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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
For myself, I’m doing the two-year Forteo regimen to build back lost bone density. Then I will follow up with something else to retain whatever improvement has accrued. (Did you do Forteo for two full years? And did your bone density improve?) So for me, the “ordeal” of taking Forteo (actually, the shots are not bad) is to be healthier later. I hope you have continued good health as well, and find the combination of lifestyle changes and/or meds that work for you. It always boils down to each individual and making the personal decision that is best for you. And that can be difficult.
Replies to "For myself, I’m doing the two-year Forteo regimen to build back lost bone density. Then I..."
Thanks. You're right about making the best decision for you. I didn't even make it 2 months with the Forteo due to gastrointestinal side effects causing asthma. They then put me on a 1/4 dose of Reclast for a 6 month period and then a 1/2 dose of Reclast for a 6 month period. The 1/4 dose went over pretty well but the 1/2 dose was ballistic. Have yet to have a bone density scan to see if there is any improvement - it is coming up in August. The 1/2 dose of Reclast is making me take the maximum asthma medicine (which contains cortisone) and restart Prilosec (which is bad for the bones), so it is counteracting the Reclast. The Reclast is also causing labored breathing with exercise so I'm not able to do that as much to help build bone. It should be interesting to learn the extent of the improvement. Reclast is supposed to be the gold standard but it has about 118 side effects listed on the Mayo Clinic drugs section (look up zoledronic acid infusion), many of which are very quality of life threatening and some even life threatening, in my opinion, if you already have some issues which are then exacerbated by the Reclast. My primary doctor now has not told me not to take any bisphosphonates again either, even to try the once a week pill version, and to focus on exercising daily, etc., once the Reclast has left my system.
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No, I did not do Forteo first. Forteo was my endocrinologist's first choice for me because I had lost so much bone density over an 18 month period. I know Forteo builds bone rapidly but I didn't like that black box warning about bone cancer. In my family there is so much cancer that I told her I would prefer Prolia which has been her earlier suggestion in prior years. Also I preferred the twice yearly injections. Also, I have a ventricular tachycardia arrhythmia and I had read that some patients experienced palpitations on injection and that issue is under control so didn't want to set it off. Long explanation but the Prolia is giving me good results (perhaps not as good as Forteo). The doctor as I said before seemed happy with results. Sometimes hard to decide what route to take.