Fosamax Fracture Lawyers: Reports of Unexplained Broken Bones from Fosamax
The lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. represent individuals throughout the United States who have suffered a femur fracture from Fosamax. Recent media reports have drawn substantial attention to this potential Fosamax side effect, which Merck & Co. has failed to adequately warn users about.
>>INFORMATION: Fosamax Fracture Lawsuits
Fosamax (alendronate sodium) is an osteoporosis drug prescribed millions of people to reduce the risk of fractures, primarily involving the hip. About 1,000 Fosamax lawsuits have already been filed by users of this drug who experienced a rare decay of the jawbone after taking the medication, known as osteonecrosis of the jaw or ONJ. However, more and more doctors and medical experts are now noticing a possible connection between non-impact femur fractures and broken bones from Fosamax.
An ABC News and World Report aired last night discussing the stories of several women who have experienced these spontaneous broken bones and fractures after using the Fosamax for several years. Research into the Fosamax femur fracture side effects suggest that prolonged use of the osteoporosis drug may overly suppress bone metabolism, impacting the ability of the bone to repair microdamage to the femur (thigh bone), which is one of the strongest in the body.
The ABC report highlights how users and the medical community have not been adequately warned about the risk of femur fracture from Fosamax. The FDA told ABC that they are looking into the reports of bone breaks with Fosamax, and Merck issued a statement for the report denying that any causal connection has been established.
Here is the Fosamax femur fracture video from ABC News:
Similar stories continue to turn up about these unexplained Fosamax thigh bone fractures, which can occur after no obvious trauma. The following news report by WCBD-TV, a local NBC Affiliate in Charleston, South Carolina, aired last month:
FOSAMAX FEMUR FRACTURE ATTORNEYS
If you, a friend or family member have suffered a broken thigh bone or femur fracture on Fosamax, you may have a case as a result of Merck’s failure to warn about the potential risk. Fosamax fracture lawsuits are reviewed for users of the drug throughout the United States, and there are no fees or expenses unless a recovery is obtained. To have a case reviewed by one of our Fosamax attorneys, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.
16 Comments • Add Your Comments
Donna says:
On February 27, 2010, I too have just experienced a broken femur as well as a broken right shoulder in a fall similar to the one experienced by the females on the videos.
I had been taking Fosamax since 2005.
Posted on March 9, 2010 at 4:57 pm
Maria says:
This same thing happened to my son who is quadriplegic and vent. dependent. He has been taking Fosomax for well over 5 years and his left femur snapped in half for no apparent reason while he was being put into his wheelchir by his nurses.
Posted on March 9, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Susan says:
I had taken Fosamax for eight years before I broke my left leg femur. I did not fall or trip on anything. I just turned around and felt my leg give way, so I slid to the ground and called for help. An excellent orthopedic doctor in a small Iowa town inserted a titanium rod in the left femur. I had physical therapy at the hospital as well as at a nursing home. When I left both places, I used a walker or a cane. Today, I walk without either one, but it is scary because I am afraid of loosening the pin which adjoins the rod to my hip. My hip was apparently very strong according to the doctor.
Posted on March 10, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Susan says:
I forgot to mention that the femur was broken in June, 2008. I stopped taking Fosamax the day I learned what had happened to my leg, because my younger sister had read an article in the New York Times: it told about a woman doctor who had been riding the subway when her femur broke before she fell to the floor.
Posted on March 10, 2010 at 3:24 pm
jeffrey dach md says:
The Fosamax (Alendronate) study done for FDA approval failed to show any benefit for the majority of the worried well, which is the osteopenia group defined as T score greater than -2.5. This Osteopenia Group actually had higher fracture rates than placebo. This was published by Cummings in JAMA in 1998.
Bisphosphonate drugs like Fosamax have severe adverse side effects of jaw necrosis (OJN), spontaneous mid-femur fracture, heart rhythm disturbances, and severe bone and joint pain.
The spontaneous mid femur fractures are especially troubling, since these are spontaneous fractures without any trauma. Subtrochanteric fractures are pathological fractures, indicating the underlying bone matrix is abnormal. This anormal weakening and brittleness is directly caused by the bisphosphonate drug.
Bottom Line: These are BAD drugs that actually make the bones weaker not stronger, and they should be banned by the FDA . However, knowing the FDA which is in the pocket of the drug companies, no action will be taken until many more women victims suffer from these drugs, and many more cases work their way through drug litigation court.
Posted on March 11, 2010 at 10:46 am
Gary Jones MD says:
The comment by dach md is wrong and irresponsible. While the complications of pathological femur fracture and osteonecrosis of the mandible can be terrible for the women affected, this drug has been shown to prevent thousands of painful osteoporotic spine fractures in women around the world. It has certainly done more good than harm. Is it perfect? No. Does it make normal bone? No. Is it a bad drug? You decide.
Posted on March 14, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Donna says:
In May 2009 I broke my left femur and then my right femur in August. The first break was when getting up from a nap my leg would hhold me and I started flling down. I heard my bone break 2 times before I hit the ground.
The right femur broke as I was walking to the table to have breakfast.
I had severe pain in both thighs before each break. Two days before I broke my right femur I had a MRI ordered by my doctor and it did not show any sign of a fracture. The agonizing pain before the break made me walk with a cane or walker and that helped very little. As I took a step I heard the break before I hit the ground.
The doctor’s at Orlando Hospital informed me about the problem others were also having and told me to stop my Fosamax immediately. I had been on Fosmax since 1996. My whole life has changed. I have been working for months to walk normally. I live alone and worry that I might break some ;other bone on my body. I am completely disturbed that a drug that I was taking to improve my bones could cause damage to my bone.
I would be happy to participate in any study, Interview, or law suit in the future.
Posted on March 24, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Beth says:
My mother who has taken Fosamax in 2006 – 2007 then was changed to Actonel from 2007-present (2010) has just been diagnosed with both femurs fractored caused by no apparent reason.
Posted on March 26, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Annette says:
In July 2009 I suddenly developed severe femur pain in my left leg withour any reason. It was not diagnosed correctly at the time. I could not get relief and could not walk at all. On Nov. 16, that leg just gave way and I collapsed to the floor,. Bad break, non-union, comminuted femur.
July 2009, Left femur stress fracture, no cause. Diagnosed incorrectly and I suffered for about four months, until suddenly that leg gave way and I collapsed to the floor on Nov.16, 2009. Bad break, comminuted, non-union. Surgery: Open reduction and internal fixation of left subrochanteric femur fracture with intramedullary nailing devise. Hospitalized 5 days, rehabilitation 20 days, still in therapy and slow to heal. I took Fosamax for at least 7 years or more. I know Fosamax was the cause.
dutgery on Nov.17
Posted on August 18, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Barbara says:
When I fractured my femur in 2008, it was because I twisted in midair to avoid falling over a stroller in the mall. I live in upstate NY and at my insistence because the hospital seemed to be clueless, I was transferred to NY Presbyterian hospital in Manhattan. When the resident in charge was helping the EMT workers get me out of the ambulance, he asked me two question: 1) “Are you Barbara White?” and 2) “Are you taking Boniva?”
Apparently the good hospitals have known about these side effects of bisphosphonates for years and so has the FDA. Why was this not included in package inserts or a warning given to the doctors?
It took two months and three surgeries for the leg to even begin to heal, but the pain from the hardware is sometimes horrendous. Now I have the choice of living in pain (leaving the hardware in) or living in fear (taking out the hardware and risking another fractured femur). I’m also told I have stress fractures in my spine, which are becoming more and more painful and will have to be addressed. I’m happy for the women that bisphosphonates have helped, but there are a lot of us who are becoming invalids because of the same drugs. When I found out what the drug companies had done, I wanted to go to their headquarters, find the local police departments and file criminal charges against them, possibly assault with a deadly weapon. I still wonder if that would have made a some people sit up and take notice a lot earlier.
I have my own attorneys who are filing a mas tort action for product liability, but if you need a witness, I’m your woman. I’m mad as hell.
Posted on August 25, 2010 at 11:05 am
Anna says:
My mother has suffered from a fracture rib getting out of bed and, recently, slipped to the floor and broke her hip requiring complete hip replacement. She is a long time user of Fosamax. Could these fractures be a result?
Posted on October 11, 2010 at 5:50 pm
Paula says:
This has been a long road. I began taking Fosamax in my mid thirties because of a knee cap fracture. I was born with Osteogenisis Imperfecta and has suffered fractures as long as I can remember. I had two femur fractures as a young child as well as several other, so when I was given the option to build my bone I took it. The frst few years my Dexascans were looking positive but a few years into it I was not seeing improvement but was told to continue the medicine. I then began to experience sharp pains in the middle of my femurs. I fractured my first femur while I was still standing, my leg got caught on a door jam and snapped. Four months latter while attempting to stand while still on crutches the left femur fractured. It is a horrible experience. To make matters worse, after my second rod I was refered to Kennedy Kreiger for infusions of Bisphosphanates which I continued for another several years. Not until recently have I began to hear of other women with this same issue.
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 8:01 pm
Margaret says:
IOn Feb 21 2011 I was carring towels up from my basement that has 12 steps and my right femur snapped in two and I fell down all 12 stairs. Thank God my husband was home.This happened 10 minutes before his normal time to leave. I could have died because at the hospital there was no pulse in my right foot and they set the leg in the emergency room. That was so painful. Then I went to surgery and now have a rod and plate in my femur and hip. I have taken Fosomax for over 10 years and had a bone density test in April 2010 that showed some bone loss and the Dr. said to add a multi vitamen with calcium.I am 65 years old.I have always been very active.I still work and I hope I can go back to my activites and enjoying my time traveling and my family.I stopped taking Fosomax Feb 21 2011.I hope and pray my left leg will not break. They x rayed it and it looks ok for now.
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:33 pm
Crystal says:
I took Fosamax for years and now suffer severe heartburn from it.
On August 26th I was riding my bike and took a spill. I broke my toe and sacrum. I wonder if these breaks were caused by my taking a medication that was supposed to help my bones not make them like glass.
Posted on October 29, 2012 at 12:19 pm
Edna says:
I tripped and landed on my side. My arm literally broke in three places(wrist, elbow and shoulder) while using Fasomax.
Posted on September 1, 2013 at 11:54 am
Donna says:
Hi I am so sorry the horriable pain you have been through. I broke my femur bone I was on Boniva for about five years,it snapped the pain I begged to die .I have a rod and walk with a walker.Always have pain and the flabber that the rod is attach to is unbearable.My RA doctor who put me on Boniva actually said it wasn’t any of hismedications.That was true he was treating me for ra.RA medication would not cause a femur break but the Boniva he gave me did.
Posted on March 2, 2015 at 7:26 am