Forteo daily shots for 18 months

Hi, lucy5812,
i took Forteo for 18 months without a single side effect. I share your doctor's belief in those shots.
Current thinking, though, is that you have to keep taking osteoporosis medications. That would depend upon why you have osteoporosis and your age and even your T-scores.
I'm happily taking my 38th month of Forteo shots and hope to be able to remain on the medication.
Forteo is one of two medications that restore bone where it was lost. Tymlos is the other. Tymlos and Forteo restore the collagen underpinnings of bone in the spine making Forteo is a wise choice for you.
You probably already know that the needles are very tiny. I hope you try Forteo.

@gently
Thank you very much for the feedback
I am at negative 3.4 on the lumber .
Very concerned about the situation but equally concerned about the side effects of the medication

lucy5812, you are right to be concerned about side effects. One nice thing about Forteo is that if you have side effects, you can stop the medication without incurring long term side effects. Forteo raises your serum parathyroid levels for about four hours and up to 24 hours. If you notice side effects they usually clears within the four hours and you can decide to stop taking the drug and try Tymlos.
It was a easy decision for me to take Forteo. But it is a very personal decision and all aspects are best considered carefully. Bless your choice.

It's not true that you won't need any medication after finishing Forteo or Tymlos. You will need a biphosphonate (e.g. Fosamax, Reclast) to preserve gains. How long depends on your situation.

I did Forteo for about 15 months. I had to stop because my insurance changed and it was not covered. I had great results even without cleaning. It was recommended I do Reclast because it was an infusion once a year. I got one infusion and had severe jaw pain. I opted not to do anything. I maintained bone density until my last DEXA. I have never heard you could do nothing after Forteo. Of course they want you to continue on other drugs but there are natural protocols if you are not at risk for blood clots.

@njx58
Thank you for the feedback

Hello Lucy, good luck with your decision regarding Forteo. I have been injecting Forteo for 13 months with no side effects. I inject at night before bed. My 6 month blood tests (calcium serum, albumin, Vitamin D) are fine. I supplement with additional calcium. My only concern is that my endocrinologist and health plan don't do DEXA scans until 2 years on Forteo, so I have no data on the bone building. However, I feel stronger and when I recently tripped on an uneven sidewalk and severely sprained my ankle, I was surprised nothing was broken, it was a bad fall on concrete, so maybe my bones are stronger? Yes, I understand that after 2 years you must transition to a biophosphate to maintain bones, and I am very concerned about this. She is recommending Recast but I need to research before I make this decision at the end of 2026. I researched and was hesitant for a long time before starting Forteo, but I am glad I made the decision. Good luck to you.

I did Forteo for 24 months. It went very well. My endo put me on Fosamax (Alendronate) after that.

@kar50
Thank you so much for the feed back
The concrete fall is a tough hard fall, and I am sorry you had to go through that 🙏
All the best for a speedy recovery

@bswpb
Thank you so much for the feedback
All the best