Zoledronic acid and Bone Pain: What Users Say

• Mcm...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 2, 2020

For Osteoporosis "Short & sweet - Never, ever again will I take this drug. This knocked me on my butt and took everything out of me for several days. The worst headache I've ever had in my life (could not even open my eyes it hurt so much), excruciating bone pain (pain you don't understand unless you've experienced it), fever, severe weakness, etc. My doctor was extremely vague and aloof. When I called to explain what I was experiencing and asking if I should go to the hospital because seriously I thought I was dying, he was so callous and unsympathetic and just said 'yeah, those are side effects, just take Tylenol'. It's been a year and I still have negative effects of this drug! Awful experience!"

• the...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2020

For Osteoporosis "I had my first infusion on August 27, 2020. I had an appointment on August 25, 2020, with my primary care doctor. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis recently. I'm 64 years old. She told me this was the same medicine that the oral was. I tried the oral for a few months, but it made me severely constipated. So I asked what the side effects were, and she says constipation, lol. She didn't mention the preparation before receiving the infusion. Six hours later, the body aches and fever started. Then the nausea started. Then the vomiting. My highest temperature was 103. Taking Tylenol helped bring down the fever some, but after it wore off, it would come back. Today, my bones hurt so bad I can hardly move. My ribs hurt to the point I feel like they are broken. I'm not sure I want to go through this again."

• rsh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 9, 2021

For Osteoporosis "I am a 59-year-old male with a L spine T Score of -3.9. I had ignored my osteoporosis for many, many years until I felt that I had no choice but to do something. As a radiologist, I have seen many a spine with osteoporosis and multiple compression fractures that significantly reduce quality of life, so I took the risk. I hydrated prior to infusion but did not immediately take NSAIDs. What a mistake. Eight hours after infusion (3 AM), I started to have severe, uncontrollable rigors (shaking chills) and diffuse bone and muscle pain that I have never experienced before. As a reference point, I fractured my right pelvis years before in the Navy, and I know what pain is. Fever and chills improved with NSAID (first tried Tylenol and may switch to Naprosyn). The pain is still severe. The other testimonials are scary, but I also know that there is no free lunch in medicine. Everything we do is a balance between what helps and what does not."

• Anonymous
• June 29, 2020

For Osteoporosis "I had my first infusion of Reclast in early March 2020. Within a day, I was in the ER. I suffered greatly with nausea, vomiting, extreme bone pain, and fever. The fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, malaise, and other symptoms lasted for 21 days. My rheumatologist was beside herself with worry yet very helpful and compassionate. I could not eat more than toast and soup and kept a thermometer and Tylenol at bedside to treat the recurring fever. By the way, I tested negative twice for Covid-19 with a negative antibody test so coronavirus was excluded as the cause. Please do your research when deciding on an osteoporosis drug. I cannot rate the effectiveness until my next DEXA scan in 2021. But in the words of my doctor, 'never, ever again will you receive Reclast.'"

• Mis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 7, 2019

For Osteoporosis "Prior to receiving Reclast infusion 9 days ago, I only suffered back pains due to my scoliosis. Flu-like symptoms started exactly 24 hours after my infusion. I thought I was dying because of the severity of the bone aches and chills. I couldn’t walk so I stayed curled in the fetal position with pain. The next day I lay out in the warm weather to feel some relief. They told me that it would only last 2-3 days. Well, yesterday (day 8) I went to urgent care with horrible pain and unable to move my neck, only to be told that I needed to go to the ER to be treated for the pain aggressively. In the ER, I was given pain meds intravenously and sent home to take a muscle relaxer and ibuprofen at the same time. Today is day 9 and I still cannot move my neck or barely walk. When will this let up?! I will NOT do this treatment again."

• She...
• April 12, 2015

For Osteoporosis "I have osteoporosis at age 49. I had Reclast on March 5, 2015. The side effects that I have experienced have been extreme. About 4 hours after the treatment, I felt a crushing sensation from shoulders to hips, difficulty breathing. Movement made it worse. Went to the ER, doctors administered IV Benadryl and steroid. I have experienced bone pain throughout my body, at times not able to move without pain. That has passed after 2 1/2 weeks. I have extreme tingling, itching, and redness in my entire body. The doctor put me on prednisone and hydroxyzine. This has not helped me. I am unable to sleep due to the itching. Has anyone else had these side effects? If so, what did you do to take care of it."

• Mar...
• May 25, 2019

For Osteoporosis "I chose Reclast over Prolia because of the cost savings. The infusion was given at 9 am and 7 pm. On that night, I was experiencing severe bone pain, fever, sweats, and blurred vision. The pain was so great that all I could do was moan and cry. This lasted for two days, and then the pain lessened. By early morning of day 3, I began to have chest pain. The pain came and went every few minutes for 15 hours. When I called to ask for pain medication, his response was, 'I’m not actively treating you for cancer, go to your primary care doctor.' My oncologist prescribed me this poison, and he didn’t want to help me. When the chest pain started, I begged to come into his office just to check me out. I felt like I was going to die, and their response was 'we can’t do anything for you, go to the ER.' Absolutely no empathy for his patient and clearly did not care for my well-being, physically or mentally. I will never take this drug again! Beware of taking Reclast."

• PAW...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 9, 2019

For Osteoporosis "I had Aclasta on the 21st of November 2019. No side effects for about a week. Now, every day I wake up with side effects of bone pain and muscle pain. Sometimes my feet are very sore. Hope all this stops soon. I will not be having any more Aclasta."

• San...
• June 4, 2021

For Osteoporosis "I am 66 years old. I had my first Reclast infusion in December 2020. The first week was met with a severe migraine that lasted 7 full days. As soon as that went away, the bone pain came. My shoulders, ribs, hips, and legs felt like they were breaking. I cried when trying to get out of bed or up out of a chair. Two weeks ago, the burning started. Felt like my bones were burning from the inside, and it was painful to use my hands. This is on top of my bones still feeling like they are breaking. This past week, the tremors started. At this point, it's getting harder to fight off the depression. I was a very active person. Side effects are getting worse. I fear this medicine will never get out of my bones or that it's already caused permanent damage. Reclast has destroyed the past 6 months of my life and my body. Does anyone have a timeline they can give me for how long it took to get out of your body, where you had the side effects 6 months or longer?"

• AMA...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 1, 2020

For Osteoporosis "I had the Reclast infusion back in March 2019. I have experienced more bone pain than I did prior to the infusion. Still in pain. The day after I had the infusion I had to go to the ER due to higher than normal blood pressure. 196/102. A headache, etc. Is this normal to still be in pain and fatigued?"

• Sun...
• March 30, 2018

For Osteolytic Bone Lesions of Multiple Myeloma "I started Zometa IV once a month for 6 years after having 2 stem cell transplants. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma 12 years ago. During the last 2 years of Zometa, I developed osteonecrosis in my jaw, BRONJ, after having a tooth extracted. That led to a domino effect, causing all my lower teeth to need to be removed. I was a 48-year-old woman when first diagnosed with MM, Stage 4. I was very physically active and had teeth. I opted to stop taking Zometa as soon as the first tooth extracted showed difficulty in healing. I am now almost 60 years old and have been off Zometa for 4 years and have had no bone fractures or breaks. I had the achy bones and the cruddy feeling for a few days. Be fanatical about oral hygiene."

• mcm...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 25, 2023

For Osteoporosis "Follow up on initial Reclast first taken 3/2022. I was never informed of any prep to do beforehand, I suffered violent, severe side effects for 8 days immediately after the Reclast infusion. I was so ill I was unable to call 911 and get myself to a hospital. I was completely incapacitated with severe bone pain, rolling head-to-toe cramps, extreme flu-like symptoms, chills, fevers, and a blinding headache that lasted for 8 days. Now, one year after, I am still experiencing severe and extreme bone pain that many times causes me to be unable to lift my arms and has impacted my quality of life. Additionally, I suffered another compression fracture with zero exertion in June of 2022. I also require several implants and refuse to potentially destroy my jaw. Reclast side effects outweigh any possible benefits. I will be 57 years old this year, and prior to 2022 had no knowledge I had osteoporosis. I pray I have no further issues!"

• Col...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 18, 2023

For Prevention of Osteoporosis "I would never recommend Reclast. I do not believe there is enough transparency in all the things that can go wrong. I was not advised to hydrate at any time before the procedure and was in the ER the day after. It has been over 3 months, and I still suffer from significant bone pain throughout my body. My quality of life has been diminished."

• Bev...
• October 13, 2019

For Osteoporosis "I had a Reclast infusion last Thursday and felt fine the rest of the day. I was tired and went to bed, waking up with severe nausea and bone pain, which created anxiety on top of that. The pain was intense, and I felt like a truck had been dropped on me. This is day 3 after the infusion, and the pain has receded some. The doctor said to take ibuprofen and Tylenol. That didn't do it for me. I took Tramadol to get some pain relief. My doctor said I only had to have it once every 3 years, and that will be soon enough to decide if I want to do it again. Today I'm a little unhappy over how sick I was, and reading other comments, I hope I don't have residual effects."

• NiC...
• June 1, 2023

For Osteoporosis "The WORST side effects - one week later, still suffering from bone pain. The first night after IV - all side effects hit at once - fever, chills, nausea, dizziness, and the worst bone pain - it was even painful to take a deep breath or to yawn. I do not know how this passed FDA approval for humans. Totally unprepared for the horrendous side effects with no guarantee that it will be helpful for bone density. It was the worst experience, and I would totally advise against taking this medication. If there was an option to give less than '1,' I would do so."

• Nev...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 25, 2023

For Osteoporosis "I tried oral biphosphonate and experienced severe bone pain, nausea, and reflux. My doctor suggested Reclast. I had the infusion and within 6 hours experienced nausea and tiredness. I had taken the recommended Tylenol before and after. I went to bed and began to experience waves of severe rib pain from my back to front and vomiting. It was many times worse than childbirth. Luckily, I had an opiate pain reliever. That helped a lot. The feeling bad lasted for about 5 days, but the reflux stayed. Never again will I take this drug!!"

• Jan...
• December 11, 2016

For Osteoporosis "Had the infusion - 15 minutes - 4 days ago. On the day, felt fine. The next day, thought I was dying, chills, fever, nausea, whole body/bones/joints extremely painful. Woke up every hour and had to drink water. Day 3, felt a lot better and managed to go to work. Day 4, I feel fine. Not sure how effective it will be, will have to have a bone scan in a year's time!"

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 4, 2019

For Osteoporosis "I received a Reclast infusion on 1/10/2019. Within 6 hours post-infusion, I started to have elbow pain, and within 12 hours post-infusion, pretty deep bone pain in the sternum, along with flu symptoms. Fevers spiked to 102 at times for over 48 hours. All joints were painful. On days 3 and 4 post-infusion, severe pain in ankles and feet - unable to get out of bed independently, but once I was moving around, things got easier. While the side effects may sound bad (and they were at times), if this increases bone density, then I have no problem sacrificing a week or two of side effects."

• NGa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 13, 2019

For Osteoporosis "Reclast IV last week, and I had side effects of sore throat, chills, headache, fever, severe bone, joint, and muscle pain, in bed for the past 8 days. I originally was going to cancel the IV after reading all the side effects, but the nurse talked me into it. Never again! I can’t really rate the drug as it’s only been a week."

• mcm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 13, 2022

For Osteoporosis "I am a 56-year-old female with sudden onset of osteoporosis, meaning I had no previous knowledge I even had osteoporosis until I obtained a total of 6 disc compression fractures over 2 and 1/2 months in 2022. The head of the endocrinology department told me to get Reclast, told me I have nothing to worry about, so I did so. No one, including this doctor, gave me any info as to how to prepare properly, nor did anyone state side effects. Because I am not normally ill, it did not occur to me to Google Reclast or that there could be a potential problem. Oh my God, what a nightmare! Within 6 hours, I had severe bone pain, a screaming headache, rolling cramps from my toes to the top of my head non-stop for 2 full days, and I became instantly so weak I couldn't lift my arm to cover myself with a blanket. When I thought the worst was over, suddenly I was hit with severe flu-like symptoms, chills, vomiting, all for 8 days. I literally felt like I was dying. Will NEVER do it again. The doctor thinks I'm crazy. She should be sued for malpractice!"

• Car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 20, 2023

For Prevention of Osteoporosis "I've never posted to a drug reaction site before, but feel compelled to share. Had my first (now will be only!) infusion of Reclast. They gave me Tylenol at the clinic, but I had no idea what I was about to experience. The first 12 hours were fine, but I woke with a horribly stiff neck, shoulders, and back, and a low-grade headache. Thought I just 'slept wrong.' The next 7 days have been a journey of joint and bone pain like never before. First hands (unusable). Shoulders, neck still so stiff I couldn't turn my head. Even my clavicle and rib cage hurt. This lasted 2-3 days. Then my toes felt broken. Through the first 5 days, I alternated Tylenol and Advil, with Aleve PM to try to sleep. On day 6, I went back to the doctor and was given IVs (hydration and anti-inflammatory). Also Rx pain meds. Now on day 8, and pain has moved to my legs and knees. Pain meds allow me to function, but I'm wondering if this will touch every area of my body. Never again!"

• Ste...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 8, 2017

For Osteolytic Bone Lesions of Multiple Myeloma "I started on Zometa about 3 years ago. At first, it was every three months, but over the past year I have it every 4 weeks. The side effects vary almost every time, sometimes it's aching bones or muscle pain, and I usually feel weary to the point that I stay in bed all day. The effects usually hit me on the second day after having the infusion and only last for one day. Today is Sunday, and I had the infusion on Friday, so as I write this, I'm feeling pretty rotten, but come tomorrow I'll be feeling much better, so it doesn't worry me at all... and it's a lot better than having my bones snapping just because I've lifted something that's too heavy."

• Bew...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 24, 2022

For Osteoporosis "I was diagnosed with osteoporosis due to my gynecologist screwing up and not putting me on hormone replacement therapy after a total hysterectomy at age 38. I am now 57, and after this Reclast bone infusion, I have never felt worse in my life. It has been four months since my infusion. I have side effects of vomiting almost every day, acid reflux disease, bone and muscle pain, migraines, lethargy, no libido, hair falling out, jaw pain so bad that I went to a dentist, and he said he was afraid my jaw was necrotic. The following week, the pain was so intense that it dropped me to my knees. I went to urgent care, and they made me get a CT scan. I now have arthritis in my jaw, TMJ, and can barely eat because of teeth feeling like they’re going to fall out. And I’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease. Mind you, I never had any of this before the infusion. I feel terrible! I’m so angry that my doctor never told me about these terrible side effects."

• boo...
• January 25, 2012

For Osteolytic Bone Metastases of Solid Tumors "I dreaded the side effects and had none. I had the intravenous infusion three days before Christmas 2011 and was scared that I would be flattened by the supposed side effects like flu-like symptoms, bone ache, and so forth and was pleasantly surprised. I am having my second one in just ten days' time and hopefully, it will be a repeat of the first one."

• Gin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 17, 2022

For Prevention of Osteoporosis "Cancelled Reclast infusion 3 months ago after seeing many negative and alarming reviews. PCP changed my decision by informing me of the high percentage of possible fractures. Had 1st Reclast infusion a few days ago. I took a couple of Tylenol and drank a bottle of water. After arriving at a clinic, my vitals were taken, I.V. line started, and the infusion given. I arrived and left in less than an hour. Going home, I drank more water and had a couple more Tylenol. During the next few hours, I did mental body scans looking for pain, muscle cramps, aching bones, chills, or nausea. I found nothing. And I've continued with no difficulties. No discomfort of any kind. I experienced no side effects of any kind from the Reclast infusion. I'm 70 years old and shall continue to ride horses and have no fear of falling. Hopefully, my next year dexascan will show improvement."