I appreciate your adding to our discussion, @dolan. You certainly started with this problem earlier than most of us. If you are comfortable sharing more, we would be interested in knowing how you have been treating this bone loss. Is there a specific medication you have used? Also, have other family members had this problem as well?

Teresa

I’m curious if you have health insurance because a bone scan should’ve covered under your circumstances. I’ve broken more than my share of bones also and they did a scan because of it. Even at 63 I didn’t have osteoporosis. I just liked sports. Best to scan it to be sure. Ca and vit D work as prevention.

I took Fosamax for 10 years (5 years longer than rec.) and then took a break for 5 years. I’m back on Fosamax but considering other options. I have never had any problems with side effects. My doctor has suggested Forteo which actually does build bone. My doctor took it for 2 years ad reversed her numbers. The problem is that you give yourself a shot every day for 2 years and it has to be refrigerated. I travel a lot and travel long distances so this would take a lot of planning. I also sometimes am away from home for several months at a time in another country so getting the meds to me would be difficult. It is what I would take if I didn’t travel.

Were you on Boniva and Fosamax at the same time or one and then the other?

at 35 I was on Fosamax daily (for about 4 years), switched to Forteo injections for 2 years, back to Fosamax weekly. Then drug holiday….. pelvic fracture(5 of them), then Prolia (now completed Dec 2017 3rd year.) Hope to have DEXA scan in Dec and see what it says…doctor may switch me to Forteo again. I had great results.

I didn’t remember Forteo had to be refrigerated. I know my Interferon did and it was very hard when we traveled to Ireland for 10 days. They didn’t have good refrigeration and none in our rooms then. 2007. I had no problems giving myself shots….and had fabulous results with Forteo.

I was in a similiar situation two years ago. I was given a daily injection of Forteo. It caused continuous nausea. Had to stop after persevering for two months. Then I was given the single six month injection of Prolia. After two weeks my whole world turned upside down. I had a massive personality change I suffered from depression anxiety attacks panic attacks. I could no longer work or function as a normal person Total shock to me and my very supportive family. After six month of hell I sought help and was put on an antidepressant. Just now getting back to normal. Now just exercising to help my condition. So beware of the possible side effects of your treatment. That can be worse than the ailment. Good luck

Has anyone used Forteo? My Dr.has recommended it since I have had 2 broken wrists one needing surgery. Have been on Boniva

I used Forteo for the 2 years recommended and had no side effects and fabulous bone building results. I’m 61 have fractured T9, pelvis, clavicle, ribs, breast bone.

@dolan, gailfaith here.. Recently I have gone from osteopenia to osteoporosis, and my Dr. has but me back on Alendronate for another year. Do you happen to know what your numbers were when you had all your fractures? And you certainly had your share of them. In other words, how low do your numbers have to get when you start to experience fractures? I realize fractures can happen regardless depending on the severity of the insult to your bones, but did all your fractures occur within a short period of time or over years, including before you were Dx with osteoporosis? It seems from CONNECT that several people have had a good response to Forteo and I am wondering if maybe I should ask my Dr. the advantages of Alendronate over Forteo. I have fractured both wrists from two separate falls, many years apart, but they occured while I was only DX with osteopenia or even before that!.

My 1st fracture was my T9 vertebrae in my back. I was playing volleyball and raised my arms above my head. I didn’t jump, fall…nothing. I was 35. After going to PT from July 4th(date of incident) to Sept 10th(date of diagnosis of fracture)…I was given a DEXA scan. My numbers were -4.7 for hip and -3.8 for spine. PRE-menopausal too. My clavicle was from grabbing the phone quickly as to not wake my husband who had had surgery. It was 3am. My ribs were random coughing, sneezing..and lastly my pelvis was falling (fainting). Between those times I had been on meds for the osteoporosis and then diagnosed with System Mastocytosis in 2003. Because I had 35% extra mast cells in marrow(by bone marrow biopsy) they are not as strong as they should be for age etc. I was on a ‘drug holiday’ at the time of the pelvis fractures because I had started so young on meds the doctor thought I needed a break(pardon the pun). I then was put on Prolia. Hopefully in Dec I will have the DEXA to tell me what that has done for me the last 3 years. My endocrinologist suggested I may go back to Forteo as it worked very very well for me.

@dolan, gailfaith here again. I think I fell asleep before I posted a previous reply, so if this is a close duplicate, please forgive. Thank you for sending me exactly the info I was hoping for. I will be waiting and praying to hear the Dec results. of your Dexa scan. I was waiting earlier this year for my results as I had heard that eating 5-10 prunes a day, seems might help osteoporosis. I had only eaten it for a few months, and it didn’t seem to do any good, but I haven’t given up hope and will continue until my next scan before I give up. However, every time mention that I am eating prunes for my bones, my physical therapist starts to laugh……and I surely know what he is thinking, But I DO ONLY eat them for my bones! So any other benefits are a bonus. December and Christmas are coming fast, so I will be looking forward to hear some good results from you.

Not a repeat….I am laughing with you only because I have literally TRIED most everything for constipation with the iron and calcium I need (my body doesn’t store iron)…My doctor doesn’t approve of laxatives….nor do I but I go from this to that and never find anything that works long term. I am doing stool softener with gentle laxative now. Tried dried figs (prunes, black licorice, oil, probiotic….don’t do a thing for me)

@dolan, gailfaith again…… I have the same problem, but taking a daily dose of CVS’ s PUREALAX works for me. And if I forget that any evening, the prunes DON’t seem to overcome the missed dose either Glad they work for some people. !

@dolan, I have constipation most of the time, and diarrhea the rest. The only thing that works for me is a dose of Miralax, or the various store brands of same. the store brands are much less expensive, and do the same work.