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Struggling with making an osteoporosis treatment decision
Osteoporosis & Bone Health | Last Active: Jun 4 11:43pm | Replies (661)Comment receiving replies
I have had those same thoughts but tell myself I am just being paranoid and to let it go. But I know that pharmaceutical sales people can be very persuasive and the pharmaceutical companies make fifteen billion dollars a year on osteoporosis drugs. We are their targets….an older sometimes vulnerable population who just want to live longer and better. I am 76 and have avoided drugs since a really bad reaction from Boniva. But since my last scan revealed a -3.4 in my lower spine, I have an appointment with an endocrinologist and will go in with an open mind and the hope that he has good advice.
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I'm in the same situation as you. I am 73 and my last scan in 2021 showed -3.2 in my lumbar spine. I am having another scan in three months. My endocrinologist wants me to start Prolia, which I am very reluctant to do. Please update us on what your Dr says and what you decide to do.
BTW, this info is from an article I read: Drs and pharma companies often present bone drug benefits as "relative risk reduction", which is often misleading. For example, in the context of osteoporosis, many bisphosphonates reduce the relative risk of hip fracture by 40% compared with placebo. Although this sounds impressive, the absolute benefit in terms of hip fractures prevented in osteopenic women...corresponds to a reduction from 12 fractures per 1000 women treated for six years to 8 fractures. This equates to an absolute reduction of 0.4%, 100 times less than the RRR.