i am now rethinking an earlier post i sent about fosomax being the cause of my extreme hair loss. it lasted (and still continuing) for four months every year since i got a terrible flu and pneumonia (and resulting telegen effluvium ) back in 2019. in 2021 the hair loss started again 2 months after fosomax. i stopped the drug after 7 months and the problem stopped. HOWEVER, the problem started again the next year in the summer (and ended in nov..typical pattern), and in 2022, and now in 2023 same deal. i widely blamed foxsomax tho dermatologists (3 different board certified ones) all said it was unrelated (most likely), and that my hair would grow back, and i wouldn’t go bald etc. and blew me out of the office…older patients with hair, scalp problems are uninteresting to these docs. well, i finally went to a dermatologist last week who saw the problem and did a scalp biopsy..results to come back in about a week. she believes my terrible flu (off the charts bad..thought i would die) could have created some autoimmune thing. so bottom line, (and i will update this when i know more) , my hair issues likely unrelated fosomax. so in the meantime, i have not been on anything for the osteoporosis. i will likely start on something after my next dexa scan. i was fast to blame everything for anything that happened while on whatever drug, vaccine, etc that came before the event and not sure anymore if it was just a coincidence (and one that possibly kept me from helping my bones). so after this long email, i guess my advice is to get definitive advice, not make a fast cause and effect self diagnosis, and even if it takes a few doctors to get there, it is better to know. now waiting to see what meds i will have to be on for this hair loss problem and pray they aren’t loaded with side effects (like the osteo drugs often are for some) and will make a decision whether the ‘cure’ is worse than the disease. good luck ladies. ❤️

I also had itching scalp and hair loss on Prolia.

Hi LJMae, i have an itchy scalp, which maybe from prolia injections.
I have also had a little hair loss.
I thought from my age 77?

Hi PamHundley,
I know of a woman who took Fosamax for 10 years & got cancer of jaw & then tongue.
She nearly died but with lots of operations I think she is alive now.
Regards Josie

copy and pasted from Web MD about fosamax for osteoporosis:

(part 2 of jaw bone death)

The study confirmed that having teeth removed put patients at risk for the condition. It was funded by Novartis and conducted by researchers at Houston's University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The findings were reported late last month at the annual meeting of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research. "Based on previous findings and the recent M.D. Anderson Cancer Center report, Novartis strongly believes that improving dental care needs to be a priority for cancer patients," states a company news release.

Oral Bisphosphonates and Osteonecrosis - The risks associated with taking bisphosphonates in pill form, like Fosamax, are not well understood. In a study of 63 patients who developed the jaw condition following oral surgery, about 10% had been taking Fosamax to prevent osteoporosis. Researchers concluded that bisphosphonates in pill form do not appear to be as likely to cause jaw death as the intravenous versions of the drug. Considering the large number of patients around the world using bisphosphonates for prevention or treatment of osteoporosis, dentists may be dealing with a significant potential complication, they add.

But the FDA has called on the manufacturers of all bisphosphonates to include a warning on their labeling about the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw, which Fosamax manufacturer Merck did earlier this year. Merck is a WebMD sponsor.
In its label change, the drugmaker noted that it is not clear if patients taking bisphosphonates can lower their risk by stopping treatment prior to having teeth pulled or other dental procedures. But these medications are metabolized slowly and remain in the bone for many years. It is widely believed that stopping treatment does little good. And once jaw death occurs there is little that can be done to reverse the condition, Hargreaves says. "The best thing we can do is prevent this from occurring by helping patients reduce their risk," Hargreaves says. "That means saving teeth instead of pulling them."

I found prednisone hard on my stomach, caused hair loss and contributed to cataracts. I have to take it when my angioedma flared up but it is definitely not good

i know i am three months behind on this but i just joined the group, i lost a LOT of hair on fosomax…and you will find studies and literature on that. it started several months (about two ) after starting alanondrate in april 2021 and stopped about a month after i realized the link between the two and stopped the drug on oct 31 2021. the hair loss was extreme..it’s called telegen effluvium which can be caused by meds…and my scalp also became plaque-y. the hair loss has completely stopped, the scalp still isn’t great even with dermatologist help, but the hair is growing back. fosomax was the only drug i was on and i didn’t even have a cold while i was on it. i think these drugs cause a lot more hair loss than the manufacturers want to address, for obvious reasons. this reaction, like all the other side effects of all these bone drugs, won’t happen to everyone, but if it happens to you, it is more than distressing.

We should always check "every" medication any doctor gives us to see what the warnings and side effects are, and to see if there is a problem taking that new drug with something we already take.

When I was put on Prednisone it caused hair loss (about 50%) and totally changed my hair texture. Check what medications you are on for possible hair loss side effects.