Prolia treatment for osteoporosis: What is your experience?

@sue225 , good morning and thank you for sharing your report and recommendations. Keep them coming. We are amassing valuable personal information.
May you have joy today.
Chris

@artscaping I wish you the same (challenging under the present circumstances). Will do. In June/July, I return for another follow up bone density (if the world has gone back to normal). At that time, I need to make a decision about a 4th injection or whether to stop and get an infusion of Reclast or stop and do nothing. I like the ease of the Prolia injection and clearly it is effective in my case but I have had gastrointestinal side effects that I am fairly certain are related to Prolia. I do know that discontinuing Prolia without a backup drug puts you at risk for rebound fractures.
I dont want to discourage others from trying the drug because we are all different and there are many people who have no problems with Prolia. I did write in another post that my endocrinologist told me there are 650 patients on Prolia that are part of this large (urban) osteoporosis clinic.
Stay healthy. #StayHome

I felt that my doc was really pushing Prolia. I politely said, "No thank you." I think some docs use scare tactics with their osteo patients. Just my 2 cents.

I feel the same way. The scare tactics bother me. The dr I saw this week seemed very surprised that I haven't had any broken bones except for a thumb back in the 60's! And....I took 2 really bad falls in the past 5 years that only gave me some bad bruises but no broken bones, If I didn't need neck surgery, I wouldn't even bother going to the doctor for my osteoporosis....

@lexusgs300 my endocrinologist did use scare tactics. She told me about a patient (a high-powered executive, she said) who broke her hip and whose life changed dramatically and was still in a wheel chair a year later. She also said, "she was getting very worried about me". But, to be perfectly honest, I was getting very worried about me too when I saw a further 13%! drop in bone density over an 18 mo. period. (on top of what was already gone). What's needed are better medications with fewer serious adverse reactions/side effects.

When my endocrinologist asked about my past meds/drugs....she was actually surprised that my numbers weren't worse than they are, although she said I'm 'severe osteoporatic' already. I wish doctors were more cautious and careful about dispensing drugs that they KNOW will cause serious bone issues later in life!!! But they only seem to care about treating symptoms at the time and no worries about what problems lay down the road. That's unethical to me!
Looking back now does no good, but it sure will make me ask questions going forward....and do more research for natural ways to deal with issues.

@lexusgs300 Maybe I am naive, but I think if you have a good doctor who is part of a reputable hospital's staff, they are not making money by prescribing more drugs, they actually do have your best interest at heart.
The endocrinologist I saw for my osteoporosis wants me to get on something but I told her I would not until after April. She is the director of the bone density department of Mass General Hospital and is quite sure the cause of my osteoporosis is prednisone which is part of my immunotherapy, I am a liver transplant recipient.
I did have a minimally displaced hip fracture in the summer which is what led me to ask my PCP if I should have a DEXA scan. I am due for an MRI in April to make sure the liver cancer I had did no metastasize. Until I get the results of that I will not start a drug for osteoporosis.
I have another endocrinologist also who I see for hypothyroidism and diabetes so I intend to get his opinion also.
JK

@ritafarmer Rita, are you able to share what side effects you had with Reclast? I am seriously considering discontinuing Prolia, and if I do, my doctor wants me to have a Reclast infusion. I am unhappy on Prolia but the potential lengthy list of side effects from Reclast scare me. Would be really interested to hear about your experience (realizing that every body reacts differently).

I did not have any side effects from Reclast--it just didn't do much to improve my bone density.

I don’t think re-classed is intended to improve bone density. From what my endocrinologist told me, it’s supposed to keep it from getting worse but won’t improve it.