Alendronate- and risedronate-induced acute polyarthritis

Bisphosphonates are the mainstay treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis. Although bisphosphonates are safety drugs, they have numerous side-effects such as arthralgia, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein, gastrointestinal disturbances, and flu-like illness with symptoms of fatigue, fever, chills, malaise, and myalgia. We present a case of acute polyarthritis after administration of alendronate and risedronate in a 52-year-old woman. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first case of acute polyarthritis induced by per os administration of both alendronate and risedronate during weekly usage. This is a report of a 52-year-old woman admitted to our hospital every week in a month, within 48 h, after receiving three times alendronate and one time risedronate with diffuse arthralgias, miyalgias, and swelling with effusions in both wrists, both ankles, interphalangeal joints in both hands and feet, and in both knees. When we discontinued alendronate and risedronate, oral raloxifene (60 mg/day) with oral calcium (1 g/day), and vitamin D3 (800 IU/day) was initiated. The symptoms regressed in 1 week. During the 1 year follow-up period, no myalgia, arthritis, or synovitis was detected. The side-effects of bisphosphonates are rarely reported in the literature. We believe that the prevalance of these side-effects would increase by closer follow-up of patients receiving these medications. To our knowledge, this patient is the first reported case of acute polyarthritis induced by per os administration of both alendronate and risedronate during weekly usage.