My doctor did not prescribe any other medication after Prolia

Posted by thinkpirate44 @thinkpirate44, 2 days ago

I am a 24 year old male. I have been taking prolia for 3.5 years due to osteoporosis. After 7 doses of prolia, my doctor stopped my medication and did not replace it with anything else. She only prescribed calcium supplements. When I told my doctor about the rebound effect, she said that this is not a problem in young people. However, I am still worried. Is it safe to stop prolia and not replace it with anything else, even though my bone formation rate is high at this age? Can I overcome this without taking medication by using exercise, d3+k2, calcium, magnesium supplements?

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What kind of doctor do you use? I'd be hesitant to follow that advice. This isn't something you want to leave up to chance. If all you needed was supplements and exercise, how did you get osteoporosis to begin with at such a young age?? Please, get another opinion from an endocrinologist.

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@njx58

What kind of doctor do you use? I'd be hesitant to follow that advice. This isn't something you want to leave up to chance. If all you needed was supplements and exercise, how did you get osteoporosis to begin with at such a young age?? Please, get another opinion from an endocrinologist.

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I don't seem to have time to go to the doctor right now because the end of prolia is approaching, it's been exactly 6 months. How about I buy alendronate or zoledronic acid from the pharmacy with my own money? I've heard that zoledronate is more effective.

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I’d be inclined to have another conversation with my doctor. Can she direct you to the studies or prescribing guidelines that support her thinking? Can you at least get her to order bone turnover markers to monitor your CTX during the transition? Dr. Benjamin Leder has published a bit of work around the prolia / Denosumab rebound. You may be able to find some information to support your conversation by searching his work.

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@thinkpirate44

I don't seem to have time to go to the doctor right now because the end of prolia is approaching, it's been exactly 6 months. How about I buy alendronate or zoledronic acid from the pharmacy with my own money? I've heard that zoledronate is more effective.

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You can't get anything without a prescription.

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@njx58

You can't get anything without a prescription.

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I can get it, I talked to my pharmacist.

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I would like to know how you get on I want to go off prolia
But don’t like having to go on any other bone drug

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@brunobozo

I would like to know how you get on I want to go off prolia
But don’t like having to go on any other bone drug

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I bought it with my own money but when I went to the emergency room they said they couldn't make it without a prescription. I'm going to see a doctor tomorrow. If there's a report I'll probably get it. If there's no report I don't know. I think I'll use alendronate. Frankly, I don't want to switch to another drug either. I'll experience the side effects etc. and it will stay in the bone for 10 years or more. That's annoying too. But the risk of prolia rebound scares me too. If I don't use it I'll feel like I'm gambling with my health. The doctor said it's not necessary for young people. Maybe it's really not necessary and I'll use it for nothing. I'm really confused.

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@thinkpirate44

I can get it, I talked to my pharmacist.

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How can any pharmacy sell you prescription medication without a prescription?? That sounds crazy.

You need to see an endocrinologist. You cannot be self-treating using meds - especially not with these meds.

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@njx58

How can any pharmacy sell you prescription medication without a prescription?? That sounds crazy.

You need to see an endocrinologist. You cannot be self-treating using meds - especially not with these meds.

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Every country has different procedures. I don't live in the USA. I don't have the opportunity to go to an endocrinologist right now. Because there is a 4-day holiday. I will go to an endocrinologist anyway, but as a precaution I want to use alendronate for at least 1-2 weeks. Then I will go to the endocrinologist and ask them to do bone resorption markers. If they do, if something serious happens they will start zoledronate. Will I be harmed by 1-2 weeks of alendronate?

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I put the question about Prolia follow up meds into ChatGPT. It isn’t always 100% correct, but I always find it's a great place to start researching. Best wishes.

Yes, after stopping Prolia (denosumab), everyone is at risk for "rebound bone loss" and vertebral fractures—regardless of age. That’s why it’s generally recommended that another osteoporosis medication be started immediately after Prolia is stopped, unless there is a strong reason not to.

Why This Matters:

Prolia suppresses bone turnover very effectively, but once it's stopped, bone resorption can rapidly increase—often faster than before treatment, leading to a high risk of fractures, especially multiple vertebral fractures.

This rebound effect is not limited to older adults. It has been seen in younger people as well, including premenopausal women and men who were on Prolia for certain conditions (e.g., cancer-related bone loss, glucocorticoid use).

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What to Take After Prolia:

The typical follow-up medication is a bisphosphonate like:

Alendronate (Fosamax)

Risedronate (Actonel)

Zoledronic acid (Reclast) – a once-yearly IV option

These help “lock in” the bone density gains from Prolia and blunt the rebound effect.

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Are There Exceptions?

There are very few. A younger person may be at lower absolute risk of fracture due to higher baseline bone density, but if they were prescribed Prolia, it usually means their bone health was significantly compromised to begin with. In such cases, stopping Prolia without follow-up medication is still considered risky.

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What You Should Do:

Plan for a transition: If someone is considering stopping Prolia, work with a doctor (usually an endocrinologist or rheumatologist) to schedule follow-up treatment.

Timing is critical: The next medication should usually be started within 6 months of the last Prolia injection—sometimes sooner.

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