Risedronate tablets and delayed-release (long-acting tablets) are used to prevent and treat osteoporosis (a condition in which the bones become thin and weak and break easily) in women who have undergone menopause (”change of life,” end of menstrual periods). Risedronate tablets are also used to treat osteoporosis in men, and in men and women who are taking glucocorticoids (a type of corticosteroid medication that may cause osteoporosis). Risedronate tablets are also used to treat Paget’s disease of bone (a condition in which the bones are soft and weak and may be deformed, painful, or easily broken). Risedronate is in a class of medications called bisphosphonates.