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Didronel

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

 

What Is Didronel?

Didronel® (etidronate disodium) is a prescription medication approved for the following uses:
 
  • To treat Paget's disease in men and women
  • To 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 Didronel?

Didronel is made by Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals.
 

How Does Didronel Work?

Didronel belongs to a group of medications known as bisphosphonates. Didronel slows the breakdown of bone, and it also slows 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 non-skeletal parts of the body), Didronel 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;