Let me start by saying that I sell the competitor "Boniva" so my response may not be objective. I noticed that you did not say what your T score is. Do you have osteopenia or osteoporosis? 95% of the onj(osteonecrosis of the jaw) cases have occured with Zometa and Aredia after dental surgery. So far there have been 355 cases reported, 15 with Fosomax. If you are taking tamoxifan, that increases bone loss. There is some talk that this class of drugs will help prevent bone mets. If your looking for a natural approach eight and resistance exercises along with vitamin D and Calcium will help prevent bone loss.
I would say, base your opinion on if you have osteopenia or osteoporosis. If you only have osteopenia, try exercise and calcium first. If you have osteoporosis, and have experienced a pressure fracture, you are more likely to fracture again.
There is a good article in the Annals of Internal Medicine May 16 2006 volume 144 number 10. The title of the article is "Systematic Review: Bisphosphonates and Osteonecrosis of the Jaw It will give you an ubiased approach to the disease
Kim
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8/98 dx right breast
5/2003 tram flap right breast
8/2004 dx new primary left breast with inflammatory bc
er/pr-, her2neu+++
8/19 taxotere and herceptin
1/15/2005 Navelbine/Herceptin
4/2005 radiation and Herceptin
5/15/2005 Herceptin alone
2/12/2008 skin biopsy positive
2/14/2008 met to sternum, possibly right breast
2/27/08 Start omitarg, herceptin, taxotere trial
3/17/08 Kicked off trial because I started too close to my last herceptin
3/19 start tykerb xeloda
Right breast confirmed met
5/15/08 skin mets gone, no hypermetabolic activity in breast, sternum healing
8/24/08 scans still look good. sternum still active with scarring. No evidence of progression
10/08 Progression in sternum
12/08 Start TDM1 trial
1/09 Scans show stable
12/09 1 year on TDM1 still stable
10/10 progression in chest and liver
11/10 false positive of liver mets; tykerb and herceptin
4/11 Tykerb/Herceptin/Xgeva
4/11 Rads to Sternum
5/12/12 NED Herceptin/Zometa
3/16/19 still NED Herceptin/Zometa very 6months
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