@margaretisabel I am way overdue with a response. I was in the hospital recovering from spine surgery when I got your message. I meant to respond sooner, but just neglected to do so. This was life altering surgery, and frankly, in the aftermath, I have become more of a procrastinator than I was previously.

It does indeed sound like you are going through similar, if not exactly, the same issues that I faced. I took Evenity for 6 months, and while the drug worked, I experienced one particular side effect that caused me to quit the injections after six months. This is a drug that has only been in use for a little over 5 years, and it may be that, despite the usual trials for new drugs, not all of its side effects are known. In my case, I experienced increased blood pressure that at times was difficult to control. The nurse practitioner heading up the bone health clinic where I went, was surprised about my blood pressure issues since in trials, cardiovascular problems only occurred in 1% of the people getting Evenity shots. As a result of my experience, patients getting Evenity at this clinic will now be advised to regularly monitor their blood pressure. I was, however, able by taking medication to keep my Blood pressure reasonably stable and finish 6 months of the medication.

Given the possibility of side effects from Evenity, I so not think that it is prudent to take this medication while undergoing and recovering from surgery. I consulted four back specialists at four major medical institutions, and not one of them recommended doing this. It may be that given how long it has taken me to respond, you may have already had surgery. If not, I strongly suggest getting several opinions before deciding on a surgeon. As mentioned, I consulted four back specialists who each recommended different approaches to doing my surgery. I selected to the one whose recommendation made the most sense to me and whose personality was also compatible with mine. Surgeons can be dictatorial, and Dr. Daubert was amenable to doing things in a way that suited me. This was most important during my recovery.

Back surgery is a big deal, and surgeons and other medical consultants will push you to go into rehabilitation after surgery. For a number of reasons, I did not want to do this. I went into the surgery in excellent physical condition. A 2 to 3 week stay in a rehab facility would likely have resulted in a physical decline rather than improvement. Indeed, I found physical therapy in the hospital and afterwards from home health to be nearly useless when it came to maintaining and rebuilding strength after the surgery. I am 79, and I found that many therapists have preconceived ideas about what a lady my age can do. Dr. Daubert, my surgeon, was amenable to what worked best for me.

If you have not had surgery yet, the best advice that I can offer is to get three or four medical opinions from good back surgeons. If possible, talk to people who have actually had surgery from these doctors.

One note about tooth problems. Osteoporosis medicines can indeed affect your teeth, and I have a new crown myself. I attribute this to problems caused by a filling that I got in 1955. After decades old fillings just cause problems. In my case, I do not think that Evenity was the cause of needing a crown,

I am now just over three months from my surgery. I am walking 2 miles every other day without pain. I have lost flexibility in my spine, but I can pretty much do everything that I need to do--even tie my shoes. The pain from this surgery was excruciating, and I never hope to experience anything like that again. That said, this was something that I needed to do and I have no regrets.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write. I will be more diligent about responding in a timely way.