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Increase in BMD on partial dose of Tymlos? Hip increase?
I have severe OP (spine -4.8, right hip -4.6, left hip -3.9) after a year of being non-weight-bearing due to consecutive foot fractures. I am going to schedule a consultation with Dr. Keith McCormick to ask about taking Tymlos. I have had chronic fatigue, sleep issues, and autoimmunity for decades. And a history of having strong reactions to medications and supplements. I want to ask about starting with a low dose of Tymlos to test tolerance.
I don't know if I can tolerate it at all, or tolerate the full dose.
I'm wondering if anyone has had increases in BMD from taking a partial dose of Tymlos? And also whether anyone has had increases in hip BMD from taking it? I've read that it works better on trabecular bone in spine and may even cause a decrease in cortical bone, which the hips have a lot of.
Given how sensitive I am to medications. I don't know if I would be able to take a bisphosphonate as a follow up therapy. Dr. McCormick says in his book that it's important to take a follow up therapy after an anabolic drug or you lose the gains quickly. I would not take reclast or prolia, given my underlying health issues and sensitivity since they are long-acting. I would be willing to try an oral bisphosphonate. But if I couldn't take it, then the only other option is H.R.T. and given my family history, I'm not sure I'm a candidate for that.
So I would be trying the anabolic without knowing whether I could tolerate the follow-up therapy.
I appreciate anyone's feedback.
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Dr. McCormick is a chiropractor I think. I question how much he knows about pharmacology- just my opinion.
Do you have an endocrinologist who specializes in osteoporosis treatment?
You have valid questions and it matters the order in which you take the medications.
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I'm going to have a phone consultation with Dr. McCormick, so he won't be my doctor. He does have a BA in human biology from Stanford and was diagnosed with Osteoporosis when he was a young athlete. So he's been studying this for years and is very knowledgeable. He has been working with patients with OP over the years. I have his meticulously researched book, Great Bones, which he wrote for patients and doctors. I just saw an endocrinologist at the Johns Hopkins Metabolic Bone Center. She basically asked me what I wanted to do. I asked her about trying a low dose of Tymlos to see if I tolerate it. She was open to that, but didn't know if it would be effective to take a lower dose. It's her first year of practice, so she doesn't have much experience. So I'm going to talk to Dr. McCormick to get his thoughts. Yes, I learned about the importance of taking anabolic drugs before antiresorptives from reading Dr. McCormick's book. I posted the question here to ask if anyone had improved bone density from taking a partial dose of Tymlos. So just looking for actual patient experiences.
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1 ReactionOkay, I understand. I’m actually interested in that as well so will follow to see if anyone has benefited from a lower dose. Thx!
yes, there is research that a lower dose can be beneficial. Also, I am of the belief that reactions are because the medication is DOING WHAT IT NEEDS TO. (no pain, no gain!) and the pain for me occurred where my bones are problematic. I stopped the Tymlos and restarted titrating up. After 2 months I had ZERO side effects. They were so bad at the start. I am super happy because I just got my CTX/P1NP scores and they show BENEFIT! I am in my second year and it has been hard fought to success. My C5 fell apart in the surgeon's hand when they opened me up. Before that I was not even in osteoporosis as far as ALL the tests went. I learned that the tests are general and your specific body area can be different. For me - I don't mess around. I do the research and then I decide. I AM on BHRT too. I did the research and there is plenty of women's cancer in my family. So my doc and I keep careful watch. I had stopped for 11 years. (I am 69 now. I had HORRID side effects with the reclast as .01% report for the first infusion. But they didn't prep me. Next round its only .001% who have side effects and we will prep me with slower infusion, less, (showing no difference in result) and Tylenol beforehand. I was only 3 weeks out of a double spine surgery I should have never done it until I was more recovered. I'm not that big on Dr. McCormick either. I use the NIH for research info, and I am at UCSD for my medical. They are a research hospital so I like the advanced medicine options. However, I did feel they did not and do not deal with my "personally" as I'd like in that department. Getting info has been difficult. So I do the research on my own and make sure it jives with what they want to do.
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