What it is used for
- Treating osteoporosis in women after the menopause
- Treating osteoporosis in men
- Treating or preventing osteoporosis caused by corticosteroid medicines
- Treating Paget's disease of bone
How it is used
- Use it only as prescribed by your doctor; your doctor decides the dose and schedule
- Take the tablet as soon as you get up, on an empty stomach, with a full glass of plain water only, not tea, coffee, juice, milk or mineral water
- Swallow the tablet whole without chewing or sucking it; effervescent tablets are dissolved in plain water as the leaflet says
- Stay sitting or standing and do not lie down, eat, drink or take other medicines until the time stated in the leaflet has passed
- Do not take it at bedtime or before you get up for the day
Possible side effects
- Stomach pain, heartburn, indigestion or bloating
- Bone, muscle or joint pain
- Difficulty or pain when swallowing, or pain behind the breastbone, which can mean irritation of the gullet
- Headache
Who should not use it
- Do not use it if you are allergic to the active ingredient or any other ingredient in the product
- Problems of the gullet that slow the passage of food, such as narrowing
- Being unable to sit or stand upright for a while after taking it
- Low blood calcium
Before and while using it
- Stop it and contact your doctor if you get pain on swallowing, new or worse heartburn, or chest pain
- Rarely, it can damage the jawbone; have a dental check before treatment, keep your mouth clean and tell your dentist you take it
- Tell your doctor about any new thigh, hip or groin pain, which can rarely be a sign of an unusual thigh-bone fracture
- Tell your doctor about ear pain or discharge
- You usually need enough calcium and vitamin D; ask your doctor
- Tell your doctor if you have kidney disease
Medicine interactions
- Calcium, antacids, iron and other supplements reduce its absorption; take them later in the day
- Anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen can add to stomach irritation
- Tell your doctor or pharmacist about all the medicines, supplements and herbal products you take
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- It is not used during pregnancy or breastfeeding
How to store it
- Store at room temperature away from heat and moisture, out of the sight and reach of children.
Get medical help straight away if
- Your face, lips or tongue swell, or you find it hard to breathe.
- You get a severe rash, blistering or peeling skin.
- A side effect worries you or doesn’t go away: contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Questions about this medicine?
Talk to a doctor by video, or send your question by text.
Source: Standard international medicine references
This guide is general information and doesn’t replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Don’t start, stop or change a medicine without asking them, and always read the leaflet in the pack.