Forteo Reaction

By Amy Bates Thursday, January 24, 2008

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I recently stopped taking my Forteo after being on it a full year. About an hour after my last injection in December, my face became flushed, I felt hot, my heart began poundly wildly and my chest ached. I was afraid I was going to pass out. Even though the episode lasted a few minutes it was extremely frightening. I haven't taken any Forteo since and wondered if anyone else has experienced a similar reaction. I also have red spots in different areas of my body and a dermatologist has confirmed they are a result of a drug reaction. The only other medication I take is estrogen. (Now that I've been off the Forteo 6 weeks it appears the estrogen is causing the skin rashes.) Because my osteoporosis is severe my doctor doesn't want me going without any treatment so I just recently started taking the monthly Boniva. I

Vitamin D Deficiency

Comments (10) | Add comment

Maria Gifford, Editor

1/25/08 5:17pm

Hi, Amy. Welcome to our community.

Here's some info for you on Forteo and Reclast:

Forteo: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?

http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/73/2677/forteo-risks/

Forteo side effects (be sure to scroll down through the comments)

http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/730/14514/comments/

Reclast Once a Year: When to Discuss Reclast with Your Doctor

http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/9487/12610/year-acid/

Reclast vs. Fosamax, Boniva and Actonel

http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/73/13598/reclast-acid/

Let me know if I can help you find more specific information. I'd be glad to.

Keep us posted on how things progress for you.

Best,

Maria

Lila de Tantillo, Health Guide

1/27/08 1:39pm

I'm so sorry to hear about your extremely unpleasant experience. It can be tough to take care of one's bone health, and it is great that you continue to talk with your doctor about solutions despite the obstacles. I hope you find the right course of treatment for your situation! Do take care, Lila

Amy Bates

2/ 6/08 8:11pm

Thank you. We decided to try the once a month Boniva, with Reclast as the next possible treatment. My doctor believes it is best not to stay on the same treatment for a long period of time because each drug seems to loose its effectiveness after a while. He did mention the new drug that should be available in the near future. Amy

skp

1/30/08 5:05pm

Amy

I have been taking Forteo about 8 months - and I also take Estrogen..I have had GOUT as a

side effect to the Forteo... My doctor told me she didn't know if it had anything to do with

it - but I looked it up on the FDA Report for Forteo - and increased Uremic Acid Levels

are one of the side effects that can occur with Forteo... I also have welts & Bruising around

the injection sites......Did you also have that problem??

Did the shots help your Bone Density??

skp

Amy Bates

1/30/08 9:26pm

skp,

Sometimes I had slight bruising or a red spot at the injection sight but it always cleared up quickly.

I just had my annual bone density test done last month after being on Forteo a complete year and the results were great. My doctor even said he was surprised I did so well considering I had been on Fosomax the previous 7 years. I'm still in the severe category though. I was encouraged about taking Forteo another year but stopped it abruptly after my experience 5 weeks ago.

I just happened to see my doctor this morning and he is going to start me on the monthly Boniva. He said I should consider Reclast if I don't tolerate Boniva. My red spots, which are scattered in different areas of my body, have not changed so we are thinking they could be caused by the estrogen , considering I've been off the Forteo 5 weeks now. However, my ob/gyn says he's never seen this reaction from estrogen before.

I've researched and haven't found any information saying the Forteo can cause the kind of reaction I experienced. I always knew the Forteo caused my heart to beat faster about an hour after my injection. I think my body became sensitized to it over time. I am not willing to try it again just to see if I react again.

I hope you get as good of results as I got. I just hate I can't take it another year.

Amy

Living With Severe O

2/11/08 11:21pm

I was on Forteo for two years and have been off of it for a year. Next month March 2008) I begin another two year treatment with Forteo. I had no side effects which was unusual since I have a low tolerance to medications. When I was 35, The Mayo Clinic diagnosed me with severe osteoporosis and a score of -3-2. When I was 49 (December 2004) I had a score of -4.5 and placed on permanent disability. After the two years my scores had not changed which was good. I did not gain but I did not lose any more bone density. it helped to maintain what I still have.

Amy Bates

2/12/08 11:06pm

I'm sorry you have dealt with this since your younger adult years. I was diagnosed in 1992 at age 32 with a T score of -4.0 at Duke Univ. Hospital and was told I was a very unusual case. Even though I took Fosomax for 7 years and my bone density improved somewhat, I experienced some vertebral fractures and had kyphoplasty for 2 compression fractures in 2006. I switched doctors for convenience sake and took the Forteo for a year, after which my T score rose to -3.1. I'm now taking the monthly Boniva. Since the Reclast is more potent we are saving that for the next treatment. My new doctor believes in changing treatment about every 3 years.

I'm sorry the Forteo didn't improve your bone density. Did your doctor give any reason for that? I'm curious as to why he is giving you another round of Forteo when there are other treatments available. My doctor wasn't expecting me to resond as well as I did because of having so much Fosomax in my bones. (He says it will be with me for years.) I wish I could take the Forteo another year but am afraid to after my experience last December.

Good luck with the next phase. Big Smile

Amy Bates

2/27/08 12:13am

Hi, I was just wondering if your doctor ever checked your vitamin D storage levels. I found out mine is low. I was told no matter how much calcium or bone building medicine you take, neither will help you without proper amounts of vitamin D.

Amy Bates

Living With Severe O

2/27/08 5:11pm

Even though I did not build bone on my done density scores, I did not lose any either. My bone loss was so much each year that technically I was building bone as I continued to lose. It just kept me even. That was better than a loss on density scores. So the doctor wants to try it again. Other medications caused reactions and Forteo did not. Something is better than nothing.

Living With Severe O

2/27/08 5:15pm

This is true. Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium. And I take it daily with my calcium. I also take both with the Forteo. A good book to read is "Living Day To Day With Severe Osteoporosis" by Alice V. Roberts. It is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc.

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