The main goal with osteoporosis meds is to reduce fractures. You can do a search on a particular drug by investigating the "absolute risk" of fracture reduction.

I agree with your viewpoints here though. I certainly wish we had better drug options -- ones that reduce fractures without serious side effects.

bevlevvancouverbc,
not to detract from your potent post, but I'd like to point out that most fractures in women with osteoporosis are in the spinal vertebra. These fractures heal, but in a abnormal configuration. Kyphoplasty tries to restore some of the height, but can't restore normal height. It doesn't matter that we are a little shorter. What matters is that it throws the entire vertebral column off normal curve. It forces the woman into the bent forward positions. Her lungs can't fully expand. All of her internal abdominal organs have less space. It places anterior pressure on all of her vertebral discs, increasing the risk of disc migration and herniation.
Then there is the pain. If there is enough crush in the vertebra, the compression fracture will be extremely painful initially. That pain can usually go away after six months or the vertebra can continue to compress and destabilize. There is less space for the nerves that exit through the joints at the sides of the vertebra. Sometimes not enough space. Those nerves provide excruciating pain when they are crushed with movement and sometimes constant pain even without movement.
So, the whole goal of life changes. It becomes a matter of alleviating the pain.
I'd far prefer to have a hip fracture than a spinal compression fracture. The hips being the next most common area of osteoporosis fractures. They don't actually heal either. Most of the time you can get a hip replacement, thought.

I totally agree with you! I was diagnosed just this year and when I did my initial research, everything was so scary, I actually didn’t sleep very well for weeks!! All I kept thinking of was that I was going to die if I fell! I nearly gave up golf because I’m not supposed to twist or bend according to many articles I read!! Luckily, I mentioned it to my chiropractor who had me get tested for Vit D (I was deficient) and he also told me to continue playing golf because my body/and muscles are used to it!!
Of course now that I have educated myself, my outlook is better; I am healthy (no underlying symptoms), I don’t take any medications for anything, I play golf, I walk at least 45 minutes each day and I started to lift more weights based on the LiftMOOR trials (under PT supervision).
I sometimes think that if a celebrity or major influencer has this disease, it would be front and foremost as far as research is concerned. And also because it is an “old person” disease, we are told to just take medication. My PCP didn’t even talk to me about my diet!! Or exercise!! He just wanted to put me on Fosamax!! My endocrinologist, once we ruled out underlying factors, wants to give me ReClast even though my CTX numbers are in the 400s.
I am tired of big pharma and doctors who are focused only on prescribing meds. Thankfully, there are some great podcasts out there than are informative and give me hope.
Have a listen to one I just listened to by Dr Sheri Betz. She talks mostly about reading the DEXA, but towards the end she talks about vertebral fractures and how they are not a death sentence.
https://www.strongbonesstarthere.com/bone-coach-understand-your-bone-density-scan-dxa-results

I so agree with all that has been written here. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis in July and have been on a research journey and praying about what is best for my body. I was prescribed Evenity, which is a newer medication. My copay per month was going to be around $1000! So I am not doing that. I was prescribed another med but looking into that now. I am not convinced that medication is the way to go for me. Not saying never though. I too am concerned about long term effects of these meds aside from the side effects. I exercise and eat right and am increasing that now. It is frustrating that we have to do all of this research on our own. Keep posting ladies. I have been so encouraged by you all.