I'm a Boniva man - once a month (last Sunday in the month - unless there are 5 Sunday's when it becomes the second to last Sunday). I've read the long, long document wrapped up with the tablets but I was surprised, no amazed when reading Jane Brody's piece in the New York Times this week "Options for Bone Loss, but I'm no Magic Pill."

The whole piece is very interesting but these 2 points grabbed my attention:

1. . . . the most disturbing side effect of these drugs has been a growing number of patients who experience an otherwise uncommon injury — a low-trauma fracture of the thigh bone or other major bone — and a delay in healing or complete failure of a fracture to heal, especially after many years on bisphosphonates. It is believed that in slowing bone turnover, the drugs may impede the repair of normally occurring microfractures and eventually result in a major fracture.

2. These side effects have prompted a warning that after five years on bisphosphonates, people should take a break from the drugs for at least a year.

So I went back and read that long, long screed termed Highlights of Prescribing Information and the take a break after 5 years is no where to be seen. I have no reason to disbelieve Jane Brody so I have to think that long, long screed inside the Boniva pack is "light" on information.

If you are wondering what osteoporosis exactly looks like, click on the image below to see Dr Susan Ott's collection of bone images from her web site on osteoporosis and bone physiology.