THE TRUTH ABOUT FOSAMAX

Appropriate to an initial discussion about Fosamax, or any drug targeted towards osteoporosis is an initial description of osteoporosis and how bones and calcium work. It’s common knowledge that calcium is an important factor in bone health.

Bones are essentially the calcium storage facility of the body, along with the stability factor that allows us to stand up and walk and do the things we do. They are composed of calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and other things. Bone breaks down with time, so calcium and these other things must be cycled through the body.

The cycling of the calcium is accomplished through two types of cells within the bones, osteoclasts and osteoblasts. The osteoclasts are involved in the breakdown of the bones to get the calcium, while the osteoblasts are involved in the building of the bones. Both processes are necessary.

To make this process happen, calcitonin and parathyroid hormone (PTH) are secreted to regulate this process. PTH is secreted when an increased need for calcium in the body is determined. Calcitonin is secreted to decrease the amount of bone breakdown, decrease the amount of calcium and phosphorous in the blood, and a factor along with Vitamin D in the ability to metabolize calcium.

“Fosamax is in the same chemical class (phosphonate) that is used in the cleaners used to remove soap scum from your bath tub. This is a metabolic poison that actually kills the osteoclasts, the cells that remove bone so your osteoblasts can actually rebuild more bone.

It is quite clear that if you kill these cells your bone will get denser. What these studies do not show is that four years later the bone actually becomes weaker even though it is more dense.

This is because bone is a dynamic structure and requires the removal and REPLACEMENT of new bone to stay strong. Fosamax does NOT build ANY new bone. ”