Alendronate is the generic name for a medication marketed in the United States and elsewhere, MayoClinic.com reports. Doctors may prescribe the medicine to help raise the level of the mass of bones in the human body. This may help people suffering from osteoporosis and other illnesses and conditions. Osteoporosis is a disease of the bone most prominent in women following menopause. Paget's disease of bone affects bones similarly by making them weak and brittle. Alendronate can help people with this disease as well.
Pain
Among the most common side effects of the use of alendronate is pain. If it occurs in the person's stomach or in his abdominal region, it classifies as a serious side effect, MayoClinic.com reports. The person should report any such pain to his doctor immediately. Pain also may occur as an initial side effect in the person's joints, his muscles or his bones, Drugs.com. Pain that occurs in these areas typically classifies as non-serious. It happens during the person's adjustment period to the medication and should go away after this time has passed. While it should be transient in most people, if it lasts longer or feels severe, the person should seek medical help.
Flu-like Syndrome
Flu-like syndrome occurs with many medications, often during the beginning of treatment with a particular drug. Alendronate can cause this non-serious side effect. It may present itself with the same symptoms a person would experience with the flu, such as a sore throat, coughing, a fever and chills, nasal or lung congestion, sneezing or rhinitis also called a runny nose. Unless flu-like syndrome occurs severely or does not end as treatment with alendronate continues, it should pass on its own, Drugs.com indicates.
Gastric Problems
The most common non-serious side effects of alendronate can occur in the person's digestive system, MedlinePlus indicates. The medication can cause the person to become nauseous and can induce vomiting. The drug also can cause gas in the stomach or in the intestines, released as belching or flatulence. Alendronate can cause bloating to occur, too, a sensation akin to having eaten a great deal of food, even on an empty stomach. Drugs.com states that alendronate also can cause intestinal problems such as diarrhea and constipation to occur. All of these gastric side effects classify as non-serious and are expected to dissipate and end on their own.
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