Forteo weight gain…anyone experience this?

Posted by penk0213 @penk0213, Apr 16, 2023

I have gained weight recently at the 3 month mark of using Forteo. It is not listed as a side effect.

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Profile picture for sushi456 @sushi456

Has anyone experienced weight gain (or loss) from Forteo/teriparatide?

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Thirteen months on Forteo, no weight gain or loss.

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Profile picture for sushi456 @sushi456

Has anyone experienced weight gain (or loss) from Forteo/teriparatide?

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Oh yeah , they will tell you no,it's not listed as a side effect, but here, us ladies know it is a Real side effect. Especially around the belly. I will post when I'm off of forteo if and how quickly it goes away hopefully.

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Profile picture for sushi456 @sushi456

Has anyone experienced weight gain (or loss) from Forteo/teriparatide?

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I have been on Teriparatide for 11 months now. I have definitely gained weight around my belly. It is so uncomfortable. I have had Kyphoplasty on T 10,11,12 and L-1 last year. I still have pain while standing and walking. I push myself to walk a mile in the morning and use a stationary bike for 25 minutes 3x a week. I am fearful of fracturing another bone so I am very careful. My next bone density will be in June 2026. I’m praying for good results.

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Profile picture for lrm4gc @lrm4gc

I have been on Teriparatide for 11 months now. I have definitely gained weight around my belly. It is so uncomfortable. I have had Kyphoplasty on T 10,11,12 and L-1 last year. I still have pain while standing and walking. I push myself to walk a mile in the morning and use a stationary bike for 25 minutes 3x a week. I am fearful of fracturing another bone so I am very careful. My next bone density will be in June 2026. I’m praying for good results.

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@lrm4gc 11 months, and you still have six more months before a DEXA? I'm surprised your doctor didn't want one at a year. I'd certainly want to know after a year whether the meds are working or not.

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Profile picture for sushi456 @sushi456

Has anyone experienced weight gain (or loss) from Forteo/teriparatide?

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Thank you for your advice. I am actually going to see my primary doctor next week. I will discuss this with him as well as my Endocrinologist. Since I’m on Medicare they will only approve every 2 years. My last Dexa was June 2024.

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Profile picture for sushi456 @sushi456

Has anyone experienced weight gain (or loss) from Forteo/teriparatide?

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I have gained 14 pounds mostly in the belly from Forteo and Tymlos. I took Forteo for 6 months and a half dose of Tymlos for 15 months. I have bought a bigger size of pants twice. I was underweight originally. It is upsetting now to have to worry about gaining weight for the first time in my life. One osteoporosis specialist thought my DEXA gains were from weight gain alone!

By the way, Medicare will pay for more frequent DEXA scans if your Dr indicates medically necessary and you are on osteoporosis medication. I had one paid for a year after the two tear one.

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Profile picture for redlo @redlo

Oh yeah , they will tell you no,it's not listed as a side effect, but here, us ladies know it is a Real side effect. Especially around the belly. I will post when I'm off of forteo if and how quickly it goes away hopefully.

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@redlo
I've gained 8 lbs on Evenity, virtually overnight, in the 3rd month of a 12 month treatment. I received the same skepticism regarding this issue. I'm grateful for the treatment but hope the weight is temporary. Good luck.

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Profile picture for brookebloomingdale @brookebloomingdale

I have certainnly experienced weight gain in a very short amount of time. However I have also experienced many side effcts from about the 3 week mark. Side effects I can find zero info about. Most concerning and odd was a drastic negative change to my cholesterol numbers ini a a 3 week span of time!. Sky high in such a short time and no other medication changes. I cannot find any literature on the subject. I have been unlucky enough to be able to check off all the other side effects they warn about however. Everything from bone/joint pain etc etc. I now have horrible instability and have had several bad falls in that short time as well. Seems rather unproductive for fragile bones!
I have certainly heard of others with weight gain but see no mention in any medical literature about it or the cholesterol concerns.

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@brookebloomingdale
Now that you are possibly done with Forteo what were your gains and side effects? What’s next? All the best

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Good morning. I took Evenity for the entire prescribed year. I gained 7 lbs in the 3rd month. I'm grateful for the increased bone density, but after losing a whopping three inches, the last thing my middle needed was additional weight. I know how to diet, so it's discouraging to not get positive results. But, I've had a year without fracturing any bones!

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Profile picture for tricia225 @tricia225

I've gained close to 8 pounds since March/April since on Forteo, noticing my once tiny waistline disappear. Lilly says they've never heard of this but the belly fat and weight gain is real. Anyone else have this? I also find that taking it at night is better as I don't feel like I have to push myself through the day or take a nap.

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