Testing before and during fosamax (alendronate) after Tymlos

@rajmayo22 Thank you so much!

@tillymack There are a few members on here that are very knowledgeable regarding bone turnover markers.

I stopped Tymlos in January, and started Fosamax. My doctor said I could get a blood test for P1NP/CTX any time within six months, so I'll be doing so next week at the four-month mark, mostly to satisfy myself. At one year, I will repeat the tests and get a DEXA. I have three years' worth of bone markers now, both pre-Tymlos and during treatment, so I have a good history to evaluate any new results.

@tillymack It would be good if you can write to your state representatives. There are very few states with this restriction. No good enough reason for us to not get access to information about our own bodies.

If you go out of state for a vacation or to visit a friend then perhaps you can get the tests then. It is all online, they do not send anything to your address.

@njx58 Thank you!

@njx58
have you posted your bone markers. I'd be curious.

@gently Being male, I think my marker levels are completely different (lower?) than some other people here. These are some readings from the past:

Pre-Tymlos: CTX 242, P1NP 45
At 18months: CTX 165, P1NP 67 (this was highest P1NP ever reached)
At 24 months: CTX 202, P1NP 53

At the end, it was clear that Tymlos effectiveness was waning (confirmed by DEXA.). But, you can see that my P1NP never got to the really high levels that others have had, yet I had tremendous gains in bone density (18% in total.) We'll see what the new values are after four months on Fosamax.

My wife has very different numbers.

Pre-Tymlos: CTX 889, P1NP 93
At 3 months: CTX 1700, P1NP 310

Her bone-building process has really ramped up. She also had a partial thyroid removal during this time, so it's possible that the thyroid nodules that were removed were affecting her hormone levels and contributing to her osteoporosis. Between the surgery and the Tymlos, her bone turnover process has changed a lot.

njx58, thanks for the numbers and the spec about differences male/female. Do you check testosterone levels. Happy to hear about your wife's progress. I hope you are still protecting her from that dangerous housework.

@gently My wife goes to the gym and is an avid runner. She is careful not to do risky movements. If there's something heavy, I move it (being careful myself!)

My doctor used to check testosterone. Total was OK, free was a little low. He didn't think it was worth supplementing. Testosterone therapy for a man can present other problems. It wasn't worth the risks.

@rajmayo22 @njx58 Did you test P1NP and CTX the last week of Tymlos and then start alendronate immediately after last Tymlos injection? My doctor agreed to order the tests for me but she does not use them to treat so I wasn’t sure of the protocol. Thanks!