Hasty Reclast prescription

He did you a disservice by not discussing options with you. I am sure you will get some ideas from the research and the experiences others here have had. In the meantime read through some of the posts under Osteoporosis and the subheadings.

Maybe time for 2nd opinion, as these decisions can have lasting effects. Ask as many questions as possible.

Have you had a recent DEXA? I would think that would be helpful in your decision. I would consider discussion your thoughts with your current provider. Hopefully they can guide you in the right direction based on your bone status.

From what I've seen on these boards and the Facebook support/education groups I follow, it seems to be common for doctors to just prescribe something, whether it be Fosamax, Prolia, Reclast or any other osteo drug with no discussion of why that particular drug , its potential side effects or other options. I was just told Fosamax (alendronate). That was 6 years ago. I didn't know anything about osteoporosis or the various drugs used to treat it, what an anabolic was versus an antiresorptive, etc. etc. Then I started reading up and researching and joining this and other online groups. What an eye-opener. With my low lumbar T score of -3.8, I think I should have been prescribed a bone-builder from the get-go. I have since been on Forteo/teriparatide with modest gains. Antiresorptives like Fosamax and Reclast blunt the effectiveness of bone-builders so I might well have had better results if I had not been prescribed Fosamax first. I don't think my gains with Forteo are good enough to lock in with Reclast and I want to try Evenity next. Definitely bring it up to your new endo. Maybe Evenity won't be right for you for some reason and you'll stay with Reclast, but you are right to want to have the discussion.

lot of disservice out there...doctors just don't have enough time for patients. I also was not made aware of drug choices; perhaps because my doc had a plan for me and why go into options he wasn't interested in prescribing. I "chose" Fosamax as it was (and Reclast) the only one offered for my "extremely severe" osteo. Reclast really scared me as it was an infusion in a chemo center (!) once a year; no getting that out of your body anytime soon (unlike a pill you can quit). Never heard the term "bone builder"; only other drug was a quick "I don't like Prolia; you are on it for life". Reclast infusion last July; appointment for blood work etc. mid April. No redo of DEXA planned...yet.

Sadly, the medical profession often does not help us much with this important decision ….i have no interest in a doc who isn’t a true partner in healing ! Osteoporosis doesn’t give us great options…though I personally am trying to see how well I do with a more natural proactive approach now…. For some, there is great urgency and docs step in with meds. Wish you all the best !

Many doctors will go straight to a bisphosphonate if you haven't fractured or your DEXA scores show osteopenia (T-score higher than -2.5). This can be a reasonable option to slow down bone loss. Most age-related bone loss occurs during perimenopause and just after menopause due to the loss of estrogen. By 80, you are well past this phase and your bone loss may be slow enough to warrant an anti-resorptive medication rather than an anabolic.

The anabolic medications are powerful and as such, can come with side effects that impact quality of life which is also something to consider in older people.

It might be productive to have a conversation with your doctor to ask why not an anabolic. I'd reserve judgement until you've had that discussion as they may not have been doing the wrong thing.

My GYN referred me to an endocrinologist, who, after several tests recommended Fosamax. I rejected that due to my orthopedist's reaction a few years ago prior to my IDBC diagnoses last year. My Endo then suggested risedronate indicating it had fewer side effects. That was fine but I needed clearance from my GI due to an esophagitis side effect that popped up. My Endo then suggested recast, but after reading some of the side effects I became concerned about that as well.
I changed my Calcium w/ D supplement. The capsule was quite large and hadn't been an issue prior to my radiation, (I don't think the rad was responsible since it was very focused🤷‍♀️). I switched to New Chapter Bone Strength Take Care™ Tiny Tabs™6 tablets/daily & NOW® brand Liquid D3 & MK-7 Bone & Cardiovascular Support 5 drops/daily. After an esophogram my GI cleared me total the Risedronate which I began 3/30.
The Endo said it could take weeks-months before undesirable side effects could show up. Today I saw an email from her that said I could also take Prolia, Forteo, or Evenity. I already had bought and started the Risedronate and if it does what it is supposed to do it will be great. I have a follow-up labs with her in 5 months and a Dexa scan in November.
I find it stressful to read about all the possible side effects of prescriptions. I know that manufacturer's listing of side effects indicate "rarely" for some, however the number of participants and percentages of trial participants who displayed those "rare" side effects are not listed. I appreciate having input into decision-making for medications, however I'm not a doctor , scientist or a researcher. I don't have the experience of seeing a number of patients going through the same problem side effects. It would be nice to hear a physician say, "Here are your options ___, ____, ___. In my ___ years of experience I've only had X number of patients who had significant problems with ____ medication. I don't have the trial stats but I'll try to get the information for the issues that concern you ."
I had no idea I'd be working so hard during my retirement:~))). Blessings to all on your journeys.

@oopsiedaisy Thank you! That makes sense. I hadn't thought about that aspect and will certainly discuss with my endo this summer.