Reclast Infusions: Side-effects & Recovery time

I am so very sorry to hear this. My heart goes out to you. I had this treatment one time, as well. It was about 8 years ago. I ended up in the emergency room the next day. I had some of the same symptoms including bad headache, confusion, nausea, and extreme bone pain. Please take care of yourself and feel better soon. The problem with these medications is that they stay in your system for a long time. And you can have side effects for some time. I often wonder if any rheumatologist would ever put themselves through taking this IV treatment. A year later my doctor wanted me to try Prolia. I was approved but said, "No thank you!"

I am so very sorry to hear this. My heart goes out to you. I had this treatment one time, as well. It was about 8 years ago. I ended up in the emergency room the next day. I had some of the same symptoms including bad headache, confusion, nausea, and extreme bone pain. Please take care of yourself and feel better soon. The problem with these medications is that they stay in your system for a long time. And you can have side effects for some time. I often wonder if any rheumatologist would ever put themselves through taking this IV treatment. A year later my doctor wanted me to try Prolia. I was approved but said, "No thank you!"

@janmarie2023 did you ever do any other meds, like Forteo, Tymlos or, more recently, Evenity? If not, how are your bones doing?

I am finishing up with Tymlos and leery for "locking in my gains" with Reclast. My doc is nervous too and will do 1/4 dose. I will hydrate well and ask for a slow infusion.

The standard dose for Reclast is 5 mg. Is your doctor willing to give you less? My doctor refuses to give me a lesser dosage,

Hi there. Thanks, @JustinMcClanahan for adding me. I have Osteoporosis and tried supplements, diet, and exercise to increase my bone density but nothing worked. I was getting worse. I also want to add that I had been active for decades so weight bearing exercises (weights, walking, elliptical, tennis) still produced a 60 year old with weak bones. Blood tests showed a healthy parathyroid and calcium and Vitamin D levels. With all of that said, I realized that Osteoporosis was a disease. A progressive disease that sometimes needed medication. I didn't want to take the drugs either but I am currently taking care of my 83 year old mother who can only walk to the bathroom due to falls and untreated OP. I spent years in skilled nursing facilities and memory care units caring for my father with Alzheimers and I've seen the lives of those with brittle bones and I just don't want to end up that way. At 62, I've had my right hip replaced, am now recovering form a right knee replacement and will get the other one replaced next year. All as a result from Osteoarthritis which is the sister of the OP. I took Forteo for a year and had no side effects but had a problem with my insurance so switched to Recast. I had the infusion last year and I followed the 3 simple rules. 1. Drink tons of water days before, day of, and day after infusion. 2. Make sure they give the infusion over a 45 minute time frame. NOT the 20 minutes they normally do. If they refuse, get it done elsewhere. 3. Take a couple of Tylenol before going to bed. I had no horrific side effects and although I have joint blame, I couldn't never say with certainty that it is a side effect from the OP drugs. But if you do nothing, lean to heavily on social media and people calling the drugs poison, you may find yourself in trouble later on. All drugs come with risks and you have to weigh the risk/benefit ratio. If you do nothing and your bone density keeps decreasing every year, you will not have a good quality of life in your elder years. I am going to fight for my quality of health and take the drugs. I do know that Reclast should only be sued for about 5 years. I also know that at some point my life, I will probably have to get on Prolia but I'm trying to use all of the other drugs first. I plan on finishing the year of Forteo and staying on Reclast as long as possible. This is certainly something you need to discuss with your doctor. If you don't trust your doctor, find another one. I do recommend seeing an RA or endocronolgist to discuss your OP because they are more knowledgeable about the treatment options for OP. But please be cautious about listening to the people calling it poison. Make your own informed decision.

My doc is nervous about giving it to me, which is one reason I never went on it in the first place. He was nervous. He is head of endocrinology at a top hospital.

He wants to give me 1/4 dose to see how I handle it. If I handle it, he will give me more.

He is not a fan of Prolia. I need to lock in any gains from my 18 months on Tymlos.

I am trying to find a doc like yours. Can you send me his name? I have a hard time with most drugs and was told not to do prolia as well. But fearful of recast. I would love a cautious doc like yours.