Forteo or Evenity - which to take?

Posted by bellagila @bellagila, Apr 29, 2023

I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis last year and am still unsure about whether to take Forteo or Evenity. I fractured my pelvis from a fall several years ago. I consulted with 3 bone experts - two suggested Forteo and one suggested Evenity. I would greatly appreciate your thoughts and experiences with both success and side effects from these medications. Thank you so much!

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I had to choose between Forteo, Tymlos and Evenity and chose Tymlos. Tymlos is similar to Forteo but does not need to be refrigerated and comes in a pen with an adjustable dose, which was important to me.

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@windyshores

I had to choose between Forteo, Tymlos and Evenity and chose Tymlos. Tymlos is similar to Forteo but does not need to be refrigerated and comes in a pen with an adjustable dose, which was important to me.

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Thank you so much for your reply. I don't know why Tymlos was not suggested by any of these doctors. I will inquire about it. How long did you take Tymlos and how were your results?
What made you decide against Evenity?

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@bellagila

Thank you so much for your reply. I don't know why Tymlos was not suggested by any of these doctors. I will inquire about it. How long did you take Tymlos and how were your results?
What made you decide against Evenity?

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Why not Evenity? Doctor advised it I have sever osteoporosis. The thought of it frightens me to take Evenity, plus the expense. You

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I took Forteo a few years ago, but only for 4 months. I had no side effects and had bone improvement. Now, I’m on Tymlos - also no side effects. Next month I go on Evenity. In my case, it wasn’t a choice as to which drug. My doctor gave me the Forteo which was from a drug rep. Same with Tymlos.
The Evenity is covered by insurance if you have the injections at a hospital or an infusion center.

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@bellagila

Thank you so much for your reply. I don't know why Tymlos was not suggested by any of these doctors. I will inquire about it. How long did you take Tymlos and how were your results?
What made you decide against Evenity?

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@bellagila I have taken Tymlos for 18 months though at a partial dose. My results were amazing, with 19% gain in spine and 9% gain in hip. My spine went from -3.7 to -2.5, from severe to the borderline for osteoporosis. My hip went from -3.3 to -2.9.

I could not tolerate Forteo because it is full dose only. I started Tymlos at a lower dose and moved up to what I could tolerate (7 out of 8 clicks). I still cannot tolerate the full dose of Tymlos! But you might do fine on Forteo. (I have low blood pressure and afib.)

I was torn about Evenity. It is newer and potent as a first medication. As I said, I have some heart issues but they are vulnerable to all of these drugs. I liked that Tymlos only builds bone. Evenity also affects resorption. I could be wrong but I felt bone quality might be better with Tymlos. Check that with your doc (would be true with Forteo as well).

At the time I also was told I could take Evenity after Tymlos but not the other way around. My current doc wants me to go on Reclast but I have written him to ask about Evenity now.

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I’m going to chime in again today. Think of the resorption drugs as them putting a coating over your bones. The bone building drugs (Anabolic - bone building ones)ieForteo and Tymlos do not have that characteristic. Evenity is bone building with resorptive characteristics added to it. Once you’ve placed a resorptive type drug into the mix - ie a coating over your bones, it makes changing to a pure bone building drug less effective.

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To state it another way— the bone building drugs, if you’re severe are used first , in my understanding to do just that. Then they are followed by the resorption drugs to hopefully maintain what you’ve achieved through your use of the bone building ones.

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My HMO (Kaiser Permanente) only covers Forteo and Evenity. After doing research, I decided to start Forteo next month — it’s been around for a couple of decades (vs. 3-4 years for Evenity). Although it was not an option, I would have preferred Tymlos, because it doesn’t have the refrigeration factor Forteo has. However, I’m up for the challenge! 🙂

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Has anyone gone from a full course of Forteo (1-2) years and then on to Evenity?
Interesting that none of my doctors mentioned Tymlos - which I will ask about.
Does Forteo cause a lot of side effects? Does it build bone in both the spine and hip?
Does Evenity build bone in both the spine and hip?
I am praying for peace in my ultimate decision. I was diagnosed a year ago and still haven't moved forward.
Thank you all for your thoughts and patience!

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@bellagila

Has anyone gone from a full course of Forteo (1-2) years and then on to Evenity?
Interesting that none of my doctors mentioned Tymlos - which I will ask about.
Does Forteo cause a lot of side effects? Does it build bone in both the spine and hip?
Does Evenity build bone in both the spine and hip?
I am praying for peace in my ultimate decision. I was diagnosed a year ago and still haven't moved forward.
Thank you all for your thoughts and patience!

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I did 11 months of Evenity and stopped before last injections due to muscle/joint pain. I had 49% increase in spine and 4% in hip and 14%. It’s been two months since last injections and aches/joint pain are improving. I had no joint pain/muscle aches prior to Evenity but spine results were worth it I think? I’m on Fosamax weekly now. I decided not to do Reclast as an injection that lasts a year was worrisome after the Evenity adverse effects. I had put off doing anything for several years but my spine just kept getting worse. It’s a big decision as I prefer anything natural if possible. Hope this helps!

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