Support For Those Quitting Prolia
I wanted to start this Discussion as a support thread for those who have already decided to quit Prolia and are in the process of transitioning out of Prolia to share our knowledge, thoughts, decisions and experiences as i had difficulty finding such posts from the various other Prolia threads. Those who have already completed their transition from Prolia are most welcome to contribute their experience.
It would help if you could include some basic info such as TScores, BTMs if available, number of Prolia injections taken, what med you transitioned to, length of time on relay drug and any feedback on effectiveness/reaction to the relay drug.
To prevent overlap with other Discussions already on this forum, the reasons for quitting Prolia need not be raised and it will be assumed that you have already done your research and made your decision. It is hoped that this Discussion will focus more on any feedback/advice that can assist in the transitioning process i.e. not on the 'Why' (quit Prolia) but more on the 'How' (to manage the transition).
Maybe i can start.
Background:
My TScores from my 1st DXA scan in May 2022 were:
Lumbar Spine -1.3
Femoral Neck -2.7
Total Hip -3.0
Unfortunately, my PCP did not order any BTMs so i do not have any baseline numbers.
My 1st Prolia shot was in July 2022, 2nd in Jan 2023 and my 3rd in July 2023.
In Dec 2023 after 18 months on Prolia, i did my 2nd DXA and the results were:
Lumbar Spine -1.1
Femoral Neck -2.6
I decided to quit Prolia before the 4th shot and started on weekly Alendronate in Jan 2024. To date, i have taken 7 Alendronate tablets.
Feedback on Alendronate:
The relay drugs most often cited are Reclast (most frequent) and Alendronate. Alendronate is not recommended for those with esophagus issues as it can irritate and damage the digestive tract.
I decided on Alendronate instead of Reclast as i was wary of taking in a full 1 year's dose of meds in one go and also because i read that the timing of the Reclast infusion can be tricky and the wrong timing may necessitate additional infusions. With Alendronate being a smaller weekly dose, the timing is not really an issue provided there is no delay in starting it at the time the Prolia shot is due.
The 2 days after the first Alendronate tablet and also after the 3rd tablet, i had a bit of stomach pain which went away after i took Veragel. From the 4th week to the 7th week, i have had an achy feeling at the side of my left knee. More surprisingly, i had 3 episodes of tinnitus after my 6th tablet, something which i have not experienced for a long time.
All the above side-effects have been bearable so i will continue with the Alendronate. I pray for the side-effects to cease as i do not want to go on Reclast and i read that Actonel is not potent enough to mitigate the rebound effect.
I plan to do a BTM test in Mar 2024 and quarterly thereafter for the 1st year and a DXA at the end of the 1st year. Depending on the results, i may stop the Alendronate or perhaps go on half-dosage for another 6 months instead of stopping cold turkey. Will also do a BTM at 18 months and a BTM cum DXA at 24 months of Alendronate as the rebound window supposedly stretches over 30 months from the last Prolia shot.
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.
Connect

@dawhitacre1 With those fractures you should be a candidate for teriparatide (Forteo) or romosozumab (Evenity) which are both anabolic bone-building medications. Sorry if I missed an earlier post from you about those, but want to be sure that you know.
Here is a comment that I posted on another discussion thread with a video link:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/has-anyone-improved-bone-density-without-meds/
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Is this your first osteoporosis drug? If so, what was the rationale for you endocrinologist suggesting Prolia?
@gravity3
No, I was on osteoporosis drugs for over 20 years starting with Fosomax and ending with Prolia three years ago.
I quit Prolia when I moved to another state three years ago and had problems finding a rheumatologist.
Then I learned I have osteonecrosis of the jaw, have five loose teeth, lost two molars and had two periodontal surgeries. I have been so distraught that I quit all pharmaceutical drugs for osteoporosis and rely on diet, exercise and supplements. I feel like a ship without a rudder with no solid direction from my medical community.
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2 Reactions@gravity3
I was on Fosamax for a couple of years. He felt I'd see better results. I'd had a complete hysterectomy a about 10 years prior to that time, and I was losing a great deal of bone. I was on hormone replacement therapy for a while, but my endocrinologist that oversees my thyroid, wanted me off because he felt I was in too much. I'm trying to find somebody that I can trust to start dealing with my lack of hormones.
@gently
ah! yes very helpful peer to peer … i am md and you sounded like a caregiving person. i think mds and rns on this site can be helpful … because we are patients too!
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3 Reactions@dawhitacre1 Were you on oral HRT pills? The below linked paper seems to say that transdermal does not affect thyroid function. But maybe your thyroid issue is more complex than what this paper covers ...
You might want to take a copy of the paper abstract to your doctor. Or, your endo may be happy to put you on HRT patches if you formerly were on oral estrogen.
Interaction of estrogen therapy and thyroid hormone replacement in postmenopausal women
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15142374/
EXCERPT: "Because transdermal ET [Estrogen Therapy] does not affect TBG levels and would not be expected to alter thyroid function, it may be a preferable modality for postmenopausal women who require concomitant treatment with ET/HT and T(4) [circulating thyroxine]."
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