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Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease that is chronic and affects over 44 million Americans. This condition usually affects people later in their lives and it lessens the density and strength of bones, making them more brittle and more likely to break. This disease can lead to an increase in severe fractures of such areas as the spine, hip, and wrist when left untreated.
As the population of in this country continues to age, an increasingly high number of people will begin to suffer the sometimes crippling early affects of osteoporosis. Women suffer disproportionately, as they are over four times as likely to suffer from osteoporosis as their bodies tend to lose a great deal of calcium over a lifetime.
Although many bones are at risk for fracturing with osteoporosis, some specific bones have more devastating consequences when broken. The spine and the hip are both areas that are commonly affected and can require extensive rehabilitation and surgery to repair.
The pharmaceutical industry has developed a number of medications to both prevent and treat this condition, and unfortunately, some of these drugs have been shown to have severe side effects. These medications alter the basic body functions like bone density and repair, so the consequences can be profound. Some of these effects include fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, nausea, and sleeplessness. Ones that are rarer include Osteonecrosis of the Jaw, or dead jaw, a debilitating and often painful condition that affects the jaw bones.
Multiple Myeloma is a type of devastating cancer that affects the plasma kind of white blood cells in the body. Every year, over 12,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with this condition.
In multiple myeloma, the body develops too many plasma cells, which produce too many antibodies that the human body doesn't need and in fact, cannot use. It is particularly dangerous because the victim's body produces a constant supply of malignant cells every day. These destructive myeloma cells can build up inside the delicate bone marrow and the harder areas of the bone, where they can potentially grow into a tumor known as a plasmacytoma.
Most types of myeloma harm more than just one bone, which is why it is called multiple myeloma. This particular kind of cancer differs from bone cancer in that it isn't the bone itself that is directly harmed by the cancer, but rather these cancerous cells are inflicted upon the bone.
Once these cancerous cells start to reproduce and grow, they cause extensive harm by weakening the bones throughout the body. This causes the frequency and severity of bone fractures to increase, leading to significant pain and difficulty in movement.
Another detrimental consequence of this particular cancer is that the damaged bones in turn release calcium into the victim's bloodstream, and since there aren't enough healthy white blood cells, the body is unable to adequately ward off disease or infection.
Some patients take certain osteoporosis medications in order to fight myeloma since these drugs can keep the bone tissue from deteriorating. Medications such as Fosamax, Zometa, and Aredia are often prescribed to help people combat this deadly disease, but patients can be left with severe side effects like dead jaw and osteonecrosis of the jaw from their usage.
Fosamax is a bisphosphonate medication created to ward off osteoporosis, the bone disease that disproportionately affects postmenopausal women in the U.S. Both women and men who face this disease often use Fosamax to treat it. The drug can be taken orally in either a pill or a fluid suspension that is taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
Osteoporosis is a devastating disease that affects nearly 44 million people in the country, causing bones to become brittle and lose density. Most of the victims are women over the age of 55, although the condition can strike anyone at any time.
Fosamax is used to help rebuild and fortify these weakened bones so that victims of osteoporosis can ward off debilitating and potentially life-threatening fractures and broken bones. The tablet helps control osteoporosis and Paget's disease, but it cannot prevent or cure them.
Unfortunately, the medication can lead to serious complications for users. Like other osteoporosis drugs, Fosamax can cause severe gastrointestinal issues like nausea and constipation. In rare times, it can result in Osteonecrosis of the jaw, commonly known as "dead jaw" which causes profound swelling in the jaw, hindering the victim's ability to eat, speak, or swallow.
The powerful medication known as Zometa is administered intravenously in order to help prevent the debilitating fractures and broken bones caused by multiple myeloma and prostrate cancer induced osteoporosis. This drug is so powerful that it is usually injected only once a month for cancer patients, and once a year for victims of osteoporosis.
Zometa is also used to treat the dangerously elevated blood calcium levels known as hypercalcaemia, and like many osteoporosis medications, it is a biphosphonate in nature. This is a type of drug used to prevent the reabsorption of bone throughout the body, which is a critical function since it allows the body to adjust the strength and density of the bone and distributes the minerals where they are needed. Since victims of osteoporosis have significantly weaker bones, these biphosphonates help to prevent excess bone breakdown.
Unfortunately, these biphosphonates found in Zometa are so strong that they can lead to a variety of serious side effects. Osteoporosis drugs typically cause standard consequences like gastrointestinal pain and fever, but Zometa is also widely known to lead to severe renal deterioration and eventual kidney failure.
Another severe effect of Zometa use is a debilitating condition known as dead jaw, or Osteonecrosis of the Jaw. This painful condition is characterized by rotting and swollen bones in the jaw and caused by abnormally high levels of phosphorus in the victim's body. It can lead to major dental and gum problems for victims and can even cause severe disfigurement. Zometa is more likely to be implicated in this condition due to the high concentration of biphosphonates in the drug.
Aredia is a drug designed to treat the ravaging effects of osteoporosis, hypercalcaemia, and multiple myeloma that is manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals. The medication works by slowing down the normal way that the human body breaks down bone minerals and redistributes them, preventing the excessive weakening of the bones that is caused by degenerative bone conditions like osteoporosis.
Aredia is a biphosphonate, as are most other osteoporosis drugs. These medications inhibit the natural process of the body that breaks down bone minerals to keep the bone structure healthy. In normal, healthy individuals, this process is constant and natural, but in osteoporosis victims it can be dangerous. Aredia is used to stop this breakdown, but it unfortunately has severe adverse side effects that can be profound.
Many of the more common side effects of Aredia are found in most osteoporosis drugs, like gastrointestinal issues and constipation. However, the drug is so powerful that it can lead to dangerous and potentially life-threatening complications such as kidney failure, severe allergic reactions, and excruciating bone pain.
Aredia and other biphosphonates have also been implicated in the development of a devastatingly painful condition known as Osteonecrosis of the Jaw, or "Dead Jaw." Dead jaw results when the accumulation of excess phosphorus causes the jaw to swell and develop potentially deadly abscesses. Even minor cases of this condition can lead to severe tooth and gum problems.
Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ) and Dead Jaw
Osteonecrosis of the Jaw, also known as "Dead Jaw," is a devastating - and all too common - side effect of many types of osteoporosis drugs. The condition of Dead Jaw is caused when there is an excess of phosphorus in a victim's body. It was also called "phossy jaw" historically due to its frequent appearance in people who were exposed to white phosphorous gas in places such as match factories or other industrial areas.
Thankfully, the advances of technology and modern safety precautions have lessened the number of Dead Jaw workplace victims, but the number of cases occurring in users of osteoporosis drugs is escalating. This is due to the fact that many osteoporosis drugs are what are known as biphosphonates. These particular kinds of drugs disrupt the way that the body naturally redistributes bone structure and minerals in order to avoid the accelerated level of depletion that occurs in osteoporosis.
Tragically, these biphosphonates drastically raise the phosphorus in the body to such extreme levels that Dead Jaw is more likely to occur. Victims of this serious condition can develop severe abscesses in and around the mouth, causing painful toothaches and even tooth rot. Usually there is a visible swelling around the mouth, as the abscesses fill with vile smelling fluid.
While teeth are among the most resilient parts of the body, they can still become damaged or diseased and at times must be removed entirely. Normally, the jawbone rebounds well from a tooth extraction and heals normally once the tooth has been removed. However, when the patient is suffering from a condition called Osteonecrosis of the Jaw or ONJ, the jawbone is unable to heal properly and there can be profound consequences.
Medications such as Fosamax and other biphosphonates weaken the body’s natural ability to heal itself, thus compromising the ability of the empty socket to grow over the exposed bone. This can cause serious problems in the mouth, and can even lead to the necessary removal of the jawbone in extreme cases. Tooth extraction and jaw death can be a devastating combination.
The drug Fosamax is manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Merck for treating conditions like osteoporosis and Paget’s disease, as it reduces the body’s tendency to break down old bone. This can be a major problem when a patient undergoes dental work, and can cause bone death and the loss of important oral tissue.
Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ) and Dead Jaw
Osteonecrosis of the Jaw, also known as "Dead Jaw," is a devastating - and all too common - side effect of many types of osteoporosis drugs. The condition of Dead Jaw is caused when there is an excess of phosphorus in a victim's body. It was also called "phossy jaw" historically due to its frequent appearance in people who were exposed to white phosphorous gas in places such as match factories or other industrial areas.
Thankfully, the advances of technology and modern safety precautions have lessened the number of Dead Jaw workplace victims, but the number of cases occurring in users of osteoporosis drugs is escalating. This is due to the fact that many osteoporosis drugs are what are known as biphosphonates. These particular kinds of drugs disrupt the way that the body naturally redistributes bone structure and minerals in order to avoid the accelerated level of depletion that occurs in osteoporosis.
Tragically, these biphosphonates drastically raise the phosphorus in the body to such extreme levels that Dead Jaw is more likely to occur. Victims of this serious condition can develop severe abscesses in and around the mouth, causing painful toothaches and even tooth rot. Usually there is a visible swelling around the mouth, as the abscesses fill with vile smelling fluid.
A large number of victims of Dead Jaw have linked their use of osteoporosis drugs to the development of this painful condition. If you are one of these unlucky people suffering so unjustly, you have options under the law. Make sure to contact a knowledgeable attorney as soon as possible so that you can fight for the financial compensation that you deserve for your physical and emotional turmoil. Don't let the statutes of limitations expire before you get what you are entitled to.Paget’s disease is a physically painful and emotionally difficult condition that can lead to bones that are weak and enlarged, causing arthritis, fractures, and generalized bone pain. The condition can go undiagnosed for extended periods of times as the disorder is often confused with arthritis and other common conditions. Women and men are usually affected equally by the disease.
Often, Paget’s disease strikes the spine, pelvis, skull, lower legs, and thighs most frequently. Normally the symptoms manifest in a slow manner until things like nerve pressure, pain, headaches, hearing loss and hip pain are noticed. In rare cases, Paget’s disease can lead to an abnormal increase in head size, the bowing of the limbs, and even scoliosis. Doctors have found that osteoporosis drugs such as Fosamax can be effective in treating Paget’s disease, though the conditions are not related.
Fosamax works by inhibiting the manner in which bone is broken down by the body, and Paget’s disease victims use the drug to regulate this breakdown in order to prevent the deformations that are commonly caused by the disorder. However, evidence has linked Fosamax and other similar drugs to dangerous side effects such as osteonecrosis of the jaw that keeps the bone from healing correctly after invasive dental procedures. This condition can be devastating and can even require the removal of jaw bone in extreme situations.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by osteoporosis medications, you may deserve financial compensation for your struggle. Don't take chances - let a dedicated and knowledgeable osteoporosis drug attorney fight for your rights. Contact a lawyer today.