 years until last March when my pharmacy ran out of stock, I haven't had any problems with it and I am housebound/wheelchair bound, I think the drug companies have to make us aware of side effects as there side effects to every drug I suppose. I wasn't told 9 years ago about the possible heart problems etc, but maybe they didn't know at that time,i was just told it could possibly give me the runs,which it hasn't, hope the NOS nurses & GP can give you advice.

[Bookwormlover in reply to Bookwormlover]

Me again, just had a thought, the Prolia injection is every 6 months isn't it, so may still be in your system for another couple of months, may be better to wait until then.

[walk21 in reply to Bookwormlover]

Yes - I thought I should wait until Prolia has gone, but wanted to be sure I could get SR before the blood tests were due for the next injection. I am sure they did not know of heart problems when I first took SR, but there was a warning to stop taking Protelos 12 days before planned surgery, so they knew there might be some effects, possibly blood clotting. As you say, there are always side-effects - we just have to choose which to put up with! At least we can stop SR when we want without terrible worries!

[LynneH-19]

The EU did a study that showed an increased risk of cardiac and circulatory events in patients on SR, WHO ALREADY HAD A HISTORY OF THESE CONDITIONS. The numbers were low and occurred in patients who had fractured, were all elderly and all immobile,. In other words at high risk anyway, of repeated events.

It was then limited to patients who didn’t have either of these pre existing conditions, meaning that Servier’s sales of SR fell dramatically, so they eventually stopped making it a number of years later.