About Actonel

The information below about Actonel should not be taken as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Consult your health care provider before taking Actonel.

Actonel contains the active ingredient Risedronal, a drug from the group of so-called Bisphosphonates, used to treat bone diseases. It acts directly on your bones to strengthen them and thus making them less susceptible to fractures. Bone is a living tissue and old bone layer is continually removed from your skeleton and replaced by new one. Actonel tablets normalize this bone regenerating process and return the strength of the bone structure. Actonel is available on prescription and should only be taken on medical advice.

A 5 mg tablet of Actonel is used for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and to reduce the risk of vertebral fractures. A 35 mg tablet (once a week) is used to prevent fractures in men with high risk of osteoporosis, whereas the 30 mg tablet is prescribed for individuals who suffer Paget's disease, which is also known as osteitis deformans. A dose of 75 mg is prescribed for postmenopausal women at extreme risk of fracture.

Extra caution must be taken if you have problems with your esophagus or are intolerant to some sugars. Actonel contains lactose; therefore, patients with rare hereditary problems of Galactose intolerance, Lapp Lactase deficiency and Glucose-Galactose malabsorption should not use this medicine.

Actonel tablets must be swallowed whole and not sucked or chewed. Take it with water. To support the passage of the tablet into the stomach, an upright posture, while taking the pill, is advised. Patients should not lie down for 30 minutes after consuming the tablet. Food influences the absorption of Actonel and, therefore, it should be taken as following:

• At least half an hour before the intake of your breakfast.
• Medication, which contains Risedronate, must be taken a minimum of 2 hours after the last meal, when taken twice a day.
• In the evening, take Actonel at least 30 minutes before going to sleep.

What is Risedronate?

Risedronate is the generic form of Actonel and can be purchased as a cheaper alternative to save money on your medication. The same ingredients are used in the manufacturing of the brand name version of this drug as in Risedronate.