Is medication really necessary?

Understood. This disease is very frustrating, to be sure.

As a caution to all...please be aware that more calcium is not always better, and in fact can actually be life threatening! I know from experience of my Mom's death. She was a huge proponent of calcium and urged everyone to take it, as she did, thinking it was just a supplement. If you take large doses, or do not take enough vitamin D-3 WITH K-2, then the calcium is not directed and absorbed by your bones. Instead it goes to your arteries around your heart and causes calcification of those arteries, which causes Myocardial Infarction, basically a heart attack which killed my Mom. Do your research, and you need to also calculate the calcium received from food in with the supplements taken. Should not be over 1200 mg. total. You can track the calcium from food by recording what you eat on mymealplanner.com, it will calculate the total calcium.

Correction of my previous comment:
Note: the site is not mymealplanner.com
It IS: myfitnesspal.com
Sorry!!

So sorry about your Mom, the loss of a parent goes so deep.
You are so right about the calcium, thank you for bringing this up.
We should get our calcium from food as much as possible. Only supplement what you are missing. And yes, vitamins D and K2 are essential. I also take Magnesium.
I use a free app called Cronometer to keep track of my nutrients.
Again, sorry for your loss.
Take care,

I've had very bad constipation after 4 months of Teriparatide. Now it won't go away. I take supplements, laxatives, senna. Early on my Dr gave me Linzess to try and on 245 mg I went 5x in 1 day but felt better. Now 7 months in I'm having severe fatigue and laying in bed. I have insomnia but I've never been this fatigued. I'm debating about stopping but my bone density is too low and I don't think I can tolerate anything else. I also have a roll of stomach fat I did not have and after not being able to gain weight for 4 years, I've gained 4 or 5 lbs. I'm up to 99 lbs. 5' 2".

cs53, they think constipation with Teriparatide is caused by elevated calcium levels.
Would the doctor prescribing teriparatide consider following you with every other day injections. I often think these medications are at too high a dose for us lightweights.
The increase in calcium is supposed to be temporary over the first four hours of injection. You might try lowering the calcium supplement if you are taking one or increasing D intake. It is better to do this with serum readings of both. Daily magnesium could also be helpful. Hypercalcemia also causes fatigue.
You might also ( I mean, I would) want PTH levels and ionized calcium because of a possibility of hyperparathyroidism.
Are you using bone markers to make sure the medication is working for your bones.
I'm sorry you are having this experience and admire your fortitude.

Exactly what I was thinking Gently.
These were my symptoms while I was taking Teriparatide. In addition I had extreme chest tightness and palpitations that would last up to a half hour after injection. Had a stress test to endure I wasn’t actually experiencing cardio issues, thankfully that wasn’t the case. But each day I felt like a truck had run me over!
My endo ordered a 24 urine test, my calcium was up to 14.
I was mighty sick. My doc had me stop taking it immediately. I was probably on it for about 6 months when the symptoms became unbearable.
I’m thinking Tymlos which can be taken in smaller doses might be better for most.
It’s a learning curve with these meds, as they affect us all differently.

Thanks for both of you getting back to me. I do take Teriparatide every other day. I take magesium complex at night, and Emma or Senna at night. I am fairly regular this way, but I'm afraid of being dependent on meds for bowel movements. Is that the price you have to pay to rebuild your bones?
I do want to get new bloodwork ASAP, a 24 hour urine test and a new DEXA - even if I have to pay for the DEXA myself. My reading for calcium about 2 months in was 8.9. Actually the lowest it has ever been for me, since I am not supplementing with much calcium on this medication. My Dr. felt that indicated that my calcium levels would not go too high.
My current fatigue is concerning however. I'll check if I can switch to Tymlos, not sure if my insurance would cover. When I first started, I had to pay $800 a month for 2 months until I got Medicare. At least there is a $2000 cap for medication for the year.

So sorry to hear what you are going through. I also had constipation when I was on Tymlos but it was not as bad. I was off Tymlos for 2 months then received a complimentary pen from my doctor since it was taking so long for my teriparatide prescription to be approved. Within a week, I had terrible constipation again and stopped taking it.

My weight is average for my height (I am not underweight, a bit slightly overweight) but I am small-framed so maybe that's why the effects hit me more than others.

I stopped the teriparatide on the 26th and my abdomen has already gone down in size by an inch.

The increase in the P1NP bone marker are seen in the first six months then they continue to rise slightly for the next six months so you may still have a good outcome even if you stop early.

My bone density is still in the osteopenia range in my spine so I feel like I may have other options to try first. If I fracture again then it may be another story.

I really feel for what you are going through.

So sorry you are going through all this, I know the journey is hard.
You may not see much change in the dexa so soon, but bone turnover markers will give you a better idea if the treatment is working.
Has the doctor checked your vitamin D? A number in the 20’s is considered normal, but I think a number closer to 50 is more optimal.
If the side effects are intolerable, then you might want to change meds.
Have you tried oral bisphosphonates?
Have you fractured in the past?
Everyone is different, our care needs to be centered around our specific needs.