Risedronate: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Risedronate is a bisphosphonate sold in the U.S. under 3 brand and generic names, for extramammary paget disease and postmenopausal osteoporosis. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Bisphosphonate
- Treats (across its forms)
- Extramammary Paget Disease and Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
- Available as
- Tablet, delayed release · Tablet
- Sold as
- 3 products — Risedronate Sodium, Actonel and Atelvia
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- Half-life
- about 561 hours — roughly 23 days
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $73 for a 30-count supply — not your price
How Risedronate Sodium is dosed
From the FDA label for Risedronate Sodium (application ANDA079215). Other risedronate products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
One 35 mg delayed-release tablet once-a-week (2.1) Instruct patients to: • Take risedronate sodium delayed-release tablets in the morning immediately following breakfast with at least 4 ounces of plain water (2.2) • Avoid lying down for 30 minutes after taking risedronate sodium delayed-release tablets (2.2) • Take supplemental calcium and vitamin D if dietary intake is inadequate (2.3) 2.1 Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis [ see Indications and Usage (1.1) ] The recommended regimen is: • one 35 mg delayed-release tablet orally, taken once-a-week [see Indications and Usage (1.1)] 2.2 Important Administration Instructions Instruct patients to do the following: • Take risedronate sodium delayed-release tablets in the morning immediately following breakfast. Risedronate sodium delayed-release tablets should be taken immediately following breakfast and not under fasting conditions because of a higher risk of abdominal pain if taken before breakfast when fasting. • Swallow risedronate sodium delayed-release tablets whole while in an upright position and with at least 4 ounces of plain water to facilitate delivery to the stomach. Avoid lying down for 30 minutes after taking the medication [ see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ]. • Do not chew, cut, or crush risedronate sodium delayed-release tablets. 2.3 Recommendations for Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation Instruct…
Everything below is the FDA label for Risedronate Sodium (tablet, delayed release). Risedronate is also sold as tablet, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Risedronate Sodium side effects
Most common adverse reactions (greater than 5%) include: diarrhea, influenza, arthralgia, back pain, and abdominal pain (6.1) Hypersensitivity reactions (angioedema, generalized rash, bullous skin reactions, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis), and eye inflammation (iritis, uveitis) have been reported rarely (6.2) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc. at 1-800-818-4555 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Studies Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis Once-a-Week Dosing with Risedronate Sodium Delayed-Release tablets The safety of risedronate sodium delayed-release 35 mg once-a-week in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis was assessed in a 1-year, double-blind, multicenter study comparing risedronate sodium delayed-release 35 mg once-a-week to risedronate sodium immediate-release 5 mg daily in postmenopausal women 50 years of age or older. Risedronate sodium delayed-release was administered either at least 30 minutes before (N = 308) or immediately following (N = 307) breakfast, and risedronate sodium…
Who shouldn’t take Risedronate Sodium
Risedronate sodium delayed-release tablets contraindicated in patients with the following conditions: 1. Abnormalities of the esophagus which delay esophageal emptying such as stricture or achalasia [ see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] 2. Inability to stand or sit upright for at least 30 minutes [ see Dosage and Administration (2), Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] 3. Hypocalcemia [ see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] 4. Known hypersensitivity to any component of this product. Angioedema, generalized rash, bullous skin reactions, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, have been reported [ see Adverse Reactions (6.2) ] • Abnormalities of the esophagus which delay esophageal emptying such as stricture or achalasia (4, 5.2) • Inability to stand or sit upright for at least 30 minutes (4, 5.2) • Hypocalcemia (4, 5.3) • Known hypersensitivity to any component of this product (4, 6.2)
Risedronate Sodium drug interactions
Risedronate is not metabolized and does not induce or inhibit hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes (for example, Cytochrome P450). Calcium supplements, antacids, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), H 2 blockers, magnesium-based supplements or laxatives, and iron preparations interfere with the absorption of risedronate sodium (7.1, 7.2) 7.1 Calcium Supplements/Antacids When risedronate sodium was administered following breakfast, the co-administration of a tablet containing 600 mg of elemental calcium and 400 international units vitamin D reduced risedronate bioavailability by approximately 38% [ see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ]. Calcium supplements, antacids, magnesium-based supplements or laxatives, and iron preparations interfere with the absorption of risedronate sodium and should not be taken together. 7.2 Histamine 2 (H 2 ) Blockers and Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) Drugs that raise stomach pH (for example, PPIs or H 2 blockers) may cause faster drug release from enteric coated (delayed-release) drug products such as risedronate sodium. Co-administration of risedronate sodium with the PPI, esomeprazole, increased risedronate bioavailability. The maximum plasma concentration (C max ) and the area under the plasma concentration (AUC) were increased by 60 percent and 22 percent, respectively. Concomitant administration of risedronate sodium and H 2 blockers or PPIs is not recommended. 7.3 Hormone Therapy Concomitant use of risedronate sodium with estrogens and estrogen agonist/antagonists has not been studied. 7.4 Aspirin/Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs In the Phase 3 study comparing risedronate sodium 35 mg once-a-week immediately following breakfast and risedronate sodium 5 mg daily, 18% of NSAID users (any use) in both groups developed upper gastrointestinal adverse reactions. Among non-users, 13% of patients taking risedronate sodium 35 mg once-a-week immediately following breakfast developed upper gastrointestinal adverse reactions, compared to 12% taking risedronate sodium 5 mg daily.
Every risedronate product we track (3)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 56/100 | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $73 | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $73 | View → | |
| 3 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $73 | View → |
What risedronate pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
| Imprint | Strength | Colour | Shape | Maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EC;35 | 30.1 mg | yellow | oval | — |
| EC;35 | 30.1 mg | yellow | oval | — |
| RSN;5;MG | 4.3 mg | yellow | oval | — |
| RSN;30;MG | 25.8 mg | white | oval | — |
| RSN;35;MG | 30.1 mg | orange | oval | — |
| RSN;75;MG | 64.5 mg | pink | oval | — |
| RSN;150;MG | 129 mg | blue | oval | — |
| TEVA;7390 | 5 mg | yellow | round | — |
| TEVA;7391 | 30 mg | white | round | — |
| TEVA;7389 | 35 mg | orange | round | — |
| RSN;35;MG | 30.1 mg | orange | oval | — |
| RSN;150;MG | 129 mg | blue | oval | — |
Combination products containing risedronate
A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.
Can you crush or split risedronate?
At least one risedronateproduct is labelled to be swallowed whole — crushing an extended-release tablet releases the whole day’s dose at once. Which applies depends on the form you were given.
What each risedronate label says about crushing, splitting and chewingHow long risedronate keeps
No risedronate label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does risedronate expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsWhat people report to the FDA about risedronate
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 14,049 reports naming risedronate, and the FDA flagged 91% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- arthralgia2,266 reports
- drug hypersensitivity2,259 reports
- vomiting2,249 reports
- dyspnoea2,213 reports
- pneumonia2,009 reports
- fatigue1,960 reports
- rheumatoid arthritis1,884 reports
- nausea1,843 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean risedronate caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 26, 2026.
How long risedronate stays in your system
The elimination half-life of risedronate is about 561 hours — roughly 23 days. This is the terminal (elimination) exponential half-life, the only half-life the label reports, measured in osteopenic postmenopausal women. It is very long because risedronate is slowly released back out of bone, where about 60% of an absorbed dose goes — it does not mean the drug stays in the blood for weeks; the label notes roughly half of the absorbed dose is excreted in the urine within 24 hours. There is no active metabolite and this is not a prodrug: the label states there is no evidence of systemic metabolism, and the drug is excreted unchanged. Populations the label names: older adults (over 60) — bioavailability and disposition are similar to younger subjects, no dosage adjustment. Kidney impairment — risedronate is cleared unchanged by the kidney, and renal clearance falls about 70% at a creatinine clearance around 30 mL/min; the label does not recommend it below 30 mL/min, but no adjustment is needed at 30 mL/min or above. Liver impairment — not studied, but risedronate is not metabolized by the liver, so the label says an adjustment is unlikely to be needed.
ACTONEL (risedronate sodium) tablets — FDA label, DailyMed ↗Half-life is how long the body takes to clear half a dose. It is not the same as how long a drug test can detect it, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Related guides
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is Risedronate Sodium?
Risedronate sodium delayed-release tablets contain a pH-sensitive enteric coating and a chelating agent (EDTA). Risedronate is a pyridinyl bisphosphonate that inhibits osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and modulates bone metabolism. Each risedronate sodium delayed-release tablet for oral administration contains the equivalent of 35 mg of risedronate sodium (amorphous).
What kind of drug is risedronate?
The FDA classifies risedronate as a bisphosphonate. Bisphosphonates stick to the mineral surface of bone, especially where it is being broken down. When the bone-dissolving cells (osteoclasts) take the drug up, it disables or kills them, slowing bone loss and helping keep bones denser and stronger. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
How long does risedronate stay in your system?
The elimination half-life of risedronate is about 561 hours — roughly 23 days — that is how long the body takes to clear half of a dose. This is the terminal (elimination) exponential half-life, the only half-life the label reports, measured in osteopenic postmenopausal women. It is very long because risedronate is slowly released back out of bone, where about 60% of an absorbed dose goes — it does not mean the drug stays in the blood for weeks; the label notes roughly half of the absorbed dose is excreted in the urine within 24 hours. There is no active metabolite and this is not a prodrug: the label states there is no evidence of systemic metabolism, and the drug is excreted unchanged. Populations the label names: older adults (over 60) — bioavailability and disposition are similar to younger subjects, no dosage adjustment. Kidney impairment — risedronate is cleared unchanged by the kidney, and renal clearance falls about 70% at a creatinine clearance around 30 mL/min; the label does not recommend it below 30 mL/min, but no adjustment is needed at 30 mL/min or above. Liver impairment — not studied, but risedronate is not metabolized by the liver, so the label says an adjustment is unlikely to be needed. Half-life is not the same as how long a drug test can detect the drug, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Can you take risedronate with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run risedronate against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is risedronate sold under?
We track 3 risedronate-containing products in the U.S.: Risedronate Sodium, Actonel and Atelvia. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does risedronate come in?
Across the brands we track, risedronate is currently marketed as tablet, delayed release and tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic risedronate?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic risedronate product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Risedronate: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/risedronate
- MLA
- “Risedronate: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/risedronate.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for risedronate on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.