Actonel: Side effects, dosage, alternatives, uses, and more - Medical News Today
Actonel can cause mild or serious side effects. The following lists contain some of the key side effects that may occur while taking Actonel. These lists don't include all possible side effects.
For more information on the possible side effects of Actonel, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can give you tips on how to deal with any side effects that may be bothersome.
Note: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tracks side effects of drugs it has approved. If you would like to notify the FDA about a side effect you've had with Actonel, you can do so through MedWatch.
Mild side effects
Mild side effects of Actonel can include:*
- pain, such as back pain
- flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, and muscle aches
- headache
- increased blood pressure
- digestive problems, including indigestion, constipation, and diarrhea†
- dizziness
- trouble sleeping
- skin rash
Most of these side effects may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. But if they become more severe or don't go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
* This is a partial list of mild side effects from Actonel. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or visit Actonel's Medication Guide.
† This mild side effect is described further in the "Side effect details" section below.
Serious side effects
Serious side effects from Actonel aren't common, but they can occur. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 or your local emergency number if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you're having a medical emergency.
Serious side effects and their symptoms can include:
- Problems with your esophagus (the muscular tube that connects your mouth and stomach). Symptoms can include:
- irritation and swelling of the esophagus
- ulcers (holes or sores) in the lining of the esophagus
- bleeding in the esophagus
- Hypocalcemia (low calcium level). Symptoms can include:
- muscle spasms
- spasms or twitching of the muscles
- tingling or numbness in your fingers, toes, or mouth
- Urinary tract infection (UTI). Symptoms can include:
- frequent urination
- burning sensation while urinating
- dark-, red-, or brown-colored urine
- Allergic reaction.*
- Pain in your bones, joints, or muscles.*
- Jaw bone problems, such as osteonecrosis.*
- Femur (thigh bone) fractures.*
- Eye side effects, such as cataracts.*
* This serious side effect is described further in the "Side effect details" section below.
Side effect details
You may wonder how often certain side effects occur with this drug. Here's some detail on certain side effects this drug may cause.
Allergic reaction
As with most drugs, some people can have an allergic reaction after taking Actonel. In clinical studies of women with osteoporosis who'd gone through menopause, allergic reaction occurred in:
- 3.8% of women taking Actonel 5 mg
- 5.9% of women taking a placebo (treatment with no active drug)
It's not known how many other people using Actonel during the studies had an allergic reaction to this drug.
Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:
- skin rash
- itchiness
- flushing (warmth and redness in your skin)
A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include:
- swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
- swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat
- trouble breathing
Call your doctor right away if you have a severe allergic reaction to Actonel. But call 911 or your local emergency number if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you're having a medical emergency.
Side effects from weekly or monthly use of Actonel
Side effects of Actonel can occur with any dosing schedule of the drug. One study looked at women with osteoporosis who'd gone through menopause. The researchers found there weren't significant differences in how well the drug worked or how safe it was when given once daily compared with once weekly.
However, taking higher doses of Actonel may increase your risk of side effects, depending on how you take Actonel. For example, another study looked at women with osteoporosis who'd gone through menopause. Researchers compared once-daily Actonel treatment with once-monthly Actonel treatment.
The researchers found that women who took Actonel 150 mg once a month had higher rates of certain side effects compared with women who took Actonel 5 mg once a day. These side effects included diarrhea, for example. In addition, women who took Actonel 150 mg once a month were more likely to stop taking the drug due to diarrhea or belly pain compared with women who took Actonel 5 mg daily.
If you have questions about side effects of Actonel related to your specific dosage, talk with your doctor.
Bone, muscle, and joint pain
Actonel may cause pain in your bones, muscles, and joints. In clinical studies of people with osteoporosis, the following side effects were seen:
- Muscle pain, which occurred in 6.7% of people taking Actonel. In comparison, muscle pain occurred in 6.2% of people taking a placebo (treatment with no active drug).
- Joint pain, which occurred in 23.7% of people taking Actonel. In comparison, joint pain occurred in 22.1% of people taking a placebo.
- Bone pain, which occurred in 5.3% of people taking Actonel. In comparison, bone pain occurred in 4.8% of people taking a placebo.
In clinical studies of people with Paget's disease, joint pain occurred in:
- 32.8% of people taking Actonel
- 29.5% of people taking Didronel*
* Didronel is a drug that was also approved to treat Paget's disease. But Didronel has been discontinued and it's no longer available on the market.
Jaw bone problems
It's possible that Actonel may cause problems with your jaw bone. Specifically, some people taking Actonel may develop osteonecrosis in their jaw. With osteonecrosis, cells in your bone tissue die.
Having osteonecrosis in your jaw may cause symptoms such as:
- pain in your jaw area
- exposed jaw bone (being able to see part of your jawbone poking through your gums)
- tingling or numbness in your mouth
Jaw bone problems from Actonel can be very serious, but they aren't common. Some
If you have pain or other problems with your jaw bone during Actonel treatment, talk with your doctor. They may be able to recommend ways to reduce your symptoms. If you develop jaw bone problems such as osteonecrosis, they'll likely recommended that you see an oral surgeon. Your doctor may also recommend that you stop taking Actonel and try a different medication for your condition.
Risk factors for jaw bone problems with Actonel
Some factors can affect your risk of having jaw bone problems while taking Actonel. These include:
- having an invasive dental procedure, such as a tooth extraction
- having cancer
- receiving certain other medications, such as corticosteroids
- practicing poor oral hygiene
- having certain other conditions, such as:
- other preexisting dental conditions
- blood disorders, such as anemia
- wearing dentures that don't fit well
If you need to have an invasive dental procedure while you're taking Actonel, your doctor or surgeon may recommend that you stop taking Actonel. Be sure your doctors and dentists are aware you're taking Actonel before you have any dental procedures done.
In addition, your risk of having jaw bone problems may increase the longer you take a bisphosphonate medication, such as Actonel. Having good oral hygiene habits while you're taking Actonel may help reduce your risk for this side effect.
Femur fractures
Some people taking Actonel may have fractures in their femur (thigh) bone. Even though Actonel is used to help decrease bone loss and strengthen bones, some people taking the drug have had bone fractures.
For example, in clinical studies, femur fractures occurred in:
- 9.3% of people taking Actonel
- 12.3% of people taking a placebo (treatment with no active drug)
Keep in mind that while people taking Actonel have had bone fractures, it's not known for sure if Actonel caused their fractures.
Some femur fractures happen without any trauma to the bone. They can affect one or both legs. Many people report a dull, aching pain in their thigh that starts weeks or months before the fracture actually happens.
If you're concerned about having bone fractures while using Actonel, talk with your doctor. They can discuss with you the risks and benefits of using this drug. And if you begin to have pain in your thigh or groin, talk with your doctor. They'll likely want to see if your leg has an incomplete fracture. (With an incomplete fracture, your bone cracks but doesn't break all the way through.)
Eye side effects
Some people may have eye problems while taking Actonel. For example, in clinical studies of women with osteoporosis who had gone through menopause, cataracts (cloudiness in the lens of the eye) developed in:
- 6.5% of women taking Actonel
- 5.7% of women taking a placebo (treatment with no active drug)
However, cataracts weren't reported as a side effect in Actonel studies in people with Paget's disease.
Also in these studies, less than 1% of people had inflammation or swelling in their eye.
Symptoms of cataracts may include blurry or cloudy vision. With this condition, it may also be more difficult to see well in dim light. Symptoms of eye inflammation can include swelling and redness in your eye area.
If you have any changes in vision or other eye problems while taking Actonel, talk with your doctor. They may recommend ways to help reduce your symptoms.
Diarrhea
It's possible to have diarrhea while you're taking Actonel. In fact, during clinical studies of women with osteoporosis who'd gone through menopause, diarrhea occurred in:
- 10.8% of people taking Actonel
- 10% of people taking a placebo (treatment with no active drug)
In clinical studies of people with Paget's disease, diarrhea occurred in:
- 19.7% of people taking Actonel
- 14.8 % of people taking Didronel*
If you have diarrhea during Actonel treatment, talk with your doctor. They can recommend ways to help relieve this side effect.
* Didronel is a drug that was also approved to treat Paget's disease. But Didronel has been discontinued and it's no longer available on the market.
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