Need help choosing treatment

By andrea Wednesday, April 09, 2008

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I am a 56 year old woman recovering from a wrist fracture with a previous knee fracture about 10 years ago. My wrist surgeon noted an "osteoporotic break" pattern and I went to an osteoporois doctor. He is recommending forteo. I also have low vitamin D and will be starting supplements. I have been treated in the past for osteopenia, most recently with calcium supplements and fortical. Now I'm reading all the horrid side effects people are describing to forteo and am really afraid of starting this. I am fairly active and don't want to change this to forstall another fracture 20 years from now. What would you do???

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Lila de Tantillo, Health Guide

4/ 9/08 5:42pm

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences, Andrea. I am sorry to hear about your fractures, but your decision to take proactive care of your bone health is a great way to help prevent future injuries. While recommendations for calcium and Vitamin D are pretty much universal (the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends 1,200 mg calcium and 800-1000 IU Vitamin for adults 50 and older), the issue of whether to take a prescription medication is much more individualized. The drugs currently on the market can benefit patients and help improve bone density, but each invetibably carries a risk of side effects. Best wishes as you discuss this important matter with your doctor and settle on the most appropriate course of treatment.

6/15/09 5:53pm

I am happy to say I have completed a 2-year treatment of Forteo. YEA! The only side effect I had was a reaction to an inhaled medication for an upper respiratory infection. My airway passages swelled and my oxygen intake was reduced greatly. After the first episode, I talked to the pharmacist and a nurse. They both suggested I carry Benadryl Quick Dissolve strips to combat the allergic reaction. The strips worked.

Thanks to the new pen design, the treatment became much easier to tolerate. Before the treatment, the worse reading I had was a -34. Now, 2 years later, the worst reading is a -25. This could have had also had something to do with a case of a malfunctioning parathyroid gland that was removed about 9 months into my treatment. My one saving grace was a calcium test that my doctor ordered when I started the Forteo. As it turns out, I had hypercalcium, which, I think, caused my osteoporosis.

Good luck!

6/15/09 5:56pm

I meant to say "hypercalcemia" not "hypercalcium."

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