Teriparitide - ugly fatigue & headache. Need ideas, please!

Posted by pjwesty @pjwesty, 1 day ago

Hello! I am about a month in with teriparitide and I want it so much to work for me. I take the injection between 8:30-9:00 AM and around 11:00 or so the headache, fatigue and fog knock me out. I have never been a napper and I sleep solid for 45-60 minutes. When I wake up I am a foggy mess until 4-5 PM. The day is wasted. I plan on reaching out to my endo, but to be honest, he’ll again say, “If it continues, stop taking it and go to the ER”. I’ve read about injecting every other day for a week or two or stopping for a week and starting back. Is that something that works? FYI: I hydrate like crazy, take 1000 Vitamin D and eat plenty of calcium rich foods. Spine -4.2, femoral hips -3.5. Multiple fractures. Thank you so much for any advice you can offer

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hmbrglr | @hmbrglr | 1 day ago

I have not been brave enough to try I was taken off Prolia. I had a bad rash and infection on my 2nd infusion. I transitioned to Alendronate and get stomach sized but I’m deathly afraid to try anything else. I feel like throwing in The towel. I have the same T scores as you.

njx58 | @njx58 | 1 day ago

What about taking it before bedtime? It may be easier to sleep through it.

sondrachristo1 | @sondrachristo1 | 1 day ago

I had similar side effects and more. Has your endo checked your calcium? Get a 24 hour urine calcium test too.
Teriparitide can cause hypercalicemia, which can make you feel like you got run over by a truck. That’s what happened to me anyway.
Good luck, I know all this is hard.

gently | @gently | 1 day ago

pfwesty, teriparatide works by pulling calcium into your bloodstream. In most after four hours serum calcium is back to normal. Almost immediately after the injection your blood vessels dilate. That causes your blood pressure to drop. The endocrinologist I see thinks that that alone is what causes teriparatide headache. You can have tea or coffee (caffeine) and something salty to reduce modify the dilation. Taking fluids before the injection increases serum fluids slowing heartrate and increasing blood pressure.
sondrachristo1 makes a good point about hypercalcemia effects. It does sound to me like hypercalcemia, mostly the fatigue and the head fog. While it is best to follow the labs, you might try lowering d intake and/or calcium intake.
Give yourself a day or two away from the medication.
Sometimes your body will adjust.
If it doesn't you might try every other day.
I hope teriparatide works for you. I suspect it will.

oopsiedaisy | @oopsiedaisy | 20 hours ago

I agree with switching to evening if it's making you that tired. I did my shots in the morning and tried to be active first thing and that seemed to have helped with the fatigue. I didn't suffer any headaches but that might be dehydration. I really ramped up my water intake.

broken13 | @broken13 | 15 hours ago

I am also on Teriparatide and highly recommend you take it at night before bed. I also got headaches the first few months, but luckily I am experienced with migraines and had migraine medication on hand. I am 6 months in now, and no side effects. Headache only if I try drinking wine, which does not seem to go well with the Teriparatide. Darn.