Forteo effects

I finished Taking Evenity injections September 2024. In October I started Prolia injections. Have had 2 so far. Don't even know if these drugs have helped. Can't get dexa scan until August 2025(medicare says every 2 years).
Told my doctor's NP that i think it is ridiculous I can't even find out if anything has helped my bones. Also told her I want to transition off of Prolia. Have heard too many horror stories & Don't want to be on it for rest of my life. I am 83. I know I will have to have something else. Thinking about Reclast infusions. Only once year. and hopefully only 2 years. I know they all have side effects, but thought easier to deal with it only once a year.
Has anyone transitioned to Reclast? Would like to hear your experience. Side effects, results, suggestions?
Thanks for any advice, information you can give me.
y

@pathoag, I just had my third DEXA in a year and a half. I paid cash for the second one, $50, and the third one was actually covered by my Medicare advantage insurance. The insurance is supposed to pay more frequently than twice a year if you are on osteoporosis medication. I think that the Dr has to put medically necessary. I also put on the DEXA questionnaire that I was having the test to see if my medication was working.

When I was taking Forteo, a long time ago, there was talk of jaw necrosis being a possible side effect of these types of drugs. Also, when I was at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC I sat for an hour and a half presentation on Forteo. A sample of what a bone would look like before and after taking Forteo for two years was very convincing as one bone looked like swiss cheese and the Forteo bone looked normal. At no time during the presentation was any mention made of Forteo not working 100%. If I had been told that I would have had to go back on bisphosphonates after two years I never would have started the Forteo because I started the Forteo with the hopes of getting off the bisphosphonates. I am going to be 77 years old and I have had other serious health concerns. I consider myself extremely lucky to be alive at all. Breaking a bone has become something that I do not give much thought to these days as I have bigger fish to fry.

I don't regret taking the Forteo but I wish that the drug company had not misrepresented what the drug could and could not do. Quite frankly after some disappointing results I started to feel like a guinea pig. I said, no more. No more drugs for osteoporosis. Anyway, that was decades ago. Since then I have had three DVT's in the past 25 years and I will have to remain on a blood thinner for the rest of my life. One DVT is rare. Can you imagine having had three over the course of 25 years. Also I had a total hip replacement a little over a year ago and although the surgery went well I still have some pain. It's something I can live with at the moment. I have been told that the other hip would need replacing in 3 years or so. Can't even imagine that. Life goes on but I have always had a positive can do attitude which serves me well.

I finished Taking Evenity injections September 2024. In October I started Prolia injections. Have had 2 so far. Don't even know if these drugs have helped. Can't get dexa scan until August 2025(medicare says every 2 years).
Told my doctor's NP that i think it is ridiculous I can't even find out if anything has helped my bones. Also told her I want to transition off of Prolia. Have heard too many horror stories & Don't want to be on it for rest of my life. I am 83. I know I will have to have something else. Thinking about Reclast infusions. Only once year. and hopefully only 2 years. I know they all have side effects, but thought easier to deal with it only once a year.
Has anyone transitioned to Reclast? Would like to hear your experience. Side effects, results, suggestions?
Thanks for any advice, information you can give me.
y

I too was afraid to begin Forteo but after 3 compression fractures I finally gave in. After 1 year my Dexascan showed that my lumbar spine score improved 22%! It went from -3.5 to -1.9 do I would recommend it. I was originally going to do a full 2 years but will stopped at 18 mo. and did a Reclast infusion to "lock-in" my gains.
Side effects were afternoon fatigue, some cramping in my feet and belly fat. I took it at night but some take it in the morning. I would recommend staying hydrated, make sure you're getting enough Vit D (it is fat soluble so take it with your fattiest meal), magnesium (competes with calcium so don't take them at the time), calcium (spread out through the day), K2 and protein.
I was able to get copay assistance from Lilly which brought my cost down to $4/month with private insurance. You need to renew annually. Go to their website.
I hope you have good results.