Looking ahead after Tymlos: Reclast, Evenity or HRT?

Posted by psmnonna @psmnonna, May 29 8:39am

Sorry this may be a bit long, but here is some backstory:

I am on month 5 of 24 of Tymlos. I'm not loving it much, but tolerating it so far. Side effects of rapid heart rate and sometimes shoulder, chest or back pain for about 30-45 mins following injection. Doc said not to worry, so ignoring it for now. Anyone know of damage to the heart from chemically induced rapid heart rate daily over a 2 yr period? I work out, run, bike, walk, hike, yoga and do weights. As I have for over 40 years. Along with healthy mostly veggie diet, fresh veggies, fresh fruit, high protein from nuts, beans, tofu, etc. My calcium intake easily surpasses the 1200mg daily recommendation so I take no extra calcium other than what is in my daily multivitamin. For about 3 years I've added a D3, K2 as MK-7, magnesium and fish oil. Where the osteoporosis came from is anyone's guess. No family history, and at 66 I am younger than both of my sisters who are 72 and 77 with no osteoporosis. Mom passed at 93 with only 2 years of Reclast before that as she had no osteo either, just osteopenia.....but she was in her 90s before she started. So here I am young, active and healthy (I like to think, anyway) with a spine Dexa of -3.6. Since I already do everything that is recommended and have for years before my diagnosis I decided to go the drug route, which makes me cringe. But seeing as my lifestyle didn't prevent a low dexa score I saw few alternatives.

My main question for those of you out there in the know is where do I go after my 2 years of Tymlos?
~I have recently seen some things about HRT for people over 10 years past menopause. Apparently new research points to this being an OK alternative since past studies were not correct?? So basically a whole generation told that HRT was dangerous and caused increased risk of stroke and heart attack was incorrect (which is why I never started it)? But does that mean that it would be OK to start HRT at 68, the age I will be after Tymlos?
~Evenity....is this similar to HRT?
~Reclast...am I correct in thinking that this is a super-sized yearly dose of a bisphosphonate? What does this do to osteonecrosis of the jaw and spontaneous femur fractures over time? How many years can you take it and if it has a limitation, then what?
Thanks for any and all insights. 🙂

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lkhender | @lkhender | Jun 2 7:53pm

In reply to @ceciliamarypatriciafrancis "Thanks, I just wish I had a clear understanding what Reclast really is in layman's terms." + (show)

I feel the same as you about the Reclast. I've had one infusion and waiting on another that I really don't want to take. I too can't find any useful information on the drug but I'm skeptical.

ceciliamarypatriciafrancis | @ceciliamarypatriciafrancis | Jun 3 7:43am

Did your infusion go well? Why are you hesitant to take another? I hate to be a "noncompliant" patient, but I'm leery of any med that's enough to last a full year. Windyshores posted that it isn't chemo and he/she has been on this site for some years gathering info, so that's good to know. I guess it's really the duration that bothers me.

rrparra14 | @rrparra14 | Jun 3 8:45am

After having spinal fusion my and severe osteoporosis my surgeon recommended I get on Tymlos. I had the same problem with Tymlos including fast pulse, heart rate and headache issues. My Endocrinologist recommended Forteo. After 5 months on Forteo I was dealing with headaches and was considering getting off that also. I read in here about a study where patients took Forteo first thing in mornings and the findings were that it was more effective in bone growth than the others in the study group. As a last resort due to headache issues with Forteo I gave the morning injections a try. The headaches immediately went away. I was considering getting off Forteo until I tried the morning injections solution. I have now been on Forteo for 5 months and feel like I may be able to make the two year time frame. Best of luck.