High anxiety regarding Reclast or Prolia decison for OP meds

Posted by 255anny @255anny, Aug 18 5:01pm

I am overwhelmed with making this decision. Currently on Evenity, 2 more injections left. Severe Osteporosis. Spine -4.7. I left my OP Dr's office last week with an order for Prolia starting Oct/Nov. And blood work orders. We did discuss Prolia vs Reclast but I didn't ask enough questions I guess, despite having a 1 hour appt with her. I did know and told her I feared Prolia. She relayed how much easier it was than Reclast. And the Reclast stays in your system much longer. She wrote the RX for Prolia for 1 year, then relay to Evenity again. That does not sound right to me. I can't find any studies supporting that drug sequencing. This Dr is new to me but in the practice of the most respected Endo offices in my state. She only see OP patients. I am staying up til 3am every night reading and researching. There is no right answer.

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@lizzie12

Thank you for asking! My infusion was Monday 9/16 in the AM. The infusion itself took about 20 minutes. I hydrated all day Saturday and Sunday, sipping water through out the day and Monday morning.
When I got home took Tylenol preemptively as day progressed felt fatigued, headachy. Took Tylenol at bedtime. Next day had heartburn which alarmed me as that was the reason I switched from Fosamax to Reclast and I'm meds for that, but next felt fine, Thurs and Friday mild heartburn and stomach upset,today is Saturday and pretty much back to normal. I have kept hydrating too. No other side effects yet and hoping that's it. I was pretty anxious about it before hand,which most likely a trigger for the
reflux. If it keeps happening I'll let my GI and Rheumatologist know.
I will be interested to hear your experience and hope it all goes well.

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Thank you. Glad you breezed thru it - well pretty much anyway compared to some things I've read.

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@lizzie12

Also my discharge paper gave directions for Delayed reactions for: Rash, itching skin, muscle aches, flu like symptoms, joint pain and stiff - ness using Zyrtec for 7 days and then again 5 days before next infusion. For joint or muscle pain will call in a script for Medrol Dose Pak.
Anyone else get the same info?

Jump to this post

Thanks for the info. So it's advised to take the Zyrtec after the infusion and next time 5 days before if any reactions popped up? I read somewhere to take the Zyrtec before the infusion to help. I actually was thinking about doing that the day before and maybe for 1 or 2 days after. Along with Tylenol. I don't want to make myself weaker or ill with these OTC meds but I want to do anything I can to avoid horrible reactions.

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i also fear prolia and refuse to take it. i took Reclast twice and both times had significant increase in bone density

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@255anny

Thanks for the info. So it's advised to take the Zyrtec after the infusion and next time 5 days before if any reactions popped up? I read somewhere to take the Zyrtec before the infusion to help. I actually was thinking about doing that the day before and maybe for 1 or 2 days after. Along with Tylenol. I don't want to make myself weaker or ill with these OTC meds but I want to do anything I can to avoid horrible reactions.

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@gently the Medrol pack starts with six 4mg pills, then 5, then 4 etc. So 24mg, 20, 16, and so on....

I seem to remember another pack that started with 60mg (six 10mg pills). It was 60,60, 40,40, 20, 20, 10, 10 5, 5- for 10 days vs the 6 days above,

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@255anny

Thanks for the info. So it's advised to take the Zyrtec after the infusion and next time 5 days before if any reactions popped up? I read somewhere to take the Zyrtec before the infusion to help. I actually was thinking about doing that the day before and maybe for 1 or 2 days after. Along with Tylenol. I don't want to make myself weaker or ill with these OTC meds but I want to do anything I can to avoid horrible reactions.

Jump to this post

Ask your doctor or the infusion center what they recommend. Prior to the infusion I was told to just drink water during a phone call with an infusion nurse, they didn't say to take Tylenol or Zyrtec. When filling out paperwork at the infusion center one of the questions was if I had taken any Zyrtec Claritin etc which I hadn't. Afterwards I thought I should have asked why they ask that, but at that time was more focused on the infusion.
Besides some heartburn which has resolved I had no other side effects and feeling great.

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