Bisphosphonates, the active ingredients in Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel, and Reclast, are widely represented as reducing age related bone loss and fractures.  That's an expectation that has turned out to be grossly, almost criminally, optimistic

BISPHOSPHONATES -- HOW THEY WORK

Since the introduction of the bisphosphonate line of osteoporosis drugs (Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel, Reclast), the incidence of osteoporotic fractures has seen a dramatic increase. Why is that? Aren't these drugs supposed to prevent this? Absolutely not! Setting aside all the scientific jargon and facing the realities, this is how these highly promoted drugs work: Bisphosphonates kill the blood vessels to the bones. This prevents bone loss by limiting the circulation of the blood. Over time, the bones nearly die and crystallize. They are now in the proper mode to shatter like glass.

STRESS FRACTURES ON THE RISE

This explains very clearly the growing incidence of simple stress fractures reported by people taking these drugs. Since 1994, the incidence of stress fractures has doubled, although everyone seems to be frantically avoiding placing blame on the steadily increasing use of bisphosphonate drugs. As a matter of fact, "scientific" studies abound citing the positive results obtained from taking these drugs. Incidentally no one has ever come forward on any of these studies to identify those paying for them.
 

Lawyers are finding a nice source of income though, by tapping into Merck's 84 million dollar legal defense fund. Merck is the manufacturer of Fosamax and fully expects to encounter multiple lawsuits from patients being adversely affected, and even harmed by the use of this drug. So much for their being unaware of the dangers of their product.

AN "UNSCIENTIFIC" STUDY

The LeQuadrillage research staff conducted its own very unscientific study. They didn't take a lot of complex analytics. They simply talked with 429 people who had been taking the bisphosphonate drugs for more than a year. 310 of them were women, 119 of them were men. Of the men, 22 reported absolutely no adverse side effects. Of the women, 28 reported no adverse side effects. Well, we could round that out to 10% of those taking these drugs having suffered no ill effects.

PAIN, BLEEDING, AND BROKEN BONES

The others recited heart breaking accounts of pain in the long bones and spine, cramps in feet and hands, many after taking only one tablet. Bleeding, gastric distress, severe leg and hip pain, dizzy spells, muscle pain, loss of vision, constipation; the list of complications continued ever onward.

HEART ARYTHMIA

This should all add up to the need for building a big brick wall between ourselves and the bisphosphonate drugs. For those who still aren't convinced, how about this? These dangerous drugs also target your heart. Researchers have discovered that bisphosphonates such as Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel, and Reclast increase the odds that you will develop atrial fibrillation, an erratic heart rythm that can result in blood clots, and in extreme cases, death. A year ago, the FDA announced it was looking at the risk of atrial fibrillation from those taking bisphosphonates and began gathering complaints from patients and doctors. But typically, the FDA did not have the will to go up against Big Pharma and advise doctors to stop prescribing these very dangerous, and largely useless drugs. These are not the "bone building" drugs they are represented to be. They are much better described as "bone rotting" drugs.

Women who have been taking any of the bisphosphonate drugs commonly prescribed for osteoporosis or osteopenia for more than five years have literally lost their ability to regenerate any bone at all. These women are now walking around on a glass skeleton, at extreme risk for a severe break without warning at any moment in their lives. It is not at all uncommon to hear a woman recount the circumstances of a broken femur, or hip with the comment that the fall she had taken was a very minor one and she did not understand how she could have broken a bone that way. The answer to that is, she did not break the bone because she fell. She fell because the bone broke.

Here's how this works: Bone, just like all of our tissues, is a living cell structure. Cells in the structure are constantly dying off, to be replaced by new ones reborn in the on going process of life and death. This is a continual process of bone breakdown and rebuilding. It is the way that healthy bones maintain their strength. Two separate groups of cells work to accomplish this purpose. Osteoclasts are the cells that break the bone down. Osteoblasts do the rebuilding. The two groups of cells compliment each other.

Now in osteoporosis, the rate of bone breakdown continues more rapidly than the rate of bone rebuilding.. Result, a continuing loss of bone mass. To correct this problem, a group of bisphosphonate drugs has been developed that stop bone resorption cold. The osteoclasts that break bone down during the normal life cycle of the bone are killed off by the metabolic poisons of our current array of osteoporosis drugs. This results in the bones getting denser.

Bone cells that are not resorbed remain in place, even though these cells are now dead. New bone cells form on these dead ones. So now we have healthy cells built on a foundation of dead cells. It's like building a house on a framework of rotting timbers.

Any woman diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis would do well to question the advisablity of taking any of the commonly prescribed bisphosphonate osteoporosis drugs. They have been shown decisively to cause liver damage, renal failure, atrial fibrillation, femur fractures, and osteonecrosis of the jawbone - that is, your jaw begins to decay, resulting in tooth loss and disfigurement.

To top it all off, the latest study in the British Medical Journal finds that long term use of the bisphosphonate drugs can double your risk of esophogeal cancer. While the risk for this is relatively low, that fact would be of no comfort to anyone contracting it.

Other side effects of the bisphosphonate osteoporosis drugs are far greater than merely having brittle bones. These drugs can truly become a health nightmare. Since their release, these drugs have become closely associated with hypoglycemia, serious eye inflammation with possible blindness, severe pain, and stomach ulcers.

The problem of course lies with the mainstream physician who is oriented toward writing the scripts for these bisphosphonate drugs. These physicians rely on the information they get from their pharmaceutical sales reps who are trained to downplay the side effects. Busy doctors rarely have the time to investigate the workings of the drugs they prescribe.

There are much better ways of dealing with osteoporosis than being strapped into taking the poisonous bisphosphonates. Any physician in the alternative medical community has multiple ways of intervening with osteoporosis and under the circumstances, it would be advisable for anyone with osteoporosis to search for and find such a doctor.

STRONTIUM -- THE SAFE, EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE

Osteoporosis can be delayed, prevented, and reversed. Any you don't need to poison your body to do it. There is a better way. One answer here is Strontium!. Many of us, when we hear the word "Strontium" conjure up visions of people ravaged by nuclear fallout. That's Strontium 90, the radioactive isotope. What we're discussing here is stable strontium.which has been used medicinally for more than 100 years. It is the most abundant element in seawater; there is more strontium in the earth's crust than carbon, and the human body contains about 350 mg of strontium normally. Strontium tends to accumulate in bone, especially where active remodeling is taking place. As far back as 1959, the Mayo Clinic investigated the effects of strontium on bone health and bone remodeling. The study lasted three years and during this time, no significant side effects were observed. The bone health of the individuals in the study improved and the bone mass was seen to increase. Since there was no patentability to strontium, interest in the substance quickly faded.


Now alternative and naturopathic physicians are rapidly adopting it for their own treatment protocols and it would be advisable for anyone with osteoporosis or osteopenia to consult an alternative or naturopathic physician. While strontium is a mineral available without prescription, it is always wise to be followed by a knowledgeable doctor if you have acute osteoporosis. For prevention or mild osteopenia, you can avail yourself of some very good supplements, if you know where to look. This is an area where a great many poor and worthless products are promoted and it is important to select your supplement vendor with great care. It is very wise to be careful here, to avoid wasting money, and time, on ineffective, misrepresented product.

ANOTHER PREVENTIVE/THERAPEUTIC SUPPLEMENT

There is an excellent preventive, as well as therapeutic supplement on the market called Bone-Protec.  Our feeling is that everyone over 40 should be taking it.  This product has been so carefully formulated; so much thought has been devoted to its design, that in our view, Bone-Protec stands head and shoulders over any product of its kind.

The low key New Zealand company that formulates and manufactures this supplement has a number of other equally effective and  very high quality supplements meant to address other, specific ailments.  Their product line is necessarily limited because their unbending philosophy is to either make a product that is superior to any other, or not make it at all.

WOMEN PARTICULARLY SHOULD TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT BONE-PROTEC

Any woman approaching forty and beyond needs Bone-Protec!  As menopause approaches it is important to gear up the body's defenses against the attack on bone health that will ensue.  If you are already in menopause, it is vital that you receive this support, hopefully well before you feel the need for it.  Bone-Protec   will help you no matter what stage you're in, but the sooner you begin taking it, the better you will be feeling later on.  Bone-Protec is a completely natural nutritional supplement that, along with your regular supplement regimen can ensure your vigorous health and well being during this difficult time. A direct link to the manufacturer of this wonderful product is provided for you here.

AVOID PRESCRIPTION OSTEO DRUGS USE THESE ALTERNATIVES INSTEAD For the best price available for high quality Strontium, click on the image at left. Then bolster this with regular consumption of the following: Use as directed. BONE-PROTEC OMEGA3 FISH OIL TOTAL BALANCE (Pick the formulation that's best for you. Help is available at the site) READ THIS TRUE STORY!