What's this called?

[Gail]

I haven't really looked at what Fosamax is, but because of the name
and the jaw necrosis I assume it has a phosphorus base - It reminds
me of Clarke talking about the jaw necrosis in the matchfactory
workers - the workers named the condition "Phossy-jaw".

Gail

--- In minutus@yahoogroups.com, "Tanya Marquette"
wrote:
patients in nursing homes who are on drugs like Fosamax. Perhaps jaw
necrosis is not all these drugs cause.
arthritic
often it
with older
person, one
specific
when used
seizure
medicine).
treatment
process'
spinal
Does
about it?
Homoeopathy
representations
in any
on this
arising out
minutus
consequential,
howsoever
change
receive a

[Rochelle Marsden]

Fosamax is a drug given to people with osteoporosis. It is meant to make the bones stronger by filling in the "gaps" between the bone cells and make the bone stronger. However from what I have read it makes them more brittle despite this so is defeating the object.
Rochelle

[Shannon Nelson]

Yes, what I've read is that these drugs "work" by killing off the
osteoclasts--the cells that break down old bone, so that it can be
replaced by fresh bone. So it does indeed increase density, but with
an anomalous, unhealthy bone, which over some years (I read 10 years as
the hesitantly suggested time frame) causes the bones to be actually in
*worse* shape than they would have been, without it. (Even in absence
of dissolving jawbone.)
Shannon