1. < Osteoporosis & Bone Health

Undecided choice of drugs for Osteoporosis

Posted by peace44 @peace44, Oct 10, 2023

I am 80 years old women and have borderline osteoporosis which affects my entire body. My doctor wants me to take Prolia and the Rheumatologist wants me to take Reclast. I’m unhappy with both choices as the side effects are great and I do not tolerate new drugs well. I am very undecided and am considering doing not taking annty drugs for this condition. I have never had a fracture and I’m very active Any opinions or advice.

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ellymary | @ellymary | Nov 2, 2023
In reply to @gently "Everyone has trouble remembering what the doctors say. Even the doctor doesn't remember what he said,..." + (show)
@gently

Everyone has trouble remembering what the doctors say. Even the doctor doesn't remember what he said, so he writes it all down. That makes a record for you to access. If your md is at a hospital call the records department as say you want the "doctor's notes", and the dxa report and any labs you've had done. If you are at a private office call the receptionist and say the same thing.
You should keep all the records of you medical visits in one binder, not all over the place like I do.
You had right hip replacement? and the left is brittle. I can guess that you need a more proactive medication than fosamax. I would guess Tymlos or Forteo, but without your medical inormation my guessing could be dangerous.
Forteo helps fix any hardware you would have with a left hip replacement. It speeds healing of damaged bone and increases bone density in a more rapid way that fosamax. You could ask your PCP but you might want to see an endocrinologist who will have more eperience with osteoporosis and may even communicate in a more.
Get the notes the pcp is required to write. If you need help getting them let us know.
Thanks for that wonderful sign off.

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Thank you for your words . I had a half hip replacement after a fall and now am about to start Forteo after being so afraid of these medications. But I am more afraid of another broken bone so I start next week.

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1 reply
ellymary | @ellymary | Nov 2, 2023
In reply to @joann1941 "I been on Prolia for 2 30 months. I was high risk for fractures when my..." + (show)
@joann1941

I been on Prolia for 2 30 months.
I was high risk for fractures when my Endocrinologist put me on Prolia. I had gone from osteopenia to Osteoporosis.
The end of year 2 I had Dexa test and I was back to Osteopenia. My Endocrinologist was shocked and had me redo the test results which came out the same. So there maybe a possibility I can come off the Prolia.
I have had no side effects at all.

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As someone else has advised, you do have to take another medication after stopping Prolia or you might experience a breakage even without falling.

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gently | @gently | Nov 2, 2023
In reply to @ellymary "Thank you for your words . I had a half hip replacement after a fall and..." + (show)
@ellymary

Thank you for your words . I had a half hip replacement after a fall and now am about to start Forteo after being so afraid of these medications. But I am more afraid of another broken bone so I start next week.

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ellymary,
I so hope you have good luck with Forteo, as I have.
Be sure and hydrate before the injection and expect to have low blood pressure almost immediately. Lay low for the first hour or so.
I really think it's the best osteoporosis drug.

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janflute | @janflute | Nov 3, 2023
In reply to @ellymary "I am about to start Forteo and this site is helping me . It is scary..." + (show)
@ellymary

I am about to start Forteo and this site is helping me . It is scary having to give myself a shot daily for a year when I don’t take any other medications.
Hearing some positive comments about Forteo is encouraging.

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When I first started Forteo I had side effects, but after a few weeks they all went away and I felt normal again.

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1 reply
ellymary | @ellymary | Nov 3, 2023
In reply to @janflute "When I first started Forteo I had side effects, but after a few weeks they all..." + (show)
@janflute

When I first started Forteo I had side effects, but after a few weeks they all went away and I felt normal again.

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Thanks, good to know. Your words and this site are comforting.

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susanfalcon52 | @susanfalcon52 | Nov 4, 2023

Ellymary,
I did four months of Forteo and felt okay. Got used to doing injections. I only stopped because of cost, but doctor said that I had gains in those four months.

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2 replies
06111945cc | @06111945cc | Nov 5, 2023
In reply to @susanfalcon52 "Ellymary, I did four months of Forteo and felt okay. Got used to doing injections. I..." + (show)
@susanfalcon52

Ellymary,
I did four months of Forteo and felt okay. Got used to doing injections. I only stopped because of cost, but doctor said that I had gains in those four months.

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How did your doctor know you had gained after four months on Forteo?

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1 reply
windyshores | @windyshores | Nov 5, 2023
In reply to @susanfalcon52 "Ellymary, I did four months of Forteo and felt okay. Got used to doing injections. I..." + (show)
@susanfalcon52

Ellymary,
I did four months of Forteo and felt okay. Got used to doing injections. I only stopped because of cost, but doctor said that I had gains in those four months.

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@susanfalcon52 what follow up med did you take to maintain those gains?

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sandrajhunt | @sandrajhunt | Nov 6, 2023

I am right there with you. I am 77 and was diagnosed years ago. My lower spine is -3.4, but i am have been reluctant to take any drugs following a severe reaction to Boniva. I would love to hear if anyone has had dramatic improvement with any of the drugs. At my age the possible negative side effects seem to outweigh the possibility of a small improvement.

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2 replies
susanfalcon52 | @susanfalcon52 | Nov 6, 2023
In reply to @06111945cc "How did your doctor know you had gained after four months on Forteo?" + (show)
@06111945cc

How did your doctor know you had gained after four months on Forteo?

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I had a dexa. I was trying to get Forteo through a program. My doctor was getting samples through drug reps.
I’ve posted about this before. At some point in this complicated history, my doctor fell at home, broke her neck, and died. The irony. She was really the only physician treating osteoporosis in my city at that time.
She survived the initial injury and phoned me from rehab to discuss my dexa results! She said she would return to office in a wheelchair in a few weeks
Later, her nurse called me and said that she had died. Nurse also said that Dr. Lindberg had five month supply of Tymlos in frig and would want me to have it. So, i picked it up and put it in my frig for a year. Finally, I looked at expiration date and decided to start using it. I believe that I lost a lot of bone in that year. I did use it, then went to a rheumatologist and an endocrinologist who ordered another dexa. They agreed that I should be on Evenity. By then, I was on Medicare which is covering cost.

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