Hi Kids, I'm also watching this issue. I was started on Actonel by my Dr in June. I'm not crazy about taking a pill that has so many conditions surrounding it...take first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, take with full 8oz of water, sit up for at least 30 minutes after taking it, yada, yada, yada... It also makes me uneasy that it has such a long half life. But on the positive side...I hope we are all fine in taking it and that we get the result we are after. Seems like a bit of a crap shoot to me... Sooey

I suffered from hot flashes for nine years, until I started taking Zoloft. My hot flashes were every fifteen minutes all morning and evening, with a little relief during the day. For women who have severe symptoms of menopause, precription meds are sometimes needed. If you have no quality of life because of your symptoms and you are completely miserable, like I was, thoughts of suicide can enter your brain -- prescription meds are a much better option. I tried all forms of natural remedies and NOTHING helped.

My mom and another lady I know of, have had severe dental problems from the fosamax. I'd do a search on that before I took it to long. Dentist are aware of this problem, and before Mom got her dentures in February, she had to go off of it for 3 months. But her rheumatoid Dr. told her yesterday to get back on it. He said she's been off it for to long. The dentist doesn't know how bad her back is. She compressed 4 vert. from having to be on steroids for so long. That's why she's on the fosamax to begin with. Leslie

I've taken them both and some others, I'm sorry to say. An uncommon side effect of Fosamax is femur fracture (I know, it sounds crazy). However that doesn't seem uncommon to me since I did experience a femur fracture while taking Fosamax and needed surgery to remedy the situation. The femur is a difficult bone to heal w/o surgery, so after many months on crutches, I went ahead with the surgery (rod). Should have done it in the first place. The problem with these drugs is that women are afraid to take them and afraid not to take them. Also, when you are taking these drugs or any other (Forteo, Prolea, etc.)--when you find out your DEXA scan results, you feel unsure if the drugs have helped or not because you don't know what the results would have been without the drugs. It's not a happy situation. These drugs have side effects you don't want, but you don't want a broken hip either. Have the collection of drugs I've taken helped me? Will I be having bad side effects? Someone pass the crystal ball, please!