<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

A number of you have reported starting, or thinking about taking, the drug
Fosamax (alendronate) for your celiac related osteoporosis, but no one has
yet reported any data on whether the drug actually works for us. Therefore,
I thought some of you might find the results below to be of interest.

These are the results from bone density tests done six months before and
six weeks after I took 10 mg of Fosamax daily for about 13 months. I was 49
years old at the first test and 50 (almost 51) at the second. During this
time, I also was taking a low-to-moderate dose of prednisone for other
autoimmune problems, which is likely to have worked against the Fosamax.

The results reported are absolute bone mineral density values in grams/cm
squared.

            TIME 1: July 24, 1995   TIME 2: May 8, 1997 (after Fosamax)

LUMBAR SPINE L1-L4      0.779           0.828

HIP Neck                0.567           0.563
HIP Troch               0.487           0.503
HIP Inter               0.841           0.819
HIP Ward's              0.365           0.403

FOREARM Radius 1/3      0.596           0.570

My doctors' interpretation of the above and related statistics that compare
these absolute values to both lifespan peak and age norms was that the drug
has been worthwhile, although I still have pronounced osteoporosis.
Apparently, some of these values are more likely to change in the short
term than others. They were encouraged by the lumbar spine result and the
Ward's measure for my hip. My guess is that those of you who are not also
taking a drug that causes bone loss might have better results. Other good
news about the efficacy of Fosamax is that, when I broke my wrist (not the
measured one) in a fall on the ice while taking it, the break healed
normally and quickly.

The bad news is a reminder that the cautions that come with this drug are
to be taken very seriously. I have had to stop taking it, at least
temporarily, because it began to cause stomach and esophageal pain. I've
learned belatedly that it would be a good idea to drink some water before
swallowing Fosamax in the morning as well as a full glass afterward,
especially if one has a tendency to dry mouth from Sjogren's syndrome or
other causes.

Nancy E, Jackson, Iowa City, IA, USA <[log in to unmask]>