Forteo or Evenity - which to take?
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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Sorry I didn’t finish that thought. When the Forteo failed to increase bone in both my hip and spine, I was advised that I would have to go back on
Bisphosphonates which might cause jaw necrosis.
I went on Evenity two days ago. No side effects. I've been told that I will go on oral meds after.
I have been on Evenity for 3 months and have had no side effects. I will also go on oral meds or on Prolia after.
I got my first dose of Evenity yesterday,we will see how it goes!
My 92-year old mother took a full course of Forteo (2 years), after falling and breaking her hip. She tolerated the medication well and experienced no adverse side effects. She did not "step down" to any other bone meds. FYI, she lived for six more years and was active until within her last 6 - 8 months. She had several more falls subsequent to taking Forteo, but she never had another fracture.
Her experience with the med was so impressive that I am now considering taking Forteo (as opposed to Tymlos or Evenity), for my own bone problems.
Thanks for the info. What are the main side effects?
@gb76 Forteo and Tymlos are very similar. I believe Tymlos is slightly better for spine. I chose it because the dose pen is adjustable.
I am surprised that your mother did so well without following up with a bisphosphonate to "lock in" gains. I have been told that without that, bone loss recurs and I would lose any progress I have had, and some posters here have had that experience.
Reclast isn't really a step down drug so much as a drug to seal the new bone, from what I have been told. And I may only need one or two doses with monitoring.
@windyshores - You asked for comments from those having experience with Forteo ("Ortho surgeon wanting me on Forteo so very interested also in anyone else's experience with it."), and I provided my mother's experience.
You may be "surprised" that my mother "did so well", but the information I provided is unequivocally accurate. I lived with my mother for the last 11 years of her life, and so am intimately familiar with all aspects and details of her medical care. I am grateful that she had such good results from Forteo, with no adverse side effects. I am also glad that she did not have to continue taking additional bone meds, all of which, as I am sure you are aware, have issues. So Mom was lucky, and for that, I am thankful. She did not simply decide she did not want to take any more drugs (she was a very compliant patient). She discontinued bone meds with the blessing of, and at the advice of, her Vanderbilt doctors. BTW, I used the term "stepdown" as that is the term both her doctors and my doctor use when describing drugs used to transition from Forteo to other bone med(s). It was not meant as explication of how those drugs work.
It is good for others to know what is possible.
Good luck with your care.
Wondering if anyone has done the two year daily Forteo? I found I have had 2 silent lumbar compression fractures when an MRI was ordered for an unrelated problem. I have been using Algaecal plus with strontium but last dexa was worse. I’m concerned about daily self injections 7 days a week x 2 years as well as possible side effects. Any advice greatly appreciated
Strontium makes your DEXA look better than it really is. Strontium replaces calcium in the bones and is denser, so on the DEXA bones look better. So if your DEXA was worse with strontium, it would be even worse without.
If you have silent fractures, you are fortunate. But you may be headed for fractures that are painful and disabling, like me. For me, self injections were well worth it to avoid more. It really is like brushing your teeth in terms of routines.
I started Tymlos at a low dose and ramped it up as fast as I could, For most of the 2 years I took 3/4 or 7/8 dose but for the last months I am on full dose. I had excellent gains. I hope you will consider meds!