title: Adverse reactions and drug-drug interactions in the management of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis.
abstract: The pharmacological management of disease should involve consideration of the balance between the beneficial effects of treatment on outcome and the probability of adverse effects. The aim of this review is to explore the risk of adverse drug reactions and drug-drug interactions with treatments for postmenopausal osteoporosis. We reviewed evidence for adverse reactions from regulatory documents, randomized controlled trials, pharmacovigilance surveys, and case series. Bisphosphonates are associated with gastrointestinal effects, musculoskeletal pain, and acute-phase reactions, as well as, very rarely, atrial fibrillation, atypical fracture, delayed fracture healing, osteonecrosis of the jaw, hypersensitivity reactions, and renal impairment. Cutaneous effects and osteonecrosis of the jaw are of concern for denosumab (both very rare), though there are no pharmacovigilance data for this agent yet. The selective estrogen receptor modulators are associated with hot flushes, leg cramps, and, very rarely, venous thromboembolism and stroke. Strontium ranelate has been linked to hypersensitivity reactions and venous thromboembolism (both very rare) and teriparatide with headache, nausea, dizziness, and limb pain. The solidity of the evidence base depends on the frequency of the reaction, and causality is not always easy to establish for the very rare adverse reactions. Drug-drug interactions are rare. Osteoporosis treatments are generally safe and well tolerated, though they are associated with a few very rare serious adverse reactions. While these are a cause for concern, the risk should be weighed against the benefits of treatment itself, i.e., the prevention of osteoporotic fracture.
authors.affiliation: Division of Bone Disease, Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzoli
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Reginster
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boonen
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bréart
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diez-Perez
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Felsenberg
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kanis
authors.forename: Cyrus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004347:Drug Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D060735:Pharmacovigilance; D019379:Teriparatide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D013876:Thiophenes; C081587:strontium ranelate; D019379:Teriparatide