← Return to Struggling with making an osteoporosis treatment decision

Discussion
Comment receiving replies
@windyshores

@tmbdefazio interesting that your CA score raised the issue of parathyroid. My calcium is usually 10.1-3 and I don't take that much calcium! But my PTH is always well within normal range. I know it can be more complicated than that but I have other reasons for osteoporosis (cancer meds) so I never pursued. I am glad that docs told you your parathyroid seems okay. (There is some discussion of parathyroid on Inspire...)

Yes you can take Reclast or alendronate after Evenity. Amgen makes both Evenity and Prolia and their website recommends Prolia as a follow up for obvious reasons.

Keith McCormick's book "Great Bones" discusses the transition off Evenity and compares it to the problems getting off Prolia though to a lesser extent. Still, without a follow-up med, bone turnover is worse than before treatment, he says. McCormick writes that either a bisphosphonate or Prolia can be used.

He says to transition "immediately" but I believe that means a month after your last injection but double check that.

I chose Tymlos over Evenity because at the time I had heard I could do Evenity after Tymlos but not the other way around. Now my doc says there is no data for that sequence as yet. Tymlos and Forteo work through the parathyroid so if your doc felt your calcium was high, maybe that is why they are going for Evenity. My calcium is the same as yours and I have not had any problems.

One other thing: I believe you would have to stay on Prolia fairly long term or else transition at some point to Reclast, which is very very tricky in terms of timing. I have been told that with Reclast, I might have an infusion or two and then, with monitoring, take a med break. So I feel that makes Reclast the better option for me.

Good luck!

Jump to this post


Replies to "@tmbdefazio interesting that your CA score raised the issue of parathyroid. My calcium is usually 10.1-3..."

Thank you so much! You are always so spot on. It is so interesting that your CA is high also. Mine has always run high (up to 10.5-9) but went down to high 9s while taking Alendronate. Like you the PTH is fine. Fortunately I have not been on any cancer drugs.
I wanted to do the Tymlos first for the same reason you did as I heard you could buy time and sequence to Evenity later? I hadn't heard that changed.
I have a Dr Appt and I am going back to request Tymlos again now that we ruled out parathyroid. It seems it still buys time to me 🙂 He like most docs here go straight to Evenity now.
I really don't want to do the Prolia route unless it's down the road and I have to. I was told because I already did 5 years of the Alendronate that Prolia would be my only option and I question that too. Tymlos will give me a couple years to figure that out hopefully.
It's all such a puzzle piece and it is such a blessing we have people like you that are willing to help and share all that you learned.
I hope I can do the same at some point.
Thank you again and have a wonderful day.
Barb