This leaflet answers some common questions about Fonat.

It is particularly important that you read the sections "When to take it" and "How to take it" before you take this medicine.

This leaflet does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

All medicines have benefits and risks. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Fonat against the benefits expected for you.

You may need to read it again.

Fonat is used to treat osteoporosis.

This condition is caused by changes in the way bone is normally maintained.

Fonat belongs to a group of non-hormonal medicines called bisphosphonates.

Fonat works by slowing down the process of old bone being removed, which allows the bone-forming cells time to rebuild normal bone. Fonat not only helps prevent the loss of bone but actually helps to rebuild bone and makes bone less likely to fracture. Thus, Fonat prevents or reverses the progression of osteoporosis.

Fonat starts working on the bone cells immediately, but measurable effects on bone mass may not be seen for several months or more.

Bone is living, growing tissue. Throughout life, our bodies are breaking down old bone and rebuilding new bone in a continuous cycle. Until our late 20s, while bones are still developing, we gain bone by building more than we lose. From then until about age 35 the process is usually in balance, so that the amount of bone lost is about equal to the amount that is replaced. This balanced process keeps your skeleton healthy and strong. After about age 35 this balance is disturbed, with bone loss occurring at a slightly faster rate than it can be replaced. In women, after menopause, hormonal changes cause bone loss at an even faster rate. When bone loss is excessive, bones can become thinner and weaker, and therefore are more likely to break.

"Osteo" means bone, and "porosis" means something that has holes in it, like a sponge. Therefore, osteoporosis is a disease which causes bones to become more porous, gradually making them weaker, more brittle and likely to break.

Osteoporosis is common in postmenopausal women. The menopause occurs when the ovaries virtually stop producing the female hormone, oestrogen, or are removed (which may occur, for example, at the time of a hysterectomy). At this time, bone is removed faster than it is formed, so bone loss occurs and bones become weaker. The earlier a woman reaches the menopause, the greater the risk of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis also occurs in men but is less common than in women.

Osteoporosis can also occur in people receiving corticosteroid medicines. If taken in high doses or for a long period of time, corticosteroid medicines can cause bone to be removed faster than it is formed. This causes loss of bone and therefore, bones become weaker and are more likely to break.

Maintaining bone mass and preventing further bone loss are important to keep your skeleton healthy.

Early on, osteoporosis usually has no symptoms. However, if left untreated it can result in broken bones, also called fractures.

Although fractures usually cause pain, fractures of the bones of the spine may go unnoticed until they cause height loss. Fractures may occur during normal, everyday activity, such as lifting, or from minor injury that would not ordinarily fracture normal bone.

Fractures usually occur at the hip, spine, or wrist and can lead not only to pain, but also to considerable deformity and disability, such as stooped posture from curvature of the spine, and loss of mobility.

Your doctor may have prescribed Fonat for another reason.

You should know that in some people, Fonat can irritate or burn the food pipe (also called oesophagus). The chances of this happening should be reduced when you follow the instructions for 'How to take Fonat' on the next page.

Fonat has not been studied in pregnant or breast-feeding women.

Safety and effectiveness of this medicine in children have not been established.

If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal.

Some medicines are likely to interfere with the absorption of Fonat if taken at the same time. These include:

These medicines may be affected by Fonat or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to take different medicines.

You can take aspirin while you are being treated with Fonat. However, both aspirin and Fonat may increase the chance of stomach upsets.

Your doctor or pharmacist has more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking Fonat.

They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.

The usual dose of Fonat is one 70 mg tablet once a week.

Do not take any food, medicines or drinks other than plain tap water with your Fonat. It is important to take Fonat with plain water only, not mineral water.

Food, other drugs, mineral water and other drinks, including fruit juices, coffee and tea, will reduce the effect of Fonat by interfering with the absorption into the body.

It is important to stay upright (sitting, standing or walking around) for at least 30 minutes after swallowing your tablet.

It is also very important to stay upright until after you have eaten your first food of the day.

These actions will help make sure your tablet reaches your stomach quickly and help reduce the potential for irritation to your food pipe (oesophagus).

Fonat is effective only if taken when your stomach is empty. Food, drinks other than plain water, and other medicines will lessen the effect of Fonat by interfering with its absorption into the body.

Mouth ulcers may occur if the tablet is chewed or dissolved in the mouth.

It is important that you continue taking Fonat for as long as your doctor prescribes.

Fonat can only treat your osteoporosis, by helping prevent further loss of bone and continuing to rebuild bone, if you take it every week.

If you take the forgotten tablet after you have eaten or had a drink, Fonat will not work as well as it should.

Therefore, it is better to skip the dose that you missed.

If you are not sure about what to do, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Rarely, patients have experienced fracture in a specific part of the thigh bone.

Your doctor, dietician or pharmacist can tell you what foods you should eat.

Visit your doctor regularly so they can check on your progress.

Some self help measures suggested below may help your osteoporosis.

Fonat helps most people with osteoporosis, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people.

All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.

Most of these are the more common side effects of Fonat. For the most part, these have been mild.

These side effects are rare, and very rarely, may be serious.

These side effects are rare and may be serious.

These side effects may be due to irritation or ulceration of the food pipe. They may worsen if you continue taking the tablets. Rarely, these side effects may be serious.

These may be serious side effects.

You may need urgent medical attention. These side effects are rare. If you have the swelling described above, you may be having a serious allergic reaction to Fonat.

Rarely, stomach or duodenal ulcers (some severe) have occurred, but it is not known whether these were caused by Fonat.

Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.

If you take the tablets out of the blister pack they may not keep well.

Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.

A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.

Fonat comes as a white normal concave tablet, embossed "AD70" on one side and "G" on the reverse.

Fonat is available in a blister pack containing 4 tablets.

Active ingredient:

Inactive ingredients:

Fonat does not contain sucrose, gluten, tartrazine or any other azo dyes.