1. < Osteoporosis & Bone Health
Profile picture for lilmissrph

Forteo side effects high calcium decreasing dosage to every other day

Posted by lilmissrph @lilmissrph, Nov 25, 2024

Hello, I started Forteo 8 months ago, with what appeared to be no side effects. Then, about 6 months in, I started feeling terrible. Extreme fatigue, join pain, brain fog, nausea, just generally feeling very unwell. a month ago, my blood calcium was 10.8 which is considered "moderately elevated." My symptoms continued to worsen. Another blood test of calcium showed still elevated. I stopped taking it for 3 nights, then doc said to take every other night. The first night that I didn't take it I felt SOOO much better the next morning. So I will do the every other night and see what happens. I think the issue is that I am small -- 5'2" and 100 lb. (I lost 5 lb from the nausea and loss of appetite) -- I just can't fathom that I should be on the same dose as a 200lb woman. Are there other lightweights out there who have had a similar issue? Thanks!

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

Profile picture for patwerthman
patwerthman | @patwerthman | Nov 17, 2025
In reply to @barb3 "@amdf - I too am small (weigh 102 pounds), and I've been on teriparatide for 6..." + (show)
Profile picture for barb3 @barb3

@amdf - I too am small (weigh 102 pounds), and I've been on teriparatide for 6 weeks+. I had terrible side effects for the first 2-3 weeks and I basically could not function (exhausted, gastric upset, lack of appetite, etc). At that point my doctor said I could take it every other day "for now", and after about a week I started feeling much better (yeah!). My doctor (an endocrinologist) said my calcium shouldn't exceed 500-1000 mg. total because if your calcium gets too high on this drug it's very hard to bring it down. I'm only taking supplements of 400 mg. I had my calcium and thyroid checked at the end of October and it was fine. So I've been eating a moderate amount of calcium containing foods. Of course everyone is different. I have severe osteoporosis at age 76 (t-score in femoral neck, -3.6 in June of this year), never broke a bone. I could never tolerate any of the bisphosphonates (except Reclast, which did not improve my BMD from 2023-2024 but kept it stable). Thank you to everyone for posting here. It has really been a great help to me.

Jump to this post

@barb3
Interesting and similar

So, on the calcium supplements I’m finding the outside of the standard medical arena the alternatives believe calcium pill supplements are not needed? So, I am not sure what to think on that. I’ve seen several Dictors. All saying to take various levels of them. Then the alternative clinics-which have doctors and nurse practitioners. Say not needed. Take vitamin D with K and rebuild other off areas in body.
Confusing. Traditional meds have not improved me, so,..

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.