Actonel side effects 

Actonel side effects. (This medication also called, Risedronate)  All pharmaceutical drugs have side effects and Actonel  is no different. If your health care provider has prescribed Actonel to treat your Osteoporosis, you want to review this drugs side effects - so you do not think something has 'gone wrong' if you experience one or more of them.  And if you find that a side effect of this drug is so bothersome that you are considering not continuing with your prescription, do call you health care provider immediately. Do not stop your Osteoporosis treatment on your own.

Main side effects of Actonel as reported in the medical literature:   If you experience anything unusual after starting Actonel, do review this page and if you find that what you are experiencing is a common side effect of this drug,  contact your health care provider as soon as possible .... so you can get medical advice about whether you should continue taking Actonel for your Osteoporosis or Osteopenia or if you should switch to a different treatment.

Be advised that not everyone experiences side effects from  Actonel.  Some people  experience NO side effects at all. Others do have some side effects and these may range from the merely inconvenient to very serious ones. So read on.....

The most common side effects of Actonel:

1. Back pain A little over 25% of people using the drug report back pain.
2. Burping
3. Constipation - Yes, it could be Actonel  that is causing your constipation.
4.  Abdominal (stomach) pain.
5. Bladder infection (urinary tract infection or UTI)  can be an Actonel side effect so if you get a UTI after starting this drug, be sure to tell the health care provider you consult for your UTI that you are taking Actonel. Be ready to say when you started it and what dose you are taking.
6. Diarrhea  is a common side effect. If you experience diarrhea, please contact your health care provider as soon as possible and be sure to follow your provider's advice.
7. Difficulty breathing
8. Dizziness
9. Dry mouth
10. Dull, aching pains in the groin, hips or thighs
11. Frequent need to urinate
12. Gas
13. Headache
14. Hoarseness
15. Irritation of your esophagus - a  'burning' in your throat. This can be caused by the medication touching the interior of your esophagus as you swallow it.        Drinking more water when taking Actonel sometimes stops this problem.  If the irritation continues, contact your health care provider. It could be that you should not be taking Actonel at all. Your doctor can prescribe a different medication.

More Actonel side effects:

1. Joint pain Up to 23.7 percent of patients report joint pain.
2. Loosening of the teeth
3. Muscle spasms, twitching, or cramps
4. Numbness or heavy feeling in the jaw
5. Numbness or tingling around mouth or in hands or feet
6. Painful or swollen gums
7. Poor healing of the jaw
8. Sensitivity to light
9. Swelling: of your face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
10. Swollen, red, or painful eyes
11. Weakness
12. If you are taking NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy, you could experience upper gastro-intestinal tract toxicity.                                               Note that a study done in 2001 showed that Actonel (Risedronate ) was more tolerated than Fosamax (alendronate) by women who had discontinued the use of Fosamax ( alendronate) because of gastro-intestinal irritation.
13. Eye issues. In 2006 there was a study published in Drug Safety,“Ophthalmologic events in patients receiving risedronate" A summary of information gained from follow up in a prescription-event monitoring study in England concluded in part that: “Patients receiving risedronate can present with a variety of signs and symptoms affecting the eye with different degrees of severity. Patients may present after the first month of treatment."   Dry eye, sore eye and conjunctivitis were the most frequently reported issues. Also some incidents of eye inflammation were reported by users of the drug. 

Since Actonel ( Risedronate ) is a bisphosphonate, there are some concerns about Osteonecrosis or ‘dead jaw’ as a side effect of taking Actonel. You can read  about Osteonecrosis and other potentially serious Actonel side effects

If you have been prescribed this bisphosphonate drug for Osteoporosis                and you want to more information, do check you may want to review some of the research studies about Actonel 

NOTE: Since Actonel ( Risedronate ) is a bisphosphonate, there are  some concerns about Osteonecrosis or ‘dead jaw’ as a potential side effect of taking Actonel.  I have created an separate page with information about Osteonecrosis which can come with the use of any of the bisphosphonate drugs.   To read it,  click on: more Actonel side effects 

Additional information. Here is another link for those who have been prescribed this drug:  Actonel  And here are some links to the scientific research studies about Actonel . Finally, this last link will bring you to the company's web site with information about prescribing Actonel. 

Other Osteoporosis, Osteopenia medications

You can find information about other Osteoporosis medications at Osteopenia, Osteoporosis Medications

And if you are interested in reading about effective Natural Osteoporosis treatments , here are some backed by scientific studies.   Natural  treatments for Osteopenia and Osteoporosis

Share with other readers

If you have used Actonel for your Osteoporosis and would be willing to share your experience with others, please do so by using the form below. Please be sure to put Actonel Side effects on top of your contribution so I know where to place your comment. (I use the same form through out the site, so I need you to tell me where your comment should go.) Thanks.