Forteo - will side affects go away or get worse?

By Sue Saturday, December 29, 2007

- A
- A
- A

I have been using Forteo for 7 weeks. Everything was going really well, I had no side effects. All of a sudden I developed muscle/joint ache, tingling & loss of feeling in my hands, tiredness & loss of appetite. I have trouble sleeping at night. This has been going on for nearly two weeks. I thought I had a "bug" but am pretty sure now it is reaction to the Forteo. My doctor has been on vacation over the holidays. I talked to the nurse of the doctor on call & she told me to continue the Forteo. I plan to reach my doctor next week but in the meantime if anyone has had a similar reaction I would be interested to know if it got better or worse, if they "toughed" it out or stopped taking the Forteo.

Traveling with Forteo

Comments (15) | Add comment

Maria Gifford, Editor

12/29/07 3:08pm

Hello, Sue. Welcome to our community. I'm glad you've found us.

The side effects you're experiencing are far from uncommon. Please see:

Forteo side effects (by community member Summers)

http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/3380/14145/forteo-side/

Forteo side effects (by community member Linda)

http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/730/14514/forteo-side/

Forteo side effects (by community member Maxine)

http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/1273/15363/forteo-side/

Questions about forteo side effects (by community member Mufasa)

http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/15751/15840/forteo-side/

Forteo: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks? (by expert physician Dr. Neil Gonter)

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

I hope this information is helpful to you. Keep us posted on how you're doing. Write again soon.

Best,

Maria

Lila de Tantillo, Health Guide

1/ 1/08 11:53am

Sue, thanks so much for sharing your questions with us. From a number of people I've talked to, I understand the Forteo side effects can be incredibly unpleasant, and I commend you for discussing the situation with your physician. No matter what course of action is best in your individual situation, it is great to hear that you are committed to taking positive action to safeguard your bone health. Best wishes to you as you combat osteoporosis.

judi

1/ 2/08 6:49pm

Gosh. I just started forteo a few days ago and am trying to get used to using the pen. But I see so many side effects shared here that I wonder if I should have gotten a 3 months supply!! Does everyone have these muscle pains?

thanks for sharing. Anything you may add will be appreciated, Judi

Sue

1/ 2/08 8:01pm

Judi,

I have been using Forteo for 2 months now. I had no side effects whatsoever the first 6 weeks. A couple of weeks ago I started having muscle aches, my hands would go to sleep, I lost my appetite, & felt lethargic. I am back to feeling normal again & don't know if I had a bug or if it was the Forteo. It is strange that those things are listed as side effects. You will get used to using the pen. The sample needles my doctor gave me were big & caused bruising but the ones I got when I filled my prescription are smaller & now I seldom bruise. Hang in there! Hopefully we are doing the right thing for our bones.

Judi

1/ 3/08 3:40pm

Sue, thanks so much for the response..it helps. I was having problems with anxiety when I went to give myself the shot, I started shaking and bungled it up a few times. Afraid of that needle I guess.

I have only been on it for 5 days now so I feel OK so far.

Did you ever find out for sure if those were side effects or just a coincidence?

Do you find yourself having a problem sleeping since taking Forteo?

And...are you getting your prescriptions filled for the drug and the needles locally or a mail order pharmacy?

Thanks again for your support and hope we both have great results.

Sue

1/ 3/08 4:13pm

Judi,I was scared at first too. It used to hang over me every morning until I did it. Be sure you are using the 3/16 inch, 5mm length, 31 gauge needles. As I said yest. I started off with larger needles & was covered with bruises. These smaller ones rarely leave a mark. You will get used to it. Giving myself the shot really doesn't bother me now. I am a little anxious about the side effects. I did have trouble sleeping for a week or so during the time I experienced the other side effects. I see my regular MD tomorrow & will ask him about the bug versus the Forteo side effects & let you know. I feel fine now whatever it was. I still have the tingling in my hands but can live with that.

Sue

1/ 3/08 4:16pm

Forgot to comment on where I get my Forteo. Wal-mart, where we get our other prescriptions would not fill it because of the refrigeration requirement. I get mine locally from CVS & the needles also. I am very fortunate to have good insurance & the monthly pen costs us a $40 co pay.

Jan

2/19/08 6:09pm

Hi Judi --

I have been taking Forteo since last July - so 7 months. I am still as active as ever and do not have muscle or bone pain. I have trouble sleeping, but I had trouble sleeping before the Forteo. I am really hoping this drug works for all of us!

Sue

1/ 8/08 8:04pm

My doctor seemed to think the bug or virus I had brought on the Forteo side effects. Luckily everything is back to normal & I am feeling fine & on the Forteo for two months. Has anyone else had a harder time with bugs & viruses while on Forteo? I asked my doctor if 2000 I.U. of Vit. D a day was too much & he told me you can't get too much Vit. D. In the Forteo material it states too much Vit. D may cause bone loss. Can someone comment on this? Also I have had a low white blood count for several years. I did a search & found that Fosamax can cause a low white blood count. I have been off of Fosamax for several months now so am hopeful my next test will be normal. Has anyone else had this experience with Fosamax. My doctor did not mention this.

Connie

2/ 7/08 10:19pm

Hello my name is Connie, I have been on Forteo for two weeks, did ok the first week then started having night sweats and severe pain in my spine. Worst pain ever experience. Started 10 min.s after taking shot,Called pharmsist and Doctor said forteo was not the cause. Next day 10 mins. after giving myself the shot same thing happen but didn't last as long. has anyone experience the same symptons?

Sue

2/19/08 8:08pm

Hello Connie,

So sorry to hear you are in so much pain & not sleeping. I have been on Forteo going on four months now & I really feel great. I had pain to begin with in my spine but am now pain free. My only concern now is the newness of Forteo & the fact it is not approved but for two years. I go in for blood work tomorrow & a followup appointment with my endocrinologist in a couple of weeks. I will find out then if the Forteo is working to build bone.

Bunny Safron

10/ 8/08 8:45pm

Sue.....I have taken Forteo for over a year and have developed terrible tingling sensations and pain in my hands, feet, tongue and lips - also extreme pain in my legs and feet, sleeplessness and constant exhaustion. I wondered if these effects were from Forteo but my Endocrinologist urged me to continue it. I was relieved to read your messsage and have decided to discontinue the injections. I'm so sorry that you are having similar side effects but happy to know I'm not alone. Bunny

Sue

10/ 9/08 7:03am

Bunny, unfortunately all of us on Forteo are likely to blame every unusual ache & pain on the Forteo. If your symptoms go away since you stopped the Forteo, it would be more likely that it caused them. I have been on it nearly a year now & am not having any problems. My doctor can not tell me if it is working but says I have to take it on "faith". That is hard to do sometimes since Forteo is still relatively new. I just know nothing else worked for me (Actonel, Fosamax, exercise, not being over weight etc.) I recently have developed itching, mainly at night - no rash, just itching & enough to disturb my sleep. I researched it & found that too much parathyroid could cause this. I intend to call my doctor on this to find out if we should be concerned. I can live with it if it isn't a sign of a problem. Please let us hear how you are doing & if you decide to go back on the Forteo. Good luck!

Bunny

10/ 9/08 9:46am

Sue.....thanks so much for your quick response. I think I'll remain off Forteo for about two weeks and see if anything changes. I also tried all of the other osteoporosis meds first and had 24/7 heartburn. I'll keep you posted. Again, thanks so much and best. Bunny

chris

1/ 4/09 4:09pm

I've had similar side effects. I went off it for about two weeks, they cleared up within a week; then went back on it and the side effects came back within four days-- trouble sleeping, depression, lethargy, GI issues, dyhdration, and loss of apetite. I'm going off of it. Good luck to you.

Chris

Forteo - will side affects go away or get worse?

Ask a Question