Sally Field, Boniva, and Media Ethics

Sally....we've loved you all these years, but are you so hard up for a job, you have to do your heavy-acting hawking some pills? yuck.

please, sally field...i implore you to consider the studies of dr. john r. lee, m.d.
his books, "what your doctor may NOT tell you about premenopause", and "what your doctor may NOT tell you about menopause" are full of information about hormonal balance in women, the dangers of estrogen, and the importance of progesterone. his speaking engagements can be found on tape. he is a wealth of knowledge on "estrogen dominance" in our country...and has not only seen his patients stop the progression of osteoporosis, but also REVERSE it! no prescription drugs or surgeries...
please, for your health. i love you!

If BONIVA is so wonderful - why is it that Medicare will not pay for this preventative medication for the age group that need it most??
I was shocked to be told that it is not on my prescription list of "approved" medications.

Sally and all women do not take these osteoprosis drugs!! They can cause ONJ which means that your jaw can not heal after an extraction!
These drugs stay in your system for at least 10-20 years after you stop taking the drugs. If you do not believe me just do an internet search on ONJ.

To all women~
Osteoporosis and osteomalacia are somewhat similar. The first is bone loss and the second one is softening of the bones. There is a villain here that apparently has been over looked, maybe on purpose! If Cadmium is accumulated in the Kidneys, it starts to rob calcium from our bones. Cadmium can "bioaccumulate". There is a way to remove Cadmium. With the use of IBF#4. This is a formula that allows the body to produce some of the highest levels of Glutathione(GSH). It can remove Cadmium! Aloha, Gil

I had Boniva in a drawer for a year,knowing I should take it but all meds give me horrible migraines so I end up not taking them. I saw the Boniva add with Sally Field and for some reason it hit me to do the right thing for my bones. I started the pill the next morning. I have taken them for 6 months and was doing fine till the last two months and now am getting horrible migraines that last 4 days preventing me from good nutrition and rest. So now I am in a dilema as to what to do. But it was Sally that got me to at least give them a try and I thank her for that.

Sally is a fine actress. I have believed her character in many films. In her recent commercials...acting as herself I guess, she just does not look or sound believable. That's weird.

I was prescribed Boniva a month ago, but set it aside as I was unsure about taking it. My t- score was bad and I was diagnoised as severe osteoporosis. After seeing Sally Field advertising it on T.V. I decided to take it last week. I experanced all the bad side effects, Muscle pain, back and neck pain. Foot pain and swollen hands and feet. Also uset stomach. Headache. worsen heartburn. After 10 days I am still have the neck pain and hand problems and stiff joints. I was fine before taking this drug. I never plan to take this poison again! I just hope I get back to normal soon.

I have taken boniva for the second month now and I'm not sure if I should continue. I don't like to take medicine, but at the same time I need to do something to improve the bones. I am hoping that by the third dosage the aches and pain will go away, if not, I am considering not taking it and live with the thought of getting worse. I am so confused, never thought that I would be facing something like this.

I started taking once a month boniva yesterday. Not that I have been beat up before, but that is how I feel. I am sore from my neck to my waist. I will never take it again. I can't believe that my doctor prescribed it to me. I would not recommend it to anyone. I hope that this feeling go away soon.

Sally, With "Flying Nun" intelligence you have completely destroyed not only your image, but the lives of millions of people by promoting Boniva: the most destrustive and life threatening drug which exists in the pharmacuital world. Glaxo Smith Kline kills millions with their products, and you have just helped them.
Frederick Lohr
FDA Review Board.

Come on, are you trying to tell me that a woman doesn't have the brains to remember a pill once a week and it's to hard to find the time. What did they do when they had kids? forget them to. Sally Fields lost me on this one

You shouldn't take medication only on advice from a celebrity. Remember, you can't believe everything you read or hear. Do some research and make your own choices. What works for one doesn't work for everyone. Personally, I am sick and tired of hearing/seeing that advertisement day after day. Sally Field is not the most noted authority on osteoporosis - she only sounds like one when she talks about Boniva (can you say $$, anyone?.)

I did not like the moronic Boniva commercial w/ Sally Field from day 1.

What bothered me was the, "My girlfriend had to set aside one day, each week to take her osteoporosis medicine".

Good grief. Good grief, America. So walking to the kitchen, pouring a glass of water and popping a pill one day a week is a problem? I don't know. I think I (italicc) have wasted too much time on this subject already. But, I did want Silly Sally to know how Stupid that sounds.

Good grief, Fields.
Let 'em pull your strings some more.

I saw Sally advertising Boniva and ask my Dr. to perscribe it for me since my dentist had told me fosimax could cause the jaw bone to decay if a tooth was pulled, I took Boniva for 5 months and I developed a sevire pain in my stomach and esophigus. It had become inflamed from the boniva though I had followed the instructions for taking the medication. I told my Dr and she discontinued the drug. Her comment was,"I am glad you wanted to discontinue the drug, Test showed when it was given in smaller doses it had little effect on the bone rebuilding so they increased it to a once monthly dose to improve sales. I was disappointed that Sally (whom I have always loved) was willing to reccoment the drug just for money even though it will not really improve your bone mass.

You must be kidding that anyone would view the commercial on Boniva and not understand Sally Field was paid to appear in it. Surely viewers can understand how US commerce and business work?

Michael,

The point was that Sally was going on interviews *outside* of her Boniva tv appearance, was talking about Boniva, and was not disclosing the fact that she was a spokesperson. Anybody who hadn't seen the Boniva ads would not know that she was. Is that ethical?

The comments posted on this site amaze me. Some are relatively informed, while many are incredibly ignorant. I have taken Boniva for longer than one year. I personally have experienced fewer side effects on Boniva than what I have experienced by simply taking my calcium + vit D. Of course some people will experience g.i., as well as other, side effects - bisphosphonates can be difficult to take. That's one more reason to take them as few times as possible. As far as ONJ goes, check the record of incidence and the patient profile where it has occurred most often (I have)--it is not your average post-menopausal osteoporotic person and the actual incidence is rare. Look it up on the National Osteoporosis Foundation website. And, when it comes to Sally, give her a break. She is very passionate about bone health and is willing to go to bat for a product that she believes in. (She doesn't look too hard up for a job either - maybe you haven't watched her new series "Brothers and Sisters".) Many celebrities have done the same in the past. Did anyone give Cal Ripkin a hard time for representing Prinivil. How about Terry Bradshaw and his endorsements? Please, readers, demonstrate the common sense and good judgement to write in an intelligent manner when entering your thoughts for the rest of the world to see. Additionally - Boniva is not manufactured by Glaxo Smith Kline (as was suggested in an earlier blog by someone supposedly on the FDA Review Board... You tell me - doesn't sound like this gentleman knows very much about this product)!!!

I've had a stiff neck for over a month now. I thought it was the way I was sleeping. Is it the Boniva? I've been taking it as directed for 4 months. I really ache.

Unlikely that the stiff neck is related to Boniva since it did not start until long after you initiated therapy, but you should discuss your necke pain with your doctor.

Posting 12 is a fraud, there is no Frederick Lohr on an Investigational or review Board for the FDA

I took one Boniva. I had a dental appointment about three weeks later.
I was suppose to have a tooth
restraction, but when I answered the quesions on the
release form, I noted that I
had taken your pill.
They would not do the restraction, and six months later they still don't want to.
There is something in your
medication that effects tooth
retraction if you have any
gum or gigivtis problems.
I have spent over $1,500.00
trying to get something done.
I think you should look into
this.
Thanks,
Sonja Michels

Sonja - There is information on osteonecrosis of the jaw on the National Osteoporosis Foundation website. According to their information, it is not a common phenomona and is typically seen in cancer patients utilizing intravenous bisphosphonates in relatively large doses who are undergoing dental procedures such as extractions. You should check out this information for yourself, talk to your doctor who started you on this drug and possibly even have him/her discuss the pros and cons of you not having this extraction. If you have an absessed tooth, the ramifications of letting that go untreated could be greater than the risks of having an extraction after taking one course of a bisphosphnate. Ultimately, talk to your doctor, talk to your doctor, and then...talk to your doctor. He or she is the only one who is truly qualified to give you advice that is specific and appropriate for you. You never know who may be giving you information or misinformation on the internet!!!

I would like to know the truth please of how long does the Boniva stay in your body after taking a 1 month dose. I have to know soon.
thank you,
geri

Geri - Go to the following website for all Boniva product information: myboniva.com
That should tell you everything you need to know about the amount of time for elimination from the body - if you are concerned about this being a problem for you, make sure to talk to the doctor who prescribed it for you. He/she should know whether or not this is an appropriate product for you and if the benefits outweigh the risks.

Sally: GET OFF the "dumbing of America train" !!!!!

I take a bunch of pills every day, so I never understood the idea of having to "set aside time" to take a pill once a week. That doesn't sound like a burden; I'd be afraid I'd FORGET a once-a-month dose!

so Angela

Do you take this medication or something similiar?
I considered taking it but realized that if I did I would be giving up...so instead I decided to do weight bearing exercises, take my calcium and vit. D and minerals..eat healthier, stop drinking soda, I want to rebuild my bone ...not just settle for a drug that changes the structure of my bone and keeps it from building new and healthy bone..I dont want to get osteo. but I dont want to have old hard brittle bones either

My 78 year old mom was told she needed to take Boniva by her doctor but she said that she couldn't afford to take it and Medicare does not cover it. Her doctor was visibally irritated with her as I explained thatshe and my 80 year old dad are on a fixed income. I would like to know how much Sally Field is being paid to promote this product and how that might affect the costs of this medication. This is a FAIR question!

Sally, I don't know but I have to ask is your girlfriend really your girlfriend girlfriend or just your friend. I really like you and your movies and all but that commercial sounds a bit kinky. Thank you,

Bobbie

Eva -

Sorry so long in visiting this blog. Yes, I do take Boniva. I also take calcium and vitamin D. Additionally, I also do weight bearing exercise, eat well and avoid soft drinks. It has taken all of these regimins for me to maintain my bone health. As far as the re-building of "healthy" bone, Boniva allows for the re-building of both cortical and tribecular bone -- normal, healthy bone. I certainly do not see my taking Boniva as a sign that I have "given up", rather that I am proactively controlling the loss of my bone mass in order to prevent fractures. I have a strong positive family history of osteoporosis, I suffered an incident that left me with an endocrine disorder which results in bone mineral depletion (Sheehan's Syndrome) and I am also post-menopausal. I want to do everything that I possibly can to prevent the progression of osteoporosis. For me, Boniva has been the answer. I am very busy with work and four children. So, the convenience that Boniva offers is a true God-send!

The thing I hate about Sally's commercial is when she says she has a friend who has to set aside time "every week" to take her medication, as if it were an impossible chore. How long does it take to swallow a pill, and how much effort does it take? Poor baby!

I TOOK MY LAST BONIVA PILL 3/18/07. I WILL NEVER TAKE ANOTHER. I HAVE SEVERE PAIN IN BOTH SHOULDERS, ARMS AND CHEST. THIS PILL HIT MY UPPER BODY. IN NOV. I TOOK MY FIRST PILL AND IT SLAMMED MY LOWER BODY, I COULD HARDLY WALK. CHECK OUT ASKAPATIENT.COM, TYPE IN BONIVA OR ACTONEL OR ANY OF THEM. ITS HARMING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

I am begging you. Do Not Take Boniva. I have taken Boniva for a year and I have had Tooth aches and Jaw aches like crazy. My mouth just hurt all of the time. When I saw my doctor he took me off of it because it causes Maxofilia. PLease learn more about it before you take this drug.

I make sure to get both collagen (for bone flexibility - vegetables, vegetables, vegetables!) and calcium (bone hardness - best from green vegetables!) for bone health. Too much focus on just calcium may make bones too hard and increase fractures. It's also important to ensure nutrient delivery into bones from the blood w/Vitamin D and other factors.

I started taking fosamax in 1999 and took it for four years. My bone density scores got worse. Maybe it was the x-ray, maybe the radiologist but I stopped taking it. I have had a hysterectomy many years ago and I read in Dr. Lee's book to use progesterone. He said that foxamax and such drugs do not reabsorb the old bone and thus it just lays on top of the new bone and the fractures occur later on because of this. Used progesterone for awhile but got serious itching from it after awhile. Read in Elizabeth Vliet's book that taking progesterone is a myth. Stopped using it. So now I just take Citracal Plus, Vit. D, magnesium and Osteo Bi-Flex. I will be getting another bone density test next January and it will be interesting to see how my own "made up plan" works. At this time I am totally confused and disheartened about all the conflicting reports. The drug companies only do their studies for about five years which is not long enough to know what the long term effects are. We are the guinea pigs out here.

Who are the girls in the Boniva commercial with Sally Fields?

What is up with the fowl mouth on Sally Fields? I have always thought she was one of the "Good Guys" in Hollywood, if there is such a thing anymore! I'm sick and tired of them thinking any of us are interested in their sex lives or their political views, but to hear her use "G-- D---" to express her stand on the war was sickening!!! I'm sure I'm not the only one that is done with her now!!!

I will NEVER take Boniva after that foul, rediculous outburst of Sally Field at the Emmy's. What a dufus! If Mothers ruled the world there would be more war than ever!

SALLY, just go away!

As a woman about the same age as Sally, I truly must as: Sally, Sally, when did you decide to offend so many of your former fans?
Do us all a favor, stick to playing parts and don't try to convince us that you know a damn thing about the war or even the history of women at war. I am a one woman that would have hung Sadam myself if given a chance and would gladly made Iraq a short war and Iraq a big ole pool of oil.
As far as pushing your pills, I wouldn't trust anything you promote and trust that the folks at Boniva will fire you before they get caught up in the mess you started. Shame on you --shut up and act! Oh, wait, you were but just couldn't remember the script.

Ms. Field,
Judging others has become the great American pass-time, please know that the comments posted here in criticism of you and your efforts are in the extreme minority. Like millions of others, I have always respected you and your work.

I don't know where to begin to describe the symptoms I am experiencing that have left me in great pain and unable to perform normal daily tasks. I had been on Boniva for 7 months with no complications. Two weeks ago,upon taking my 8th dose of Boniva, the very next day, I began to experience severe muscle, joint and bone pain throughout my body. The pain is so disabling and unbearable that I am unable to do even the most simplest of tasks such as turning myself over in bed. I have great difficulty walking and am in constant pain. I am a nurse who was in excellent health prior to taking this last dose of Boniva. I am so angry that the "warning" in the Boniva literature says very little about bone, joint, or muscle pain. Roche must be truthful and report that there are thousands of serious adverse reactions taking place with use of Boniva. Only when a person is fully informed can they make that decision as to whether they want to assume the risk and take the med. For me, I am right now at this moment unable to lead a normal life. I am a young 58 year old and continue to work part time but have to get up at 4am to be able to limber up enough to get around at work. I don't walk but shuffle around like an old woman. I no longer will try any new medication that does not have at least 15 years of scientific research and clinical data to support it. We all know that recently there have been pharmaceutical companies found liable for inadequate reporting of drug interactions, clinical data, and possible long term damage. All this for the sake of profit. Pharmacological companies must be held accountable for their unethical behavior.

I don't give a hoot about Boniva or whether or not it works. What disgusts me is that a respected actress such as Sally Field would accept money to represent any greedy, unethical, immoral and criminal healthcare delivery system that we have in this country, pharmaceuctical companies being among the worst. Does she need the money so badly? I apoligize if she is donating all her proceeds to the uninsured but if not she has lost all my respect.

Questioning Bisphosphonates

There are obvious similarities between bisphosphonate adverse side effects and the genetic disease, Pycnodysostosis, namely Jaw Necrosis, Phossy Jaw, spontaneous femur fracture, and severe bone pain.

Pycnodysostosis was Toulous Lautrec’s genetic disease, causing a cathepsin K deficiency in the osteoclasts, which are the bone cells resposible for bone resorption. Similarly, the mechanism of bisphosphonates is to impair the osteoclasts.

http://www.nature.com/nrd/journal/v5/n9/full/nrd2092.html

Cathepsin K and osteoporosis from Nature:

"Cathepsin K is a lysosomal cathepsin located in osteoclasts, and is the major enzyme involved in bone resorption. The first evidence for this role came from a genetic study on pycnodysostosis, a rare genetic disorder associated with severe defects in bone growth, which revealed that an inactivating mutation in the gene encoding cathepsin K is a causative factor."

Are the bisphosphonate drugs creating a population of women with Toulous Lautrec's Bone Disease?

Increased Fracture Rates

The fracture rates for women with osteopenia (T greater than -2.5) actually increases for women on bisphosphonates. Cummings JAMA 1998 (FIT) Fracture Intervention Trial.

The following is a quote from John Abramson's book, Overdosed America from: http://overdosedamerica.com/excerpts.php?id=2

Excerpts From Overdosed America Chapter 13

"What about using these drugs to prevent osteoporosis? The study of Fosamax published in JAMA in 1998 also included women with osteopenia. Did Fosamax reduce their risk of fracture? The results show that the risk of hip fractures actually went up 84 percent with Fosamax treatment. The risk of wrist fractures increased by about 50 percent." JAMA.1998;280:2077-2082.Cummings. Quote attributed to John Abramson MD.

Does Sally Field know that her Boniva commercials target millions of women with Osteopenia who will be have INCREASED fractures from the drug? Does Sally know that the FDA released an alert warning of severe bone pain ? Does Sally Field know about Osteonecrosis of the jaw from the drug?

Perhaps John Dingell's Committee will ask Sally Field this and other questions.

http://jeffreydach.com/2008/03/09/bisphosphonates-for-osteoporosis-a-closer-look-at-the-data-by-jeffrey-dach-md.aspx

Bisphosphonates for Osteoporosis, A Closer Look at the Data by Jeffrey Dach MD

http://jeffreydach.com/2007/05/14/fosamax-actonel-osteoporosis-and-toulouse-lautrec-by-jeffrey-dach-md.aspx

Fosamax, Actonel, Osteoporosis and Toulouse Lautrec

Jeffrey Dach MD
http://www.drdach.com

I've taken Fosamax for about two months.  I have the same amount of pain in my joints and feet as I did when I started. I have osteoperosis. My doctor said Menopause is mostly responsible. I am also small boned and probabley have some hereditary issues. But so far with regard to the Fosamax, if I take it as directed in the AM with plenty of water, I don't experience reflux. I truthfully can't attribute any of my pain, so far, to the drug. That being said, I feel that reading the commments written here will help me be more alert to new pains or symptoms and for that I am thankful.

P.S.  With regard to someone's comment about Sally Field and Boniva.  She does take the drug and strongly supports bone health(not only in commercials). People, anyone who does a commercial gets paid for doing so and it is up to the consumer to read up and not just trust the media.  Remember "Buyer Beware".

I took Boniva once a month tablet the first day of June. 12 hours later I developed severe pain in my neck. June 2nd mid afternoon my back started hurting. by evening June 2nd I had severe pain in the neck radiating down the arm, severe pain in the chest could barely breath could not cough, severe pain in the back. Could not get out of bed unless I would roll on my side and lift myself up with arms and hands.

FYI to Rosie....NOT ALL biphosphanates stay in your system for 10 years. Majority of the cases occur in intravenous bisphophanates that tend to be distributed at 4+times the recommended dose. For example a once a year IV medication taken every month for 4-6 months. This tends to happen with chemo patients and those with poor dental health. Also the few occurrences in oral bisphophanates tend to be a very rare occurence. So please actually do your research on all biphosphanates before you make a claim it stays in your system for 10 years.

Also, on the Sally on Boniva helping her bones, you have to love how she talks about her bones in general. Boniva is only FDA approved to reduce the risk of fractures and increase bone mineral density in the spine. Read the package insert which hardly any patients do.

Sally is another self-indulged, miserable, broken down boomer on a contract to sell out to a pharmaceutical pushing a drug she doesn't even take that will be found to promote liver cancer. She's a burnt out cow shilling a questionable product and I hope she burns in hell.

Drugs like Boniva and Fosamax work by causing the dead bone material that would otherwise be taken away naturally to accumulate within the bones, giving the illusion in the short term of strength. But that dead bone accumulates to the point that the bones are eventually weakened, hence the JAMA article showing an increase in fractures. DO NOT take these cruel hoaxes, they will not help you. Just taking calcium and vitamin D will not do what you need completely either, you need a high quality vitamin K, preferrably the MK-7 variety, to keep that calcium in your bones instead of in your arteries. Pharmaceutical companies are well aware that they are harming or even killing people by the hundreds of thousands every year, but they keep up with it to make a profit. Filth. Why can the government afford to bail out banks for 100s of billions but somehow cannot afford 100s of millions for the FDA, which gets over half its funding (read payola) from pharmaceutical companies?

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Suffering great pain with muscle and joint aches and inability to walk after sitting more than 5 minutes I thought it was old age but soon I realized it was Boniva! I looked on the web and found many others with the same problem. Had been on it a year but June 1st skipped my monthly dose and am now pain free once again! I will take my chances with my calcium, magnesium and Vit D thank you!