Treating Osteoporosis: What works for you?

Hi @flygirl8

Normally they run pth ( parathyroid hormone ) blood test if serum or ionized calcium is high or low. Have you had your calcium checked. With parathyroid disease calcium can be normal with high pth as well
I would most certainly want to find out the cause of your osteoporosis first if that is possible.
Usually 2-3 blood tests with pth and calcium ( both done at same blood draw ) will give some indication if there is a problem with pt glands . They can be done weekly for 3 wks. Also good idea to have vit d tested as some have 2ndary hyperparathyroidism due to low vit D. Generally speaking, secondary hyperparathyroidism due to vitamin D deficiency does not cause abnormally high calcium levels but usually pth is higher than it should be. ( Calcium to parathyroid hormone ratio ) Hope you find this somewhat helpful. You are far too young to have osteoporosis
http://endocrinediseases.org/parathyroid/normocalcemic_hyperparathyroidism.shtml
http://endocrinediseases.org/parathyroid/secondary_hyperparathyroidism.shtmlhttp://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/endocrine/primary-hyperparathyroidism/Pages/fact-sheet.aspxhttp://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/endocrinology/osteoporosis-disease/

My dear @rashida, I will admit to you that I am considering stopping Prolia after 1 year which will be up in May. I am having some of the same reactions I had with Boniva and other bisphosphonates even though Prolia is not a bisphosphonate. Both my PCP and I are keeping an eye out for new information. She is researching Evista and I am researching Evenity. I read just last week that Evenity can now be taken for two years. Remember that Evenity does both jobs.......creates new bone and then protects it from being destroyed. If that is true, and we are just guessing, then you could do two years of Evenity ........then another what you call relay drug......then back to Evenity .......etc. etc.

I will see if there is anything more in the literature. If you find something mentioned about that possibility with Evenity, please post me here on Connect. I get so discouraged with the limited options available to those of us who are extremely sensitive to so many of the osteoporosis medications.

Other than that......get ready to enjoy springtime. Let's stay in touch.
May you have peace and contentment.
Chris

I alternated 6 and 7 for awhile. I agree. It's weird that there is such a difference with one click. At this point I do 7 most days but I rest afterward (I take it in the morning.) If I have something important to do, I do 6. I still fine 8 impossible! I think alternating is a good plan. Consider the half life. That way you kind of get 6 1/2 every day!

Thank you for your feedback regarding your personal experience with Tymlos. I also started slowly with Tymlos a month ago. Side effects were manageable until I recently got to '7' clicks. I am taking injection at bed time to sleep off vertigo side effects. Drinking 2 qts water every day, eating every 2-3 hrs to keep blood sugar up. But next day after '7' clicks I was still experiencing intense exhaustion/brain fog all day, into the evening. Now, back to '6' clicks again & feeling much better. My Dr. suggests alternating '6' clicks with '7' clicks every other night to see if side effects get slowly better. Staying hopeful.

@kilh I have done 5 clicks for 5 days and no side effects for three days. Going up to 6. I am amazed that ramping up this slowly really works since 4 clicks landed me in the ER when I started there.

My dear @rashida, I will admit to you that I am considering stopping Prolia after 1 year which will be up in May. I am having some of the same reactions I had with Boniva and other bisphosphonates even though Prolia is not a bisphosphonate. Both my PCP and I are keeping an eye out for new information. She is researching Evista and I am researching Evenity. I read just last week that Evenity can now be taken for two years. Remember that Evenity does both jobs.......creates new bone and then protects it from being destroyed. If that is true, and we are just guessing, then you could do two years of Evenity ........then another what you call relay drug......then back to Evenity .......etc. etc.

I will see if there is anything more in the literature. If you find something mentioned about that possibility with Evenity, please post me here on Connect. I get so discouraged with the limited options available to those of us who are extremely sensitive to so many of the osteoporosis medications.

Other than that......get ready to enjoy springtime. Let's stay in touch.
May you have peace and contentment.
Chris

I am afraid of exactly that. Prolia is the one med my doctor doesn't want me on but he is also leery of Reclast. I am wondering about following Tymlos with Evenity. Forteo can be taken for more than two years so also wondering if Tymlos will be extended. My doc also mentioned doing 1/4 dose Reclast after Tymlos with meds and a lot of water and slow infusion, and then monitor to see when and for how long I can go between infusions.

@artscaping - I stopped after just one dose of Prolia in January 2021 because Inread so many horror stories, and my doctor didn’t put me on any relay drug. She said I cannot take the bisphosphonates (Actonel, Didrocal, etc.) because I already had been on the for several years. I wonder if it would be safe for me to go on Evenity after stopping the Prolia over a year ago …? 🤔 My doctor seems very annoyed that I refused to continue with Prolia and doesn’t seem too communicative on this subject. 🤷🏼‍♀️

@rashida, @windyshores
This is just an FYI to both of you that I recently completed two years of Tymlos because of a pretty severe reaction to Boniva. I was "forced" to then transfer to Prolia because all the other "protectors" are bisphosphonates.

May we all be safe, protected, and free from inner and outer harm.
Chris