Boniva

By Melanie McGrath

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break due to a low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the hip spine and wrist. [i]

Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans or 55 percent of the people fifty years of age or older. In the US today, 10 million people are estimated to already have the disease and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis. While osteoporosis is often though of as an older person’s disease, it can strike at any age.

Because osteoporosis thins bones, weakening them and making them susceptible to fractures, it is essential that you talk to your healthcare provider about osteoporosis treatment options upon diagnosis. The disease is particularly serious because you don’t see or feel your bones thinning, putting you at increased risk of experiencing a fracture from ordinary activities like bending and lifting or from a more traumatic event like falling.

There are medicines like once-a-month Boniva that have been shown to prevent further bone loss and even increase bone density, lessening your risk of fractures. With Boniva you can continue to take care of your bone health.

Boniva is a prescription medicine used for osteoporosis treatment in women after menopause. Boniva may reverse bone loss by stopping more loss of bone and increasing bone mass in most women who take it, even though they won’t be able to see of feel a difference. Boniva may help lower the chances of breaking bones. Boniva is clinically proven to maintain and actually increase bone density. It is the only osteoporosis medicine to do this with just one tablet a month. You get continuous bone protection throughout the month with just one Boniva tablet, because Boniva binds with and stays in bones. [ii]

Boniva may cause serious problems in the stomach and the esophagus, the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach. These problems may include trouble swallowing, heartburn, and ulcers. [iii]

Common side effects with Boniva are diarrhea, pain in the arms and legs and an upset stomach. You should not take Boniva if you have low blood calcium, cannot sit or stand up for at least one hour, you have kidneys that work very poorly and you are allergic to Boniva or any of the other ingredients of Boniva. Serious side effects include chest pain, difficulty or pain when swallowing, pain or burning under the ribs or in the back, severe joint, bone or muscle pain. [iv]

Remember to always talk to your health care provider about your condition and ask what you can do to prevent osteoporosis.

Sources:
[i] National Osteoporosis Foundation (2008) “Osteoporosis: A Debilitating disease that can be prevented and treated” http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis

[ii] Boniva (2008) “About Boniva” http://www.4boniva.com/about_boniva/default.aspx

[iii] RXList (2007) “Boniva” http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/boniva_ad.htm

[iv] About.com (2008) “The facts of Boniva” http://arthritis.about.com/od/boniva/a/bonivafacts.htm