|
Share your experience: submit a drug review
Below are Actonel (Risedronate) reviews, ratings, comments submitted by patients and caregivers. Based on a total of 4 ratings/reviews, Actonel has an overall score of 6. The effectiveness score is 5.50 and the side effect score is 6.50. The scores are on ten point scale: 10 - best, 1 - worst. This information is not vetted and should not be cosidered as clinical evidence. | | Actonel review by 62 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | |   |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Osteopenia |
| Dosage & duration: | | 35mg taken once a week for the period of Three Years |
| Other conditions: | | fibromyalgia, high cholesterol |
| Other drugs taken: | | Effexor | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Actonel helped my bone density increase the first two years. |
| Side effects: | | I started having intense burning in my esophogus (from my throat to the top of my stomach) |
| Comments: | | Actonel helped my bone density increase the first two years. The third year I did not increase bone density - just stayed the same as the year before. |
|
| | Actonel review by 55 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | No Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | post-menopausal osteopenia |
| Dosage & duration: | | 35mg taken once a week for the period of Have been taking for 4 years now |
| Other conditions: | | None |
| Other drugs taken: | | None | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | My annual bone density scan improved significantly after my first year on Actonel. Although I still have osteopenia, my physician says Actonel is helping to maintain this improvement and it is keep me from progressing to osteoporosis. |
| Side effects: | | I have not had any side effects, not even the heartburn that is the most common one. |
| Comments: | | I take one 35 mg tab of Actonel first thing every Wednesday morning on an empty stomach with a full glass of water, sometimes 2 glasses. I wait at least 30 minutes before I eat or drink anything. While I am supposed to wait at least 30 minutes before lying down again, I confess that on a couple of Wednesday mornings when I was especially tired, I did lay back down. Even then, however, I did not experience any heartburn. |
|
| | Actonel review by 63 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Loss of bone mass |
| Dosage & duration: | | 70 mg taken once a week for the period of I am still taking it. Three years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | The loss of bone mass retarded. It is difficult to measure the efficacy of the drug apart from a bone scan. I do not nor have ever broken a bone. Considering my weakness in my wrists this drug may be credited with bone integrity. |
| Side effects: | | Dry mouth, slight constipation, but rarely any other. I did not do well with Fosomax, so was given Actonel, and then a once a month Actonel.. My Health Care program persuaded me to take the generic once a week, because it was cheaper. I find no difference in the once a week or once a month side effects. |
| Comments: | | Actonel or its generic is taken to stop bone loss- which is especially prevalent in thin white older women. It is a pill taken once a week on an empty stomach upon rising in the morning. After the pill is taken with an 8 oz glass of water, the patient must remain upright for 30 minutes. It is a bit of a nuisance not to be able to lie down after taking the pill, and to have wait for 30 minutes before the coffee that is brewing and smells so tantalizing is wafting through the house can be drunk! |
|
| | Actonel review by 65 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Ineffective |
| Side effects: | | Extremely Severe Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | prevent osteoporose |
| Dosage & duration: | | 25mg taken once a week for the period of 18 months |
| Other conditions: | | rhumatoid arthritis |
| Other drugs taken: | | metothrexate, steroids (5mg / day) | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | none: loss of bone density |
| Side effects: | | pain in all bones similar to arthritic pain. Repetitive retinal tears. formation of an epimacular membrane. (after stopping Actonel,the bone pains disappeared within 2 months. No further retinal tears and there is still no need to operate on the epimacular membrane after 2 years) |
| Comments: | | Actonel : 1 pill per week 30 minutes at least before any food / drink intake. Need to stay upright at least 30 minutes. |
| |
|
