@mayblin
Thought I'd touch base again. After a few months I reread your experience above. I didn't realize before how very similar it is to mine! Looking at your beginning T scores to the post forteo/6 mo T scores we are very similar in both lumbar and hip. If I'm reading correctly: You improved from -3.4 to -2.3 in the lumbar spine. I just had my follow up dexa and meeting with endo and rheumatologist last week. I started at a -3.6 and improved to a -2.5. This is after 2 years on Tymlos and starting BHRT 6 months ago on my own. I'm taking it while finishing my last months of Tymlos. I use a .025 estradiol patch (bi weekly) and 100mg of micronized progesterone daily. You continued to improve to -1.9 after 15 months with BHRT alone and no other osteo meds??!! This is very encouraging for me!

I actually am down to my last 10 days of Tymlos and both the endo and my rheumatologist have given me the choice of Reclast (both favor this) or Alendronate. Both have changed their tune since last year when I approached them about BHRT therapy. Last year was a resounding NO! from both. I started BHRT on my own 6 months ago and this year they were both supportive. I fully expected to be told I was taking a risky path. What a difference a year makes......and updated FDA recommendations. LOL. My endo actually said the BHRT probably helped my gains as I gained more this year than my first year on Tymlos. Usually the gains aren't as much in year 2.

I have been doing a lot of reading on bisphosphonates in the last 2 years. I simply cannot wrap my head around poisoning my osteoclasts and disabling them from doing their job....only to have them all wake up and be angry and make up for lost time after I'm off of the bispho for the "drug holiday". Then to wait for the t score to drop again and start all over, and with more brittle bones from the bispho leftover effects. Reclast can stay in your bones for up to 10 years after even 1 infusion. I'm supposed to do 3 years if that is my choice. No thanks.

I intend to stay on BHRT for as long as I can speak. Learning how estrogen acts as an antiresorptive just makes so much more sense, using something that is natural without killing off an important cell that needs to remove old bone. The problem is just keeping osteoblasts up with the building part. I've never had bone markers done as none of my docs use them, or know how to use them, so I have no baseline or any idea of how they are/have responded to Tymlos and BHRT.

I haven't told either dr yet that I'm not going to do the bisphosphonate thing. I am dreading that email. They were both quite thrilled with my improvement (as was I and also I was very relieved) and I'm sure they will think I'm making a huge mistake and wasting my gains. But I have a few other ideas that I'm researching, so this journey will continue. Forever I suppose.
We're all just doing what we can!
Be well & Cheers!
Nonna