Reclast after Forteo?

I should add that I had three of my parathyroid glands removed after thyroid cancer in 1996, and the remaining one parathyroid gland is not functioning well.

@janflute how have you been doing with Forteo, considering your parathyroid issues? Forteo works through the parathyroid pathway. Have you had a DEXA or blood tests to make sure it is working?

Reclast is more potent and more effective at "locking in" gains, acccording to Keith McCormick's book "Great Bones" and my doctors. But many of us take it due to GERD /reflux or esophagus problems, because the oral drugs pose problems with us. The infusion bypasses the GI system.

However, alendronate (Fosamax) can also be used.

I have kidney issues and drug sensitivities so my doc is following Tymlos up with a 20% test dose of Reclast. I will choose my next dose for three months after the first. I have read and heard from one doc that a 50% dose is as effective as 100% so will probably go with that. I am nervous too.

We have no choice, as you know- and my docs don't use Prolia which would require Reclast ultimately anyway. Without a bisphosphonate, we will lose our gains. Bottom line: if you don't have GERD, you can do alendronate instead, but Reclast is more effective. Still Fosamax will help.

Thank you so very,very much. I am terrified of using Reclast because of all of the horrible things that I know have happened to people after their injection. I like the idea of 50 percent doso, but I am not sure that my Dr. at Ma General in Boston will accept that . I travel a long distance to get to Boston, so the test dose of 20% may be difficult for me.

I go to MGH myself. Maybe send me a private message. The 20% test dose lasts 3 months. You could try 50%. I am not sure they will do it because you have fear but they will for a medical reason or if you are sensitive to meds. You can have the infusion close to home if MGH orders it.

I am not sure that I replied to you correctly. My doctor is Dr. Mannstadt.

Look at private messages top right 🙂

I took 2 injections of Prolia and lost some of my jaw bone and my back surgeon said that’s also the cause of my 2 broken vertebrae in the thoracic spine . I had to have surgery on my jaw and now I’m having back surgery next week. Because of my experience I say don’t take Prolia but I know everyone is different and may not have this happen but for me this is devastating. Good luck to everyone in finding the right medication for them .

@me75 are you having kyphoplasty?

No I’m not having Kyphaplasty . He is doing a fusion , because of the fractures and bad vertebrae’s and disk it has left me with scoliosis so he is going to fuse me with rods and screws from T-2 to S-1 . I will have to learn how to set , get up and down from chair and bed and other things this is a large intensive surgery . The lumbar is caused by degenerative disc disease inherited from my mother.

I did Forteo for two years and experienced gains in bone density. Then followed with one Reclast infusion in 2021, which helped hold the gains I made with the Forteo. I’ve had no negative reactions to either medication. I did not do additional Reclast because my Endocrinologist and I are doing blood/urine bone marker testing every quarter to see if things are holding. At some point I want to try the intermittent approach of using Forteo for a couple of months, taking a break and going back to it as needed.