Starting FORTEO tomorrow and so nervous.

Posted by vkmov @vkmov, Jan 24 1:42am

Any good experiences out there? Worried about serious side effects.

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@sallyj2

I waited three weeks to do kyphoplasty thinking I’d deal with it. If I ever have another fracture I will do kyphoplasty immediately, so as not to deal with pain and, more importantly be able to exercise again. My dr. described it like setting a broken arm. Not being able to exercise is huge as you lose strength and muscle mass quickly. I recommend kyphoplasty 100%! I did not lose any height, which is very important.

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I think it’s old info to say that the kyphoplasty material is fragile. It is also exceedingly rare for leakage of cement since procedure is done under fluoroscopy. Statistically, lower risk from this procedure than most procedures or most drugs.

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@windyshores

@debsinwa I did not have any kyphoplasties after any of my 7 fractures. I am glad it helped @daphne17 and her experience is pretty convincing. To play devil's advocate, my orthopedist did not recommend it. He told me that the long term outcome would be the same with or without kyphoplasty and it was mainly for pain relief. I did go through months of pain but am fine now and can even walk 10 miles. I was concerned about leakage of the cement, the brittleness of the kyphoplasty (like glass) between other fractures and I also have scoliosis. I have lost 3 inches. There are many arguments pro and con. I do sometimes wonder if I should have had some!

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I just want to add that my kyphoplasty was done through the pain management section of the medical center.

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Finally agreeable to starting Forteo, but I am extremely worried and anxious about side effects. The injections do not concern me at this juncture. The side effects are my major concern.
Thanks for any input!

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@ykr

Finally agreeable to starting Forteo, but I am extremely worried and anxious about side effects. The injections do not concern me at this juncture. The side effects are my major concern.
Thanks for any input!

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ykr,
I did Forteo for five months. No side effects. Stopped due to cost.

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Thanks, Susan! That's what I am looking to hear as I am too well aware of the side effects due to my occupation as a Registered Nurse. Curious, did the five months give you any benefit in that short time?

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@ykr

Finally agreeable to starting Forteo, but I am extremely worried and anxious about side effects. The injections do not concern me at this juncture. The side effects are my major concern.
Thanks for any input!

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I've been on Forteo for 10 months without any noticeable side effects. While I measured the blood pressure drop, I never felt dizzy. I hydrate before the injection and have something salty to ear or drink to mitigate the vasodilation that causes low blood pressure. Onset of dilation commences within minutes of the injection. The endocrinologist I see says that vasodilation is what causes headaches in some. The effect diminishes over the next two to four hours.
Some people do have unfortunate side effects. The nice thing about Forteo is that you can simply stop taking the drug. It doesn't linger in your system.
Some with side effects tolerate those effects and find the gains worthwhile. I'd advise anyone against tolerating side effects because there are alternative medications.
I wish you the luck. I think Forteo is the best drug.

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I have decided to go ahead and begin treatment with Forteo soon. These comments reduced my concerns about self injection Thank you.

However, I weigh just 82 pounds. I have some fat on my thighs but hardly anywhere else. On my abdomen the skin is very thin. Which leads me to two questions:
1) Has anyone ever had their dosage adjusted for weight? My Endocronologist says my system will flush out the excess if any, but it seems I could reduce any negative side effects by just taking what I need.
2) Is there anyone else who has done the injections successfully into no fat areas? Is it feasible to think that I can find enough injection sights on my thighs?

I have not asked the Endocronologost that question yet. I always feel that doctors will begin to disrespect me if I ask unusual questions.

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@walkert

I have decided to go ahead and begin treatment with Forteo soon. These comments reduced my concerns about self injection Thank you.

However, I weigh just 82 pounds. I have some fat on my thighs but hardly anywhere else. On my abdomen the skin is very thin. Which leads me to two questions:
1) Has anyone ever had their dosage adjusted for weight? My Endocronologist says my system will flush out the excess if any, but it seems I could reduce any negative side effects by just taking what I need.
2) Is there anyone else who has done the injections successfully into no fat areas? Is it feasible to think that I can find enough injection sights on my thighs?

I have not asked the Endocronologost that question yet. I always feel that doctors will begin to disrespect me if I ask unusual questions.

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I would ask the dr. Surely they won’t disrespect you for asking!

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@gently

I've been on Forteo for 10 months without any noticeable side effects. While I measured the blood pressure drop, I never felt dizzy. I hydrate before the injection and have something salty to ear or drink to mitigate the vasodilation that causes low blood pressure. Onset of dilation commences within minutes of the injection. The endocrinologist I see says that vasodilation is what causes headaches in some. The effect diminishes over the next two to four hours.
Some people do have unfortunate side effects. The nice thing about Forteo is that you can simply stop taking the drug. It doesn't linger in your system.
Some with side effects tolerate those effects and find the gains worthwhile. I'd advise anyone against tolerating side effects because there are alternative medications.
I wish you the luck. I think Forteo is the best drug.

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Thanks for your input. I'm on board for trying it, but now having issues with the cost. Did your insurance cover the Forteo? I have Mcare and am on an advantage plan. The co pay is prohibitive. Might need to go back on a supplement to cover the cost. I have lots to check into. I believe I am over income for prescription assistance through Lily.

Take care

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@ykr

Thanks, Susan! That's what I am looking to hear as I am too well aware of the side effects due to my occupation as a Registered Nurse. Curious, did the five months give you any benefit in that short time?

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ykr,
Yes, I did have some benefits. I believe I lost the benefits when I stopped Forteo and didn’t follow up with any other treatment.
I have posted about this before. The doctor who was treating me fell, had a fracture, and died. After that, I had a period of no treatment at all. This is all my bad decision. I finally ventured back out and went to see my neurologist who said “ Evenity”, but he antagonized me, so I went to see an endocrinologist who said “Evenity”, so now I am on that path.
Again, no problem with Forteo and some gains.

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