Osteoporosis drugs and age implications

Have you considered HRT? I just started at 78 and wish I had started much sooner after menopause to take advantage of all the HRT benefits.

Lilipe, While many of us are diagnosed later in life, it is worth considering that we are diagnosed with much worse scores. Some are only diagnosed because they have fractured.
It is preferrable and easier to prevent bone loss than it is to try and regain lost bone.

Your point is salient regarding antiresorptive drugs. Because they add bone density by stopping the process by which older fissured bone is removed, they develop a weaker bone. It is better than fractured bone, but can increase the risk of fracture with extended use.

Two anabolic osteoporosis medications Tymlos and Forteo add bone by increasing the bone that is removed and increasing the bone that is restored. If a person in your situation took Forteo for the next two years. In two years the drug could have prevented a fracture and, importantly, their bones would be stronger than they are today.
Even if they stopped the medication they'd be in a much better starting position.
It would be better if you didn't have early onset osteoporosis, but not having that choice, you might want to consider Forteo or Tymlos.
Welcome to Connect.

I have much worse osteoporosis at your same age, tried Tymlos and failed it. Hoping Forteo will work. I have many other health problems though which is making medication tolerance difficult. I started HRT years ago at least to help slow the loss. I will never use an antiresorptive that weakens bones and makes them more fragile.

I was diagnosed in my 50s. I looked at it as a plus. I was old enough to still have some hormones on my side and able to exercise and do what I needed to keep me healthy.
I began strontium citrate, BHRT and now have normal bone density and normal bone quality.

I think Tillymack is giving you good advice. Now is a good time to look at BHRT; call a compounding pharmacist ask for the names of doctors that use BHRT and hormone testing. You can always move to strontium citrate later and ever osteoporosis drugs if these more conservative measures don't work.

Remember that menopause groups have listed hormone therapy as a osteoporosis treatment as good as many osteoporosis drugs.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10009319/.
https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/press-release/ht-position-statement-release.pdf
Highlights from the NAMS 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement include
• Hormone therapy remains the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and the
genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and has been shown to prevent bone loss and
fracture.
• Personalization with shared decision-making remains key, with periodic reevaluation to
determine an individual woman’s benefit-risk profile, with recommendations for the use of the
appropriate dose, duration, regimen, and route of administration required to manage a woman’s
symptoms and to meet treatment goals.
• Risk stratification by age and time since menopause is recommended

@tillymack How did you find a doc who is willing to start you on HRT at 78? I've had no such luck.

I've found that some academic medical centers have a team of menopause consultants where you can be evaluated with regard to HRT. I asked my endocrinologist about HRT and she referred me to this team. I've seen others have luck with a variety of doctors. There are also the online providers. Persistence is key.

@tillymack
What a great idea. That way your cardio health etc is evaluated, and you can feel safe beginning hormone therapy.

@kathleen1314 I would not start drugs it weakens the quality of your bones. Go to a functional medical doctor and start HRT. I started 3 years ago age 67 and my spine went from -2.9 to -2.4 in one year. Lift heavy, vibration plate, HRT and eat well.

@tillymack i asked 2 of my Dr.’s about HRT and it was a resounding NO due to the fact I passed through menopause more than 10 years ago. They both cited increased risk of heart related problems and blood clots/ stroke. I am really pleased you found a physician that would place you on HRT. Years ago physicians wouldn’t place women on HRT due to the faulty information it caused breast cancer which has been found to be false. Had we all been offered HRT 20 years ago we might have all had better bone health today.

@izziesue I understand - It took me years to find someone more enlighted...