(Image Source: Gobierno Municipal de Piñas/Flikr)

BY MEGAN NOE

ANCHOR ANTHONY MARTINEZ

You're watching multisource health news analysis from Newsy.

Stronger cautions on bone-building drug labels -- that’s an FDA panel’s ruling after horror stories -- like this one from Phildelphia’s KYW -- raised concern.

“‘I heard my right leg crack, I landed on my left leg. And as it turned out, my right leg was totally shattered and my left leg sustained stress fractures.’
The electrician had been diagnosed with pre-osteoporosis and took drugs called bisphosphonates to prevent bone deterioration.”

Reported side effects of long-term use of those osteoporosis drugs have included unusual thigh fractures, jawbone death, and cancer of the esophagus.

A doctor tells KENS what might be happening.

“What’s being found is that some of these compounds such as Fosamax may increase the density of the bone but not necessarily the strength, and in fact, increase the vulnerability to fracture.”

The New York Times reports -- the FDA requested closer scrutiny of the drugs after a a staff report suggested there was no significant advantage of continuing the drug’s use after five years.
The panel was asked to determine whether a drug holiday or time limit for taking the medications is warranted.

“Perhaps the F.D.A. safety review will help patients like Ms. Fullman – at least more than media reports on conflicting studies, anecdotal cases and lawsuits. [She says,] ‘When I read articles or see things on TV, what I hear are side effects that are taken out of context ... So they’re catchy and they kind of scare you a little bit, but they don’t really tell you the risks of not taking the medication.’”

But Medical News Today says, the panel stopped short of specific instructions for the roughly five million people who use the drugs.

“Bisphosphonates, medications for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis and other bone conditions, should have additional data on their labels on treatment duration … However, the panel did not go as far as advising that specific time limits be included.”

A revised label is expected in November. Although the FDA usually follows its panel’s recommendations, it is not required to.

Follow @NewsyVideos on Twitter

Get more multisource video news analysis from Newsy

Transcript by Newsy