Evenity follow up with Alendronate results so far

Posted by hikernurse @hikernurse, May 29 7:32am

I am about 7 months into Alendronate weekly to lock in gains from Evenity completed October 2023

Evenity helped me attain a:
14% LS increase -3.1 to -2.5.
8.1% Femoral neck -3.3 to -3.0
5.4% Total femur -3.0 to -2.7

10/24/23 CTX was 531 having just finished Evenity. I did not have a P1NP and I never had a baseline CTX before starting Evenity. ☹️
2/23/24 after ~4 months on Alendronate CTX was 273 and P1NP was 23.
5/23/24 CTX was 254 after about 7 months of Alendronate and P1NP was 26.
Also keeping up with all the recommended exercise. Will have a DXA in October and repeat CTX and PINP.
The biggest surprise has been my ability to tolerate alendronate. I was sure I could not because I’ve had bouts of serious heartburn but practically zero since starting alendronate.

I think the bone markers are showing that Alendronate is working. I don’t know how long I need to be on it and hoping for guidance if anyone else is traveling this same road. Keeping up with recommended calcium and Vitamins D and K and all healthy lifestyle recommendations. And most importantly no fractures!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.

gravity3 | @gravity3 | May 29 8:02am

Had you been on a bisphosphonate prior to evenity?

hikernurse | @hikernurse | May 29 9:44am

In reply to @gravity3 "Had you been on a bisphosphonate prior to evenity?" + (show)

no never. Evenity was my first med. I had just gotten DXA results in late August 2022 and as I was contemplating what to do I badly fractured my wrist on a hiking vacation in MT from a hard fall ( just
lost balance when I turned to check on hubby and fell striking wrist in a rock). It wasn’t pretty. Since I had
previous fractures (other wrist and ribs from other sports related falls) in previous years, Evenity was chosen by several docs for me. Plus this site which has been invaluable to me helped me make this hard decision . I have posted my story under my profile.

lauratys | @lauratys | May 30 6:59am

I have followed same path as you have with Evenity and alendronate. My doctor has never done the CTX or P1NP. How important are those? I’m thinking of asking for them. Have been on bisphosphonate about a year. Have you had any muscle or joint pain from alendronate? Or from the Evenity? Just curious if you are willing to share that info. Thank you!

hikernurse | @hikernurse | May 30 8:36am

I think the bone markers are just another piece of the puzzle. I wanted some sense that The alendronate was working without waiting for another entire year. I do have some days after alendronate that I ache a bit more but nothing terribly significant. How long did your doc say you needed to stay on alendronate? I’m hoping for 18 month…..