Purpose: To reduce the upper gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea or oesophageal ulceration as side effects using a half-dose of alendronate as antipagetic treatment. Methods: 15 patients with Paget's disease of bone (6 with monostotic disease and 9 with poliostic disease) received 20 mg alendronate daily for 6 months. The efficacy was determined from measurements of biochemical indices of bone turnover. Results: The mean hydroxiproline excretion decreased by 66+-5% and serum alkaline phosphatase by 51+-5%. This decrease was sufficient to normalize the biochemical indices of bone turnover in all patients with monostotic disease. No patients showed gastrc and oesophageal disturbances. Conclusions: The half-dose alendronate therapy avoid side effects and may be useful for the treatment of Paget's disease, especially in monostotic cases.... [Leer más...]