Short answer: For postmenopausal osteoporosis, the Actonel label gives four schedules: 5 mg daily, 35 mg once a week, 75 mg on two days in a row each month, or 150 mg once a month. Men take 35 mg weekly. The tablet is swallowed whole with 6 to 8 ounces of plain water at least 30 minutes before the first food or drink, without lying down for 30 minutes.
This is what the FDA label says. Follow your prescriber. Your prescriber may use a different dose or pace than the label's standard schedule.
What Actonel is approved for: Actonel is a bisphosphonate approved to treat and prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis, to treat and prevent steroid (glucocorticoid)-induced osteoporosis in people taking 7.5 mg or more of prednisone or equivalent a day, and to treat Paget's disease of bone (sections 1.1 to 1.4). The best length of use has not been set, and people at low fracture risk may be considered for stopping after 3 to 5 years (section 1.5).
Source
ACTONEL (risedronate sodium) tablets, for oral use, prescribing information and Medication Guide. Allergan (AbbVie). DailyMed, version published May 11, 2026. DailyMed setid 24ed00e0-25e2-49a8-97fc-66c1b417dc0b
Actonel is taken at least 30 minutes before the first food or drink of the day other than water, and before any other oral medicine or supplement, including calcium, antacids or vitamins. Mineral water is avoided because it may have more calcium (section 2.6).
The tablet is swallowed whole with a full glass (6 to 8 ounces) of plain water, not chewed or sucked, and the person does not lie down for 30 minutes after (section 2.6).
Calcium supplements, antacids, magnesium supplements or laxatives and iron are taken at a different time of day, because they interfere with absorption (section 2.7).
The table below is the label's schedule, from the Dosage and Administration section. Numbers are copied exactly; the section is in brackets.
| Use | Recommended regimen |
|---|---|
| Treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis | 5 mg daily, 35 mg once a week, 75 mg on two consecutive days each month, or 150 mg once a month |
| Prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis | 5 mg daily or 35 mg once a week; 75 mg on two consecutive days a month or 150 mg once a month may be considered |
| Men with osteoporosis | 35 mg once a week |
| Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis | 5 mg daily |
| Paget's disease | 30 mg once daily for 2 months; retreatment may be considered after at least 2 months of observation if relapse occurs |
Supplemental calcium and vitamin D are taken if dietary intake is not enough.
The best length of use has not been set. The need to continue is re-evaluated periodically, people at low fracture risk may be considered for stopping after 3 to 5 years, and fracture risk is re-checked periodically after stopping.
Actonel is not recommended when creatinine clearance is under 30 mL/min. No dose change is needed at 30 mL/min or more.
Before starting Actonel for steroid-induced osteoporosis, sex hormone status is checked in men and women and replacement considered.
A person taking Atelvia, which has the same active ingredient, does not also take Actonel.
Weekly 35 mg: one tablet is taken the morning after it is remembered, then back to the usual day; never 2 tablets on the same day. 75 mg two days a month: if the next month's doses are more than 7 days away, missed tablets are taken on the next morning(s), with no more than two 75 mg tablets within 7 days; if within 7 days, the person waits for next month. 150 mg monthly: if the next dose is more than 7 days away, it is taken the next morning, with no more than one 150 mg tablet within 7 days; if within 7 days, the person waits.
More on this: missed a dose of Actonel.
In Dose Track you set up Actonel as a protocol with the dose and schedule your prescriber gave you. A protocol can hold dose steps, each with its own dose and length in days or weeks, so a step-up plan like the one on the label can be entered once and the app moves to the next step on its own. Reminders follow the schedule, and every dose is logged with the date and time, so you can see which step you are on and when your last dose was. The app follows what you enter; it does not choose or change a dose.
This page is what the FDA label says, in plain words. It is not medical advice. Follow your prescriber, and ask them or your pharmacist about anything here.