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.

deniselib | @deniselib | Apr 9 4:24am

In reply to @nannygoat5 "Do you know how long you can stay in fosamax? I’m tolerating it well (started in..." + (show)

Be diligent questioning your dr. When I was 57 I broke my femur following 7-8 years of Fosamax. The gyn kept giving renewal RXs to me without stopping at 5 yrs which I believe is the current recommendation. Fast forward to age 73. I have had several broken bones of late from accidents. I am now on 4th Evenity injection. ( Have severe spine issues as well.). Ask questions

dmshope | @dmshope | Apr 10 7:54am

Dexa is not the total story of bone quality. You have done everything you felt would support you and you had great gains. Feel good. Although your scores after evenity still show a 'diagnosis' of osteoporosis, the bone quality may have improved more than that. Feel your bones strenghtening. Ask alot of questions about your options after Evenity. Prolia is not the only option. Whether you finally decide that Prolia is best out of all options, feeling positive about your path forward is important.
I love the Great BOnes book too = it has helped me create a vision for healing that allows one to feel more in hopeful and in control. I also just read 'Mindful BOdy" by Ellen Langer - its a bit scientific and about the mind body unity; the power of mind to support healing.
My spine and hip were 4 when I started this path/ forearm 4.7. I have a ways to go. but I have faith I will get there.

willow5 | @willow5 | Apr 10 9:28am

In reply to @missey "I was taken off Synthroid, even though I have used it for over 30 years. There..." + (show)

I take Synthroid for low thyroid. Would love to not take it and will ask the endocrinologist about this. I don’t believe low thyroid gets better.

I did ask about the synthroid/levothyroxine causing bone loss many, many years ago and I was told at that time that has to do with taking too much. When the prescription is correct bone loss is not a problem. Since that was many years ago, when I see the endocrinologist in May, I will ask this question.

I do my own studies, but generally the final word for me with with a doctor that I trust.

dmshope | @dmshope | Apr 10 10:03am

In reply to @hikernurse "I am also leaning to alendronate for those same reasons. are you taking the daily dose..." + (show)

I also belive that Actonel is an option to lock in gains. Actonel does not stay in the body long ( as opposed to some bisphosphnates) Actonel has a slighlty different side effect profile from alendronate- but we all respond differently. Please make sure to moniter the BTM primarily CTX to determine when you may need a drug holiday. I took Actonel after TYmlos and needed to pause the Actonel after only 6 weeks as I had a powerful and rapid response to the drug. Going forward if I need Actonel again, I may only need half dose to recive benefit. We are all different. Medicare does not cover Actonel - you can get it through Good RX.
Meanwhile, I too am concered about Reclast begin so powerful but I also am leanring that people can request to take a lessor dose more frequently - so that may be an option for sensitve people. I echo Chris's blessing- May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering. May you recieve healing . D

missey | @missey | Apr 10 10:11am

In reply to @willow5 "I take Synthroid for low thyroid. Would love to not take it and will ask the..." + (show)

I have read the studies and spoken to my endocrinologist about getting off of Synthroid, which I have been off of for over six months. My thyroid numbers are totally stable when a person gets older we no longer need to synthroid hormone. Older doctors aren’t in sync with the new studies that have come out regarding this.

willow5 | @willow5 | Apr 10 10:53am

That’s great! I’ll talk to my endocrinologist about this. One less med would make me happy! Plus, I take brand name and that’s $75 Can’t wait to see what he thinks! He’s younger, like maybe 40s or 50s, so he should be up on the latest, for sure..

awfultruth | @awfultruth | Apr 10 2:31pm

In reply to @missey "I was taken off Synthroid, even though I have used it for over 30 years. There..." + (show)

@missey Hi, please provide a link to the study you mention showing no need for Synthroid after 65.
Up until three years ago I had never taken a thyroid medication and the numbers like the TSH did not indicate a great need for it.
I started taking Armor Thyroid when I was 72 and it was a game changer. More energy and vitality and it coincided at least with a lessoning of 40 years of food and chemical sensitivities.
The status quo in medicine is to treat the thyroid by the numbers. But before that low thyroid was treated by the symptoms. I'm combining the two.
My favorite information source on Thyroid is Alan Gaby MD. Here's a couple of older pieces by him. There are more recent updates and comments in the Townsend Letter where he had a column, which largely express the same opinion. That you've got to be informed by the symptom picture and that for many patients (but not all) thyroid meds with T3 and T4 give better symptom results than Synthroid.
https://altmedrev.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/v9-2-157.pdf
https://townsendletter.com/editorial-06-22-gaby-practice-guidelines-for-the-treatment-of-hypothyroidism/