My wife has been prescribed Alendronic Acid tablets for osteoporosis.

For some months she has had Alendronic Acid 70 mg tablets (Sodium
alendronate trihydrate) but the latest packet is Alendronic Acid 70 mg
tablets as Sodium monohydrate.

Clearly there appears to be some difference here but I'd be interested
to understand it.  It's times like this I wished I'd paid attention in
Chemistry at school.

I suspect the answer may be that the Alendronic Acid needs to be
"bound" in something to produce it in tablet form and the difference
between the two tablets is just in the compounds used to do that but it
would be good to know.

In particular, are there any greater benefits/risks associated with
either formation?

Thanks a lot in anticipation of an answer.

These are two different salts of the same drug.  It should not make any 
difference to your wife. For a more detailed answer put up a post on the 
pharmacy forum.

All the best

Admin
www.pharmacy-forum.co.uk
The UK Forum for all things Pharmacy


 wrote in message 
news:1140870848.023202.160900@t39g2000cwt.googlegroups.com...
> My wife has been prescribed Alendronic Acid tablets for osteoporosis.
>
> For some months she has had Alendronic Acid 70 mg tablets (Sodium
> alendronate trihydrate) but the latest packet is Alendronic Acid 70 mg
> tablets as Sodium monohydrate.
>
> Clearly there appears to be some difference here but I'd be interested
> to understand it.  It's times like this I wished I'd paid attention in
> Chemistry at school.
>
> I suspect the answer may be that the Alendronic Acid needs to be
> "bound" in something to produce it in tablet form and the difference
> between the two tablets is just in the compounds used to do that but it
> would be good to know.
>
> In particular, are there any greater benefits/risks associated with
> either formation?
>
> Thanks a lot in anticipation of an answer.
>