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Didronel

Didronel is licensed to treat Paget's disease and abnormal bone formation after hip replacement surgery or spinal cord injury. It works by slowing down the buildup of new bone, preventing or stopping abnormal bone formation, and slowing the rate at which bone breaks down. The drug is available by prescription and comes in tablet form. Possible side effects include bone pain, diarrhea, and nausea.

What Is Didronel?

Didronel® (etidronate disodium) is a prescription medication approved to:
 
  • Treat Paget's disease in men and women
 
  • Prevent or treat abnormal bone formation (known medically as heterotopic ossification) after total hip replacement surgery or spinal cord injury.
     
(Click Didronel Uses for more information, including possible off-label uses.)
 

Who Makes It?

Didronel is made by Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals.
 

How Does This Medication Work?

Didronel belongs to a group of medications known as bisphosphonates. It slows the breakdown of bone as well as the buildup of new bone. These characteristics can be useful for treating Paget's disease, in which bone is broken down too quickly and improperly reformed. With heterotopic ossification (the abnormal formation of bone in nonskeletal parts of the body), the medicine can prevent or stop the formation of abnormal bone.
 

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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;
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