early onset OP and Tymlos questions

ecostello, I would want to start both. If it were just your bones I'd choose Tymlos. But HRT has advanta////ges for your brain and your heart as well as your bones.
I'm not experienced with either HRT or Tymlos but there was a good discussion last year that might interest you https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/taking-tymlos-and-hormone-together/.
You might not have side effects, but I'd start at a lower dose and gradually increase the dose to see what kind of side effects you might have. Still, i like the idea of taking a few shifts off until you determine your reaction.
The experienced members will give you better responses.

There's no doubt that some people experience troubling side effects. But I think there are a LOT of people who have NO side effects on Tymlos and other meds. I know it's strange, but I actually look forward to my Tymlos shot every day. I get a little rush (like a shot of espresso!) for about 20 minutes after taking it and I always feel a surge of strength and empowerment when it goes in... a lot of times I think to myself "I'm so grateful to have secured access to this stuff and I'm grateful that it's making my bones more dense and strong and that I won't necessarily have to live hunched over with aches & pains like my grandmother iin 20 years..."

I know I'm an outlier, but I thought I'd chime and let you know there are some of us who have very neutral-to-positive experiences with this stuff :-). Your mind must be racing, trying to figure out how to best bring Tymlos into your busy life -- I hope others have some great tips and I sincerely hope you experience a smooth and gentle onboarding!

@annie208 thank you, I just dont want to deal with symptoms while at work, even considering covering the first week that I start Tymlos. Its nice to hear that not everyone gets side effects; in the past I seem to have every weird side effect from medications.

@ecostello I am not familiar with HRT, but I did take Tymlos for two years. I was terrified of taking it to begin with, having read all the stories of negative reactions, but I experienced none of the side effects you mention (headache, nausea, dizziness, bone pain and fatigue). The only effect was an increased heart rate for several minutes within a half hour of injecting the med. You might consider injecting Tymlos just before you go to sleep (when your midnight shift is over) -- that way, if there are any short-term side effects (like the dizziness), you will be in bed. That's what I did.

I didn’t experience any of the dizziness or low blood pressure others have experienced when I started Tymlos. I took my first dose at the doctor’s office and was observed for 15 minutes before I was allowed to leave. I continued to have none of these side effects for the four months I was on it.

I took my dose just before bedtime so I could lie down in case I did have any side effects but for me, it never happened.

The side effects I encountered occurred after I’d been on it for a while: infrequent “zapping” sensations in my extremities (sounds worse than it is), mild fatigue, occasional constipation, a bit of joint pain in my hips and knees, and weight gain/bloating. While these side effects were annoying, they were not enough to impact my lifestyle severely.

@ecostello
Kudos to you for working such an important job!!

As for Tymlos, any side effects you may experience will work themselves out after about 2 hrs. I'm about to start month 24 out of 24 so almost done. My side effects never fully went away, but some days are hardly noticeable...other days they are full force. My suggestion to you is to take the injection after your night shift is over. That way you may be sleeping through most of them. By the time the next midnight shift rolls around you will be good to go. Fingers crossed that you don't get any side effects!!!

If at the beginning you are feeling like the effects are too much, definitely start with a low dose and slowly work your way up to the the full dose. If you are on the full 2 years you will have plenty of time to adjust. Stay hydrated and drink a glass of water after you inject. Don't be surprised if you have to urinate... kind of a lot... after the injection as the calcium processes its way out through your kidneys. Have the Doc check your calcium after a couple of months on Tymlos to make sure its not getting too high. (Both urine and blood test)

As for the HRT. GO for it!!!!! At your age there are going to be significant benefits long term for you that I was never able to partake in. At the time I was late 30s HRT was not an option as it was considered too dangerous. In recent years that has been disproven on all levels and should be started in perimenopause for the optimal protection for brain health, cardiovascular health, protection from cancer, gut health, bone health, genito/urinary health ..... the list goes on.

Best of luck to you! It's a journey no one wants or was prepared for .... so welcome to the club no one wants to be in!! LOL. Take care of yourself.
Nonna