Forteo: What is your Experience?

Posted by leeosteo @leeosteo, May 18, 2023

I'm looking for anyone's experience with Forteo. What were your side effects? Were they tolerable? Did you see good gain in bone density? What med did you follow up with to lock in gains?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.

@lkel

My doctor prescribed it, When I found out what my cost would be I told the doctor I could not afford it. The clinic I go to has someone that works on finding funds for patients that can't afford the copays (or any of it). This is the person at your clinic I would try to find. That person pushed at me to apply anyway. I finally did.

LillyCares sent me a card with their contact information. I uploaded it.

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lkel, thanks for the info/upload info. BTW, how did you upload this?

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I had never notice it before, but, ..........
At the bottom of your comment box, there is a button that says "Add Photo/Files (optional). When you click it, there is a message that says you can drop files or click to load. I clicked it and it allowed me to do a standard upload. In this case I uploaded a photo of the card LillyCares had sent me.

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lkel, oh... I see it now. I never noticed before either. Thanks!

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I’ve been on Forteo for 10 months.
My hairdresser noticed this week that I have bald patches on my scalp. While washing my hair she had clumps of hair coming out in her hands. I also have noticed my nails are very brittle. I have gained a few pounds also. I read that hair loss was not a side effect.
I don’t know if the medication is helping my osteoporosis because I have not been retested yet.
Has anyone had noticeable hair loss?
At the present, this is my situation.

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@penk0213

I’ve been on Forteo for 10 months.
My hairdresser noticed this week that I have bald patches on my scalp. While washing my hair she had clumps of hair coming out in her hands. I also have noticed my nails are very brittle. I have gained a few pounds also. I read that hair loss was not a side effect.
I don’t know if the medication is helping my osteoporosis because I have not been retested yet.
Has anyone had noticeable hair loss?
At the present, this is my situation.

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If your hair is falling out in clumps resulting in bald patches, perhaps you have alopecia? Might be worth a visit to a dermatologist to determine. If it's generalized, diffuse hair loss, telegen effluvium, that can be brought on by stress and usually resolves. It it's alopecia, that's an autoimmune disorder resulting in small round patches of loss (alopecia areata) or total baldness (alopecia totalis). Hair loss after Covid is quite common. A dermatologist will be able to diagnose and will hopefully order bloodwork to see if your thyroid is functioning properly as hypothyroidism can cause hair loss. They might also check iron/ferritin levels. You might consider working on stress reduction (almost impossible when you are losing your hair. I know from experience!) and also making sure you are getting proper daily nutrition. Adequate protein is really important as well. I was diagnosed almost 20 years ago with alopecia and it was my hairdresser that discovered it as well! I treated it medically for many years which was a mistake but the only option at the time as there wasn't a dietary understanding and integrative approach that I could find. Many years later information became available on the association of gluten and autoimmunity. I ended up eliminating gluten and dairy entirely and the condition mostly resolved. If it ends up being alopecia, feel free to message me if you want to discuss.

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@penk0213

I’ve been on Forteo for 10 months.
My hairdresser noticed this week that I have bald patches on my scalp. While washing my hair she had clumps of hair coming out in her hands. I also have noticed my nails are very brittle. I have gained a few pounds also. I read that hair loss was not a side effect.
I don’t know if the medication is helping my osteoporosis because I have not been retested yet.
Has anyone had noticeable hair loss?
At the present, this is my situation.

Jump to this post

Hair loss wasn't signaled in the clinical trials. Nonetheless: "Other research shows parathyroid hormone (PTH) may impact hair follicle growth. PTH regulates calcium in the body
Thinning hair is also a symptom of HPT. "
Forteo is parathyroid hormone. It floods your bloodstream briefly and could be affecting hair loss. There are scattered reports from patients suggesting this side effect.
Weight gain is another side effect unsignaled in the clinical trials, but widely reported in patient sites like this one. Especially belly fat.
You might want your physician to order CTX, and P1NP to acertain that the drug is still working to your advantage. The fingernails make me suspect that you might want to go on a bisphosphonate for a couple of months before resuming Forteo.

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@gently

Hair loss wasn't signaled in the clinical trials. Nonetheless: "Other research shows parathyroid hormone (PTH) may impact hair follicle growth. PTH regulates calcium in the body
Thinning hair is also a symptom of HPT. "
Forteo is parathyroid hormone. It floods your bloodstream briefly and could be affecting hair loss. There are scattered reports from patients suggesting this side effect.
Weight gain is another side effect unsignaled in the clinical trials, but widely reported in patient sites like this one. Especially belly fat.
You might want your physician to order CTX, and P1NP to acertain that the drug is still working to your advantage. The fingernails make me suspect that you might want to go on a bisphosphonate for a couple of months before resuming Forteo.

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I’m on Tymlos not Forteo but I also have gained weight particularly belly fat

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ymv
Oh. Tymlos and Forteo are exactly the same drug. Except Tymlos is 4 times the dose and contains a preservative so that it doesn't have to be refridgerated. I apologize though, because the clinical trials weren't the same trials. But the patient reportage is the same. Belly fat and hair loss for both drugs. Not everyone, though enough to have me convinced. I'm not worried about belly fat, because I believe in liposuction. But the hair loss will be a loss.

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Does anyone have experience with the use of teriparatide if you have MGUS? Thanks!

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@teb

If your hair is falling out in clumps resulting in bald patches, perhaps you have alopecia? Might be worth a visit to a dermatologist to determine. If it's generalized, diffuse hair loss, telegen effluvium, that can be brought on by stress and usually resolves. It it's alopecia, that's an autoimmune disorder resulting in small round patches of loss (alopecia areata) or total baldness (alopecia totalis). Hair loss after Covid is quite common. A dermatologist will be able to diagnose and will hopefully order bloodwork to see if your thyroid is functioning properly as hypothyroidism can cause hair loss. They might also check iron/ferritin levels. You might consider working on stress reduction (almost impossible when you are losing your hair. I know from experience!) and also making sure you are getting proper daily nutrition. Adequate protein is really important as well. I was diagnosed almost 20 years ago with alopecia and it was my hairdresser that discovered it as well! I treated it medically for many years which was a mistake but the only option at the time as there wasn't a dietary understanding and integrative approach that I could find. Many years later information became available on the association of gluten and autoimmunity. I ended up eliminating gluten and dairy entirely and the condition mostly resolved. If it ends up being alopecia, feel free to message me if you want to discuss.

Jump to this post

TY for the information. The dermatologist said it was alopecia and suggested steroid injections in the patches. It seems to be an accepted procedure for this condition.
I’m going to have more bloodwork done to see where my calcium levels are. The Forteo may be causing this???

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