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The name of your medicine is Apo-Alendronate. It contains the active ingredient, alendronate.
It is used to treat osteoporosis.
This condition is caused by changes in the way bone is normally maintained.
Understanding Bone
Bone is living, growing tissue. Throughout life, our bodies are breaking down old bone and rebuilding new bone in a continuous
cycle.
Until our late 20's, while bones are still developing, we gain bone by building more than we lose. From then until about age
35 the process is usually in balance, so that the amount of bone lost is about equal to the amount that is replaced.
After about age 35 this balance is disturbed, with bone loss occurring at a slightly faster rate than it can be replaced.
In women, after menopause, hormonal changes cause bone loss at an even faster rate.
When bone loss is excessive, bones can become thinner and weaker, and therefore are more likely to break.
Osteoporosis
"Osteo" means bone, and "porosis" means something that has holes in it, like a sponge.
Therefore, osteoporosis is a disease which causes bones to become more porous, gradually making them weaker, more brittle
and likely to break.
Osteoporosis is common in post-menopausal women. The menopause occurs when the ovaries virtually stop producing the female
hormone, oestrogen, or are removed (which may occur, for example, at the time of a hysterectomy). At this time, bone is removed
faster than it is formed, so bone loss occurs and bones become weaker. The earlier a woman reaches the menopause, the greater
the risk of osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis also occurs in men but is less common than in women.
Osteoporosis can also occur in people receiving corticosteroid medicines. If taken in high doses or for a long period of time,
corticosteroid medicines can cause bone to be removed faster than it is formed. This causes loss of bone and therefore, bones
become weaker and are more likely to break.
Maintaining bone mass and preventing further bone loss are important to keep your skeleton healthy.
Early on, osteoporosis usually has no symptoms. However, if left untreated it can result in broken bones, also called fractures.
Although fractures usually cause pain, fractures of the bones of the spine may go unnoticed until they cause height loss.
Fractures may occur during normal, everyday activity, such as lifting, or from minor injury that would not ordinarily fracture
normal bone. Fractures usually occur at the hip, spine, or wrist and can lead not only to pain, but also to considerable deformity
and disability, such as stooped posture from curvature of the spine, and loss of mobility.
How it works
Alendronate belongs to a group of medicines called bisphosphonates.
In osteoporosis, it works by slowing down the process of old bone being removed, which allows the bone-forming cells time
to rebuild normal bone.
Alendronate not only helps prevent the loss of bone but actually helps to rebuild bone and makes bone less likely to fracture.
Thus, alendronate prevents or reverses the progression of osteoporosis.
Alendronate starts working on the bone cells immediately, but measurable effects on bone mass may not be seen for several
months or more.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed alendronate for another reason.
This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.
There is no known evidence to show that this medicine is addictive.
Use in children
Children should not take alendronate, as there is not enough information to recommend the use of this medicine in children.
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