Can anyone explain why osteoporosis meds seem to work for a period of time and then need to be changed to another osteoporosis meds

[dcdream]

I ask this because so many women/men write that their meds worked for a few years, then no longer worked, which required a different drug. After that drug begins to fail, another drug takes its place, etc. etc. Often, these people write that they are fracturing or suffering side effects that seem very difficult to live with. It makes me feel that if I begin drugs, I will suffer consequences regardless, just like my mom did who followed osteoporosis meds protocols and began fracturing in her 80's after a decade of osteoporosis meds. While my doctors say many women take them for decades without problems, I read many posts here and on other sites from women/men who took meds and had terrible side effects and quit. Makes me feel like meds aren't the answer and that doctors seem to not really know much about all these drugs or why they fail. My doctor has no idea why I have osteoporosis, as all my test scores come up fine. We don't have a history of it in our family either. My mom did not develop osteoporosis until after taking osteoporosis meds (back in her days, if you had osteopenia, they put you on meds, which looking back, seems to have been a bad decision for my mom. She did do the on and off period to give her body a rest but then began to fracture badly after stopping Reclast infusions. It's all confusing!

[RubymyT]

it seems true with the injectables. I know Prolia causes spinal fractures with stopping

[uncountable3]

The biggest issue is that bone growth and bone resorption are coupled. With anabolics, bone growth is stimulated and for a while things are great. Bone growth races ahead of bone resorption and bones get denser. Unfortunately, the anabolics we have also stimulate resorption. After a while, the resorption catches up with bone growth so even though the drug is still "working" you aren't getting anywhere.

Antiresorptive agents like bisphosphonates work the other way. They suppress resorption. For a while, things are happy. Bone resorption is reduced but bone growth continues so bones get denser. But after a while, bone growth slows down too.

[dcdream in reply to uncountable3]

Yes, I understand that but it seems as though the meds create situations that require one to go off and on a variety of drugs for life, many of which cause other problems that then also require other meds for life. Troublesome and worrisome combined.