Am I the only one that’s in denial?

@teb thank you for your insight. I have been on HRT for 10 years now and hover between osteopenia and osteoporosis. Last fracture 4 years ago. In Australia the Forteo is a daily shot. How did you go keeping up the regime. I am a falls risk so they want me on something else as well to strengthen my bones more

I’m late to this conversation and I haven’t read all the responses. I wanted to offer a positive viewpoint from my 12 years of osteopenia/osteoporosis journey.

I spent the first four years leveraging lifestyle (diet, resistance training, calcium, vit D & K) plus HRT to address a diagnosis of osteopenia. It didn’t prevent additional bone loss so I started on Fosamax and had gains for about three years. While I was getting ready to take a drug holiday after five years, I had a thoracic compression fracture.

That was my lowest point. What was the point of taking Fosamax if I still fractured?

At that point I finally saw an endocrinologist who specializes in metabolic bone disease. She discovered I have hypercalciuria which can exacerbate bone loss.

I did six months of Tymlos/Forteo followed by a year of Evenity and reversed my osteoporosis in my spine back to osteopenia. I had a Reclast infusion three months ago.

I have not fractured again for three years and feel strong and healthy. I had very few side effects from the medications I took.

I am now 65 and feel positive about the future. There are no guarantees in life but I feel the most positive outcome from my fracture was getting the right treatment I needed from a specialist.

I hope you can find a positive outcome as well whether it be continuing on your current path or through treatment.

@njx58 , since I improved my density by just exercise and nutrition before Tymlos (I think it was 11% improvement in BMD in like 19 months), I'm hoping to hold off losses and continue the slow improvement that I had before Tymlos. The markers in my blood were already up before the Tymlos too, so something was working. It's just a vague plan, we'll see what happens.

You re not alone. I am on the same page as you. No med gym supplements and a lot of hope
I wish you the best

@dvargo doing all that but hrt. Too old. 68

@rose140 talk to functional doctor. I started at 64, 67 now. Reversed my osteoporosis to osteopenia.

@dvargo That isn't true for Evenity, Tymlos, or Forteo. You've repeated this falsehood a number of times. Why?

@dvcall52 No, it was mostly covered by insurance. On my Medicare Part D plan, I had to pay the annual cap ($2100 at the time). My wife is on Tymlos; she's not on Medicare, but she uses the manufacturer's copay card which provides $7500/year for two years. That plus her insurance coverage keeps the cost manageable for us.

If I had to pay the sticker price ($2900/month), then sure, it would be impossible !

@jenben59 I was totally in your shoes, until my bones were so bad the doctor said "you have to do something." Although the incidence of side effects is low, the side effects are scary. After finding I needed several orthopedic surgeries, I knew I could no longer avoid getting my bones in better shape. I was told if I fell and broke a hip, it would never heal and could possibly lead to death. Just over two years ago, I started the Forteo injections. I did not have side effects and got great results, moving me from severe osteoporosis to osteopenia in my spine (T score of -1.3). My hips didn't improve enough to move me out of the osteoporosis range, so I started Evenity after two years of Forteo. So far, I've had no major side effects. It's a tough decision to start these medications, but sometimes people really have no choice. I'm glad I did and will be having a much needed spine surgery next month. This wouldn't have been possible without the medication. Yes, you will need a maintenance drug for life so bones don't regress. That is another point to take into consideration before starting. Good luck!

Hello @dvargo,

Please keep the community guidelines in mind when sharing experiences with other members, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/tab/community-guidelines/. In particular, Share your story, not medical advice. It is important to remember that each person responds to medications differently and experiences on Connect should not replace recommendations and treatment prescriptions from medical providers.

Here are some additional links that may help:

"Osteoporosis treatment: Medications can help"
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoporosis/in-depth/osteoporosis-treatment/art-20046869
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"Osteoporosis: What Mayo Clinic experts wish you knew"
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/connected-care/osteoporosis-what-mayo-clinic-experts-wish-you-knew/cpt-20561803
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"Bone health: Tips to keep your bones healthy"
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/bone-health/art-20045060
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"Mayo Clinic Q and A: Osteoporosis and a bone-healthy diet"
- https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-osteoporosis-and-a-bone-healthy-diet/
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"Mayo Clinic Minute: What women should know about osteoporosis risk"

Diet, exercise and lifestyle changes are understood to be part of the osteoporosis journey, but as stated in some of these articles there may be a time when those alone are not enough and the risk of side effects becomes a much lower risk than the risk for serious fracture. Always consult with your medical provider before making any exercise, supplement or decision to take or not take a medication.