My results after 1 year of Evenity

Posted by hikernurse @hikernurse, Oct 22, 2023

I finished 12 months of Evenity in early October 2023 with thankfully zero significant side effects (a little tiredness, headache for a day or so) I am 67. My story is posted on my home page. I did maintain a good diet, exercised, walked, hopped, stomped, yoga, aqua dance, heel drops, stood on one foot whenever I could, ate prunes daily (5), eat my own L reuteri yogurt that I ferment, took algaecal plus (which only has trace strontium, not to be confused with strontium boost which I DID NOT take care for 2 grandchildren ages 2 and 4 twice a week. My point is I am pretty active. I had 4 previous separate fractures, 2 rib from hiking/biking falls and 2 wrists one from a fall off a few steps and another just weeks after my August 2022 DXA before I started meds. I was hiking in MT (mid September 2022) and turned to check on hubby and in an instant my foot hit a rock and I went down hard onto a rock. I shattered that wrist but had surgery and it healed. Started Evenity November 2022 (after covid) and after much research and medical opinions. Every morning I read the osteoporosis blogs from Mayo and have learned so much. Dr McCormicks Great Bones book is getting dog-eared.
I’m listening to Doug Lucas you tubes. We are all different but we are all trying so hard to help ourselves and really would rather not do meds but sometimes we just have to.

My bones did what Evenity said they would do. Spine went from -3.1 to -2.6 a 13.8% increase, femoral neck went from -3.3 to -3.0 a 7.5% improvement and total femur -3.0 to -2.7 a 5.4% improvement. Appointments and bloodwork in the next few days/week to see what’s next. I think I know the answer and I’m struggling. I believe it will be Prolia and I’m PANICKED about that. Concerned about time interval before starting. I will be having a CTX, not sure if that will help. I still have severe osteoporosis but the most important thing is I haven’t had a fracture!!

Any suggestions thoughts much appreciated. And I would be remiss if I didn’t throw out a thank you to @windyshores, @kristie2 and the moderators of this blog.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.

Thank you for your beautifully written dialogue on your journey. It gives me hope with Evenity. I have been lucky that I haven’t had any fractures with a spine T score of -4.6. As I too am very active. I will continue to follow up with you to see what your next steps will be.

Kristie2

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yes and thank you for putting me onto Doug Lucas. There. is so much info out there. I have signed up for his Master class on Nov 1 that is free to see what else I can learn. I am trying to increase more protein. Been putting everything into cronometer as was lower than I thought. Always learning. Also looking to tweak supplements. We are always learning!

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@hikernurse Thank you for posting this new Discussion. I will be starting Evenity within the next month. I have been active throughout my life although some of the activities I used to do at a younger age have been modified. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis about 10 years ago by my primary care physician. I finally agreed to go on Fosamax which did help to increase my bone density to the extent that I was in the osteopenia range after 4.5 years on that medication. That was in 2021 according to a bone density scan. I had an endometrial cancer recurrence in 2021 and had external pelvic radiation (and two sessions of internal brachytherapy). I experienced a sacral fracture sometime late last year that I was unaware of until it was found on a CT I had for my cancer surveillance appointments. I can say in retrospect that the sacral fracture did affect my gait and balance which I wondered about at the time. Fast forward to August, 2023 when I met with an endocrinologist to discuss the sacral fracture and what I should do next. He ordered a bone density scan and CTX blood test. When I met with the endocrinologist after those tests he said that the osteopenia looks stable (in comparison to the bone density scan I had two years ago) however with the sacral fracture he recommended that I consider taking Evenity for 12 to build bone density and then another med after that to “lock in” the bone density. This is where I believe you are right now, @hikernurse. At the “lock in” stage.

I am tracking my daily calcium to make sure I get the minimum of 1200mg. This means that I added dairy back to my diet which I’d eliminated in early 2022 based on recommendations for cancer prevention from my Integrative Medicine physician. I track my exercise and walking with my Apple Watch. At this time of the year that means walking outdoors when the weather is pleasant and the strength-based gym sessions I go to with a personal trainer. I take calcium citrate (333mg) with a meal if I figure I didn’t get enough calcium from food sources during the day. I also take 1000iu of D3 per day.

I am trying to live my best life with all this monitoring of my activity, mineral and vitamin intake and soon with starting Evenity. Your experience, @hikernurse is encouraging.

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be very careful with prolia because when you stop it you will have fractures even if it is just one shot

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Congratulations @hikernurse. What a valuable response you have written. Honest and thorough. I only have one concern and that is the future of Prolia for you. I had real problems with Prolia after 2 years of Tymlos. After 1 year with Prolia, I sought help at Mayo Clinic and was released from Prolia.

May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

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@artscaping

Congratulations @hikernurse. What a valuable response you have written. Honest and thorough. I only have one concern and that is the future of Prolia for you. I had real problems with Prolia after 2 years of Tymlos. After 1 year with Prolia, I sought help at Mayo Clinic and was released from Prolia.

May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

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how did the mayo clinic help get off prolia and have you suffered any fractures i had shot and in may the prolia was supposed to be outmof my body but i still have some effects fro it suffered a compression fracture 6 wks after initial shot (12/23) then suffered another the beginning this past august. my dr wants me to take evenity but i am very afraid i also was diagnosed with ra this past february just very upset because before prolia i was doing well now not so much

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I will be getting my third shots in November. Don't want prolia to lock in gains. I believe that someone had responded to me earlier and said that I could return to alendronate to lock in gains. I Hope that that is correct.

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@gravity3

I will be getting my third shots in November. Don't want prolia to lock in gains. I believe that someone had responded to me earlier and said that I could return to alendronate to lock in gains. I Hope that that is correct.

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Yes you can take either Alendronate or Reclast to " lock in " any gains that you get from Evenity per my Endocrinologist. I did not have any " gains" but I choose Alendronate rather than Reclast because I was worried about the side effects of the huge amount of medication you receive with Reclast. Good luck with your decision.

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@gravity3

I will be getting my third shots in November. Don't want prolia to lock in gains. I believe that someone had responded to me earlier and said that I could return to alendronate to lock in gains. I Hope that that is correct.

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Thank you!!!

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@pedsnurse61

Yes you can take either Alendronate or Reclast to " lock in " any gains that you get from Evenity per my Endocrinologist. I did not have any " gains" but I choose Alendronate rather than Reclast because I was worried about the side effects of the huge amount of medication you receive with Reclast. Good luck with your decision.

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I am also leaning to alendronate for those same reasons. are you taking the daily dose or 70mg weekly? Thank you for sharing

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