Anyone used prolia?

whattodo1, Prolia is fast to increase bone density. The trouble is that you can't take a shot or two and go on your merry way because the bone comes off faster and more deeply than it is gained when you quit the drug. When Prolia came on the market it was widely lauded and widely prescribed, no on knew what happens when you quit. Women were suffering cascade fractures in their spines, after seeing great dexa gains.
If you have terrible bone density the osteoporosis medications are worth the cost, because of how your life can change if you fracture.
Sadly, osteoporosis requires continuous medications to prevent fracture. With low bone density, you are best advised to take a bone building drug. My favorite is Forteo. It is expensive, too. And inconvenient. But it builds the best bone and is the safest medication.
You might qualify for financial help through the drug companies if your income is limited.
Are you being offered any choices of medications to take. In my opinion Prolia is the most dangerous.

I was diagnosed with Osteoporosis after a fall that cracked my femur in 2012. I was 57 . I started Prolia shots a yr later ( 1 every six months ) in my Drs office , and had bone density scans every 2 yrs and my insurance paid all but $200.
When I turned 65 , I was on Medicare with a supplement . My Medicare would only pay for the Prolia if I had the injection at an Infusion Center . I still have the bone density scans and my results always show that it is slightly creeping up . I only had a small rash at the injection site after the first dose , and I haven’t had any bone breaks after all these yrs . (I’m 70) and very active .
I would check with your Medicare rep and ask why your shot is so expensive . If you’re not on a supplement to your Medicare , this is possibly why your cost is so high . Prolia is definitely worth it ! Hope this helps .

Thanks for your input. I took Forteo many years ago but there was no recommendation for follow up treatment.
I am learning that is why I am in such bad shape. I did have a grant for that.
Next I think I should ask my primary how long the prolia shots would last so I can multiple each shot by $289. And what the followup for the rest of my life treatments will be.
And what other options instead of the prolia could be offered.

Thanks for your input. My out of pocket cost for each shot is $289.
So I guess not much since the insurance is billed over $6000.

How long have you been on Prolia and what is your understanding of the number of injections? Also what comes next? Thanks very much

One thing to consider with Prolia that does not get the attention it deserves: Prolia reduces one immunity. If it is already low for some reason, Prolia's increased reduction could cause serious problems.

When you say creeping up, do you mean your bone density is improving or worsening? Thank you.

Could you share specifically why Prolia is more dangerous and less effective than Forteo? Thank you!

tillymack, sure. Just remember that I have no medical background and that many people have success with Prolia.
The biggest danger with Prolia is the Prolia trap. It's difficult to go off Prolia (maybe impossible) without losing some of the bone density gain. The density gains are large and quick only exceeded in speed and density by one other medication, Evenity, It is possible that a patient can stay on Prolia for a long time. After market attention seem to say that Prolia can be safe for ten years, to be extended as the study lengthens. Prolia adds bone without removing the bone underneath that is damaged or fissured. It is modeled bone less vascular, less neural and less porous--heavier bone. While this allows for protection from mass, it isn't the most resilient bone. It's more brittle and has the warning (as do all the medications that prevent remodeling of bone) for osteonecrosis and atypical femur fracture. With either of these effects or if you need dental work, a patient would have to quit prolia. The mainstay after Prolia, after it was discovered that patient whom Prolia "cured" of osteoporosis were suffering multiple fractures, is Reclast. It is thought to halt the onslaught of bone damage if prolia is not followed by another drug. Reclast is not thought to completely control the bone loss or to completely counteract the risk of fracture. And since Reclast and Evenity also risk osteonecrosis, osteonecrosis of the jaw with dental work and atypical femor fracture, these two drugs aren't isn't a great way out.
The trouble begins in the way that Prolia works. It prevents the cells-- osteoclasts--that dissolve our damaged bone from developing. It stops them in the last stage of development. It doesn't precipitate cell death in these cells but collects them. When Prolia is stopped they mature in immediate numbers, releasing their acids on your bones. Prolia is (or was) the only osteoporosis medication that can leave you worse off than if you'd never taken it. Now, with use it has been discovered that Evenity shares this unfortunate fact with Prolia.
But in a very small study involving 16 women and in a larger South Korean retrospective it was determined that Evenity might retain the gains made by Prolia. It this turn out to be true, there may be salvation for this drug.
There are several other problems with Prolia. It suppresses the immune system. so a person is more susceptible to pneumonias and viruses. There are people who have extreme reactions to the drug. There is no way of removing it from you system. It can be incapacitating. And not being active for a year can greatly decondition a person when they are older and can't recover.
What makes me consider it the most dangerous is rebound. There are people on site who have had to quit Prolia because of the atypical femur fractures or because of osteonecrosis of the jaw. It is really a trap because the only medication that can stop rebound from Prolia are those that exacerbate these conditions.
With all these medications we need a lot of luck.
I haven't tried Prolia. I'm partial to the drugs that remodel bone, carrying older damaged bone away before laying down new bone. It is a much slower process.

There are a number of threads addressing prolia under the main category osteoporosis

Thanks gently! In your last sentence, you mention that you're partial to drugs that remodel bone, carrying older damaged bone away before laying down new bone. I'd love to know which drugs do that! Can you let me know?