Risedronate

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Also indexed as:

Actonel

Risedronate is used to treat certain bone diseases. It is in a family of drugs known as bisphosphonates.

Herbs

Summary of Interactions for Risedronate

Depletion or interference	Calcium*
Adverse interaction	None known
Side effect reduction/prevention	None known
Supportive interaction	None known
Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability	Antacids Calcium Food Iron Magnesium Zinc (absorption) Zinc (action)

An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific evidence.

Interactions with Supplements

Calcium and Vitamin D

Short-term treatment with risedronate in people with hyperparathydoidism-a disorder characterized by high blood levels of calcium-resulted in lower calcium blood levels.¹ Additional research is needed to determine whether people taking risedronate for Paget's disease might develop low blood calcium levels. As a precaution, people with Paget's disease should take supplemental calcium and vitamin D if dietary intake is inadequate. However, taking risedronate at the same time as calcium supplements reduces absorption of the drug.² Therefore, people taking risedronate for Paget's disease should take calcium supplements an hour before or two hours after taking the drug.

Minerals

Taking risedronate at the same time as iron, zinc, or magnesium may reduce the amount of drug absorbed.³ Therefore, people taking risedronate who wish to supplement with these minerals should take them an hour before or two hours after the drug.

Other Interactions

Antacids

Taking risedronate at the same time as antacids containing calcium or magnesium may reduce absorption of the drug. Therefore, people taking risedronate should take calcium- or magnesium-containing antacids an hour before or two hours after the drug.

Food

One controlled study showed that taking risedronate either a half an hour before or two hours after a meal dramatically reduced absorption of the drug, compared with taking the drug one hour before or four hours after a meal.⁴ Consequently, people should take risedronate one hour before a meal or 4 hours after a meal, as long as the latter is at least one hour before the next meal.

References

1. Reasner CA, Stone MD, Hosking DJ, et al. Acute changes in calcium homeostasis during treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism with risedronate. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1993;77:1067-71.
2. Sifton DW, ed. Physicians' Desk Reference. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 2000, 2504-6.
3. Sifton DW, ed. Physicians' Desk Reference. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc. 2000, 2504-6.
4. Mitchell DY, Heise MA, Pallone KA, et al. The effect of dosing regimen on the pharmacokinetics of risedronate. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1999;48:536-42.

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Last Review: 09-01-2007

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The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires September 2008.

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