Pausing AA

[Gala123]

Hi all, I recently started taking alendronic acid and suspect it is giving me side-effects. I don’t want to reject it just on suspicion and I heard from a ROS presentation that sometimes it is ok to skip AA and see if symptoms disappear. I’d like to give it a try. How long a pause should I allow to give it time to settle? Any experience with pausing and restarting?

[Piiiks]

Hi doc. Nick Birch is good expert,I recommend to listen.He also done my osteoscan.

[Gala123 in reply to Piiiks]

Thank you! I will have a listen.

[Gala123 in reply to Piiiks]

Just gave it a listen. Thanks again, there are things to take on board. Unfortunately, it did not answer my specific question

[ROSModerator Partner in reply to Piiiks]

Hi,

It's great to see such thoughtful support in our forum. We wanted to let you know that we've removed this particular video linked in this thread, as it contained misinformation and inflammatory commentary, which goes against our community guidelines:healthunlocked.com/boneheal...

We really appreciate that finding reliable information is an important part of our health journeys. If you're unsure, you may find this guide from the Patients Association useful in deciding what information and websites to trust: patients-association.org.uk...

Our moderation approach is always focused on keeping this community a safe and positive space for all our valued members. If you have any questions about our moderation process, please feel free to reach out to us directly in line with our community guidelines.

We also have a range of informative videos on bone health and related topics as part of our #BoneMatters series: theros.org.uk/information-a...

Thank you all for your understanding and for being part of this supportive community.

Wishing you all the best,

Lulu

ROS Moderator

[Gala123 in reply to ROSModerator]

I personally appreciate the moderation. It does make the space safer and more trustworthy. Thank you for your efforts.

[t1gernidster]

You will find that many people on here have given up on AA. Personally I have not, and would not, take it. I prefer to take supplements and exercise.

[Gala123 in reply to t1gernidster]

Thank you for your reply, unfortunately, supplements and exercise may not be sufficient in my case. I have been doing strength training, weight bearing exercise and eating calcium-rich diet for years before developing OP. There is not much to tweak. I am also on long-term steroid medication that is a massive risk factor for OP.

[Freshair24]

I don't know how long ,I would ring and speak to ROS nurse/advisor. Good luck 👍

[Gala123 in reply to Freshair24]

This is what I tried yesterday, but the line was very busy. I will try again. Thank you.

[Gala123 in reply to Freshair24]

Jus spoken to a ROS specialist. She said 1-2 weeks should be enough for side effects to go away if they are due to AA. I imagine that then if the symptoms come back when restarting it would certainly prove that AA is the culprit.

[Kaarina in reply to Gala123]

Exactly. An excellent plan regarding experimenting with stopping the AA for a short period of time.

I started a statin for cholesterol for the first time ever and after 17 days decided to stop as I developed bad symptoms. Three days later the symptoms have lessened dramatically. I now know this particular statin is definitely not for me. I shall not be starting this one again and have consulted my doctor of my findings.

[Gala123 in reply to Kaarina]

great catch! I hope you find a good alternative x

[Mongy90]

I'm thinking about doing the same I'm interested in how you get on I've been on AA for about 18 months side effects are hard to deal with. I'm exhausted all the time .

[Gala123 in reply to Mongy90]

I have just spoken to a ROS specialist and she said that skipping 1-2 weeks will not affect bone health too much and then if the side effects go away, you can speak to your doctor about alternatives. I am sorry to hear you are struggling, I hop you find a way forward x

[Mongy90 in reply to Gala123]

Thank you I got diagnosed over the phone feels like you're forgotten here's a prescription get on with it with no follow up talking on here helps as we all seem to have different experiences. Good luck moving forward.

[Gala123 in reply to Mongy90]

I agree that it is not right. I also was given prescription over the phone, but I then insisted on making an appointment and talking in through face to face. I was offered an appointment and found it very helpful. But it should be offered to every newly diagnosed patient IMHO.

[ROSModerator Partner]

Hi Gala123 ,

Just wanted to wish you the warmest welcome to our community It's great to hear you were able to speak to one of our specialist nurses, thank you for updating us here!

Hope you can continue to connect and share with our wonderful members

Wishing you the best,

Lulu

ROS Moderator

[Gala123 in reply to ROSModerator]

Thank you! It is so important to have a community. I am looking forward to getting and offering support here x

[Lyralyra]

I am 76 and recently had my first DEXE scan which gave a T score of -4.3. I didn’t want to take alendronic acid but I felt I had to do something. I took it for 6 weeks and had very painful side effects. On my doctors advice I paused for 2 weeks and felt so much better. He has now started me on daily doses of Risedronate and on this smaller dose given more frequently I have no side effects.

[Gala123]

Oh, thank you. I hope that pausing like that would also bring relief and something else could be prescribed instead. I don't want to do nothing either.