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Alendronate
Pronounced ah-LEN-dro-nate
Brand names: Fosamax
Type: Bisphosphonate (bone medicine) · All Hormone & Endocrine Medicines
What Alendronate is used for
- Osteoporosis in women and men
- Bone loss from steroid treatment
- Paget disease of bone
◆ Kidney note
Not recommended when kidney function is severely reduced.
Common side effects
- Stomach pain
- Heartburn
- Muscle or joint pain
- Constipation
Important cautions
- Can irritate or ulcerate the food pipe — it is taken with a full glass of water and the person stays upright afterwards, exactly as the label directs
- Rarely, serious jaw bone problems or unusual thigh fractures occur — tell your dentist you take it
How it comes
Tablets, liquid, effervescent tablets. This guide lists forms only — it never lists strengths or doses.
Toxicity lists: Alendronate also appears on Medicines That Can Harm the Kidneys.
Related medicines — Hormone & Endocrine Medicines
Please note: This page is a patient-education summary, not medical advice, and it deliberately contains no doses. Medicines affect everyone differently — always follow your own prescription and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.