Bone Health
Osteoporosis makes bone weaker and more likely to fracture, and several different medicine types are used to slow bone loss or help maintain bone density. Which one suits a person depends on their fracture risk and the reasons treatment is being started.
Melatonin Tablets
3mg
Indicated to address sleep cycle disturbances to manage circadian rhythm and support natural skeletal hormone levels.
Key points
- NHS lists bisphosphonates among the medicines most commonly used for osteoporosis.
- NIAMS notes that bone density testing and fracture risk help guide osteoporosis treatment decisions.
- Hormone-related medicines can help prevent osteoporosis in women after the menopause, alongside their primary use for menopausal symptoms.
Bisphosphonates: the main osteoporosis medicines
Fosamax contains alendronic acid, Actonel contains risedronate and Didronel contains etidronate; all three are used for osteoporosis or for Paget’s disease of bone, a condition of abnormal bone remodelling. NHS lists bisphosphonates among osteoporosis treatments in Osteoporosis - Treatment.
Other medicines used specifically for osteoporosis
Evista contains raloxifene, used to prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis and, separately, to reduce breast cancer risk. Fortical contains calcitonin salmon and is taken as a nasal spray rather than a tablet, used for postmenopausal osteoporosis. NIAMS discusses these alongside bisphosphonates in Osteoporosis: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Steps to Take.
Hormone therapy and bone protection
Premarin contains conjugated estrogens and Estrace contains estradiol; both treat menopausal vasomotor symptoms, and Estrace also treats atrophic vaginitis, while each also helps prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Melatonin Tablets also appears in this group. It contains melatonin and is used for circadian rhythm sleep disorders, unrelated to bone health.