Friday, February 27, 2009 Deborah asks

Q: Information about combining two Osteoporosis Medications.

My Dr. said I should take Actenol and Forteo together,is this safe?

I took Forteo approx. 1 year ago and it really helped my bone density improve, I could only stay on it for 2 yrs. That's when I started taking Actenol. It has been 1 year on Actenol now and it does not seem to be doing any good for me. My Vitamin D seems to be alright in the low end of normal presently. So, the doctor says to take both.

Would appreciate some feedback about this, I do not feel comfortable taking both. How about side effects?

Thanks,

Deborah

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Answers (1)

larry

2/27/09 11:33pm

The answer is that it is not a matter of safety but of efficacy (usefulness). While it may seem that the two taken together would be a good thing, actual studies show that is not the case. One could take the Forteo (which is approved for two years only) and then start or resume a bisphosphonate (Actonel, Fosamax etc).

The FDA has limited the use of Forteo for two years, so if you had a two year course of Forteo you would not be able to take it again. (I am looking at the possibility of taking Forteo and hope someday it could be taken for more that two years).

The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Parathyroid hormone plus alendronate - a combination that does not add up. S. Khosla, Editorial. N Engl J Med, 2003, vol. 349, pp. 1227--1229

Here is a link to an article that summarizes the study: http://www.healthandage.com/public/health-center/29/article/2671/Forteo-plus-Fosamax-No.html

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Q: Information about combining two Osteoporosis Medications.

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