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Prolia treatment for osteoporosis: What is your experience?
Osteoporosis & Bone Health | Last Active: Jul 13 3:27pm | Replies (1246)Comment receiving replies
How can you say that Prolia doesn't cause severe pain? I googled Prolia just now and this popped up: "Common side effects of Prolia include low calcium levels (especially if you have kidney problems), weakness, constipation, BACK PAIN, MUSCLE PAIN, PAIN IN YOUR ARMS AND LEGS, anemia, diarrhea, or skin problems (eczema, blisters, dry skin, peeling, redness, itching, small bumps)". I have read on other sites that Prolia can also cause loss of jaw bone and loosening of teeth. This happened to a friend of my daughter-in-law who had been on Prolia. She lost part of her jaw along with teeth and caused her to miss almost a year at work. .
I often have pain in my back but I almost never take a pain pill. Instead, I go the gym and use the treadmill and other exercise machines that will strengthen the muscles in my shoulders, back and legs. I almost always go home pain free. My last bone scan showed that my bones "were stable", i.e., no additional bone loss from the scan taken two years earlier. My doctor now agrees with my decision to say "no" to all bone drugs. Why aren't doctors pushing exercise and diet instead of so many drugs?
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I've read of really bad unintended consequences from Prolia. I cannot vouch for their truth but also would not wholly dismiss them. My endocrinologist does have some patients on the drug but calls it a 'very serious' drug yet sometimes the only choice for certain patients for various reasons.
With the caveat that we don't know who is reviewing a drug and aren't able to ensure that everything is true, or if a new body ache or such is the result of taking a new drug, one website that has a lot of reviews is askapatient. (All one word, add the dot com part.) Websites allowing these reviews are being litigated out of existence by the pharmaceutical industry and are fewer and fewer every year. So, imperfect as it is, it's good to find it. The FAERS website has patient reports but it's harder to navigate. And the vast majority of negative side effects never get recorded there according to the Wall Street Journal.
If you want to know if your doctor might have a financial incentive for prescribing some drugs other others, the non-profit ProPublica organization has a site tracking which doctors are receiving money from pharmaceutical interests. Search ProPublica's "Dollars for Doctors" page.
To borrow a quote from a former president, I like to 'trust but verify' when the consequences of not doing so can be serious and long-standing. Especially as relates to my health or well-being.