I understand that nearly 50 users of Zometa have developed osteonecrosis of the jaw. What is the relationship and are certain patients more suseptible to osteonecrosis of the jaw as a result of Zometa which is given by IV?

-- Steven Falkoff (sfalkoff@rmfwlaw.com), October 09, 2003

Answers

Hi Steven, I am a cancer patient taking chemo treatments at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital here in NYC. Jaw bone problems started about 3 or 4 months into Zometa treatments. I spoke with a Jessica Wang MD at Jacobi Hospital and she knows of a number of cases (maybe the same). I consulted with an surgeon/MD who knows a Dr. Marx (sp?) at the University of Florida Dental School. I am in the process of investigate a a treatment to alleviate some of the discomfort. Please be kind enough to share any info you may have. Jerry Pawlowski

-- Jerry Pawlowksi (jpawl1@msn.com), December 18, 2003.

You should visit the following website: http://www.arthritis.org/conditions/DiseaseCenter/osteonecrosis.asp

-- Robert Toussie (Robert Toussie @aol.com), March 15, 2004.

I don't have "answers" , but I'd like to share that ,I too ,am one out of ten thousand patients that have had those similiar side effects in my jaw bone. It's been an extremely long and slow journey to finally realise there IS something thats causing the sever pain in my mouth/jaw after recieving my monthly zometa treatments. I have implants on the lower -with three posts in- planted into the jaw bone. This surgery was done at the same time of my first diognoise of BC, in "92. No problems until apoxamately one year ago when I started experiencing pain and inflamation after each monthly treatment. It was managable with anti-biotics ,for the duration of the month, until the next treatment and it'd start all over. Soon it became very difficult to maintain a painfree zone-ever! The pain became so sever, I was finally faced with the choice to sucumb to my biggest fear,...,the "experts on gum disease and implant failures" My findings, so far, are somewhat of a releif , because I fully expected tumors would have been the explanation for all the pain in my jaw bone. I'm facing surgery next month, with a 'specialist' at Ore. Health&Science University. Dr. Assale, who knows lots about the problem. Our prayer right now is that the bone won't break while they are removing one of the posts implanted into my jaw bone which has been "marblizing" ,creating much pain and extreme tenderness in the gums themselves. I'm so looking forward to some releif. Perhaps, I may be able to make a significant drop in my pain medication.

(out of the 10,000) who have had severe reactions to Zometa. I've had monthly injection It's been close to two years since my re-currence of breast cancer in 1992.

-- shri khalsa (shri@enterlife.com), January 18, 2005.

I don't have "answers" , but I'd like to share that ,I too ,am one out of ten thousand patients that have had similiar side effects in my jaw bone. It's been an extremely long and slow journey to finally realise there IS something thats causing the sever pain in my mouth/jaw after recieving my monthly zometa treatments. I have implants on the lower -with three posts in- planted into the jaw bone. This surgery was done at the same time of my first diognoise of BC, in "92. No problems until apoxamately one year ago when I started experiencing pain and inflamation after each monthly treatment. It was managable with anti-biotics ,for the duration of the month, until the next treatment and it'd start all over. Soon it became very difficult to maintain a painfree zone-ever! The pain became so sever, I was finally faced with the choice to sucumb to my biggest fear,...,the "experts on gum disease and implant failures" My findings, so far, are somewhat of a releif , because I fully expected tumors would have been the explanation for all the pain in my jaw bone. I'm facing surgery next month, with a 'specialist' at Ore. Health&Science University.( Dr. Assale, who knows lots about the problem.) My hope and prayer right now is that the jaw bone won't break while they are removing one of the posts that are implanted into my jaw bone. It has become marbelized, and has created extreme pain and tenderness ,even to the gums. I'm looking forward to releif. Perhaps, I may even be able to make a significant drop in my pain medication too!

(out of the 10,000) who have had severe reactions to Zometa. I've had monthly injection It's been close to two years since my re-currence of breast cancer in 1992.

-- shri khalsa (shri@enterlife.com), January 18, 2005.