Evenity

[Sandy33]

Does anyone know whether you need to take a follow up drug after using Evenity? Like a bisphosphonate?

[Met00]

Yes, you only take it for a year, then it has to be followed by another medication, usually a bisphosphonate, just like Prolia (denosumab). It sounds like it carries a similar risk of rebound fractures if you don't take another med.

[Sandy33 in reply to Met00]

Thank you! I figured that was the situation, but wanted to double check. I am in a situation where I cannot take a bisphosphonate. So it makes any other types of meds a problem for me.

[Met00 in reply to Sandy33]

They don't all need a bisphosphonate afterwards, but that really does limit your options. Have you considered the "natural" route?

[Sandy33 in reply to Met00]

I have been doing the natural route with eating right, exercise and vitamins for a couple years now.

Do you know which meds do not need a follow up bisphosphonate afterwards?

[Met00 in reply to Sandy33]

There's info about them all here: theros.org.uk/information-a.....

[Sandy33 in reply to Met00]

Thank You!

[changegame]

Hi There - I am taking Evenity. it is an anabolic drug. I can only take it for a year and after that there are only 2 choices for patients: prolia or a bisphosphonate. I will take Reclast because it is too challenging for me to take pills. If a person doesn't follow an anabolic drug with prolia or a bisphosphonate they will not fracture (that only occur when stopping prolia with no followup drug), they will lose all of the gains from the bone building drug which means you have wasted your time and money. Those are the choices. Hope this helps.

[Sandy33 in reply to changegame]

Thanks

[changegame in reply to Sandy33]

If you go onto FaceBook, there are support groups for Evenity, Reclast and Osteoporosis etc. They can be informative and helpful.

[Sandy33 in reply to changegame]

Mine is just a bit of a more difficult situation since I cannot take a bisphosphonate. So that would rule out the drugs you take ahead of time that require a bisphosphonate afterward.

[changegame in reply to Sandy33]

please note that anabolic drugs require either prolia or a bisphosphonate. Prolia is not a bisphosphonate. However if you decide to follow Evenity with Prolia, I would suggest you join the prolia FB group. Once you agree to take Prolia, you have to take it for the rest of your life unless you can relay off of it with a bisphosphonate. Hope this makes sense. Please take care. All the best to you.

[Sandy33 in reply to changegame]

yes, thanks!

[Raleigh59]

my doctor said I will be on medicine the rest of my life with my osteoporosis. So it doesn’t seem to matter for me which one I do first.

I started with Tymlos daily self injections. I was nervous but it’s supposed to help to have regular daily medicine going in.

[Wyaatch in reply to Raleigh59]

Do you also have to take a follow up after tymlos?

[Raleigh59 in reply to Wyaatch]

yes! But idk if that’s bc it’s after Tymlos or bc of my bad “scores”

[HeronNS in reply to Wyaatch]

If it's like teriparatide (Forteo or Forsteo), yes, because there will otherwise be a decline in the bone density again. My understanding is the decline is not as dramatic or quick as after Prolia (and Evenity? Do we know yet?) but nevertheless something has to be taken.

[Wyaatch in reply to HeronNS]

I lost your message on aspirin for Osteo Arthritis that you take and maybe still take in lieu of other choices..I wanted to ask how much coated aspirin do you take?

[HeronNS in reply to Wyaatch]

You may be thinking of someone else as I do not take aspirin for OA. In fact all NSAIDs interfere with cartilage renewal and should not be taken more than necessary - say if you have a headache or something else which needs temporary relief.

My doctor did tell me to take coated aspirin when I was first diagnosed about 35 years ago, which I did for a short period of time thinking that it was actually a treatment which would improve the condition (it isn't). Then I learned about the connection with cartilage and stopped and have never since taken any other medication for osteoarthritis. These days I use Flexiseq on my knees and fingers and sometimes my feet. Flexiseq is a gel which contains no actual drugs.

[HeronNS]

Can you share your bone density score?

Have you ever had a fragility fracture?

[HeronNS]

I do not think there is a "friendly" osteoporosis medication. They are all hard on the body one way or another, and only bisphosphonates can be discontinued at any time and don't need to be followed up with - a bisphosphonate!

Some of the newer ones have black box warnings because of risk of death, risk of rebound fractures when discontinued, or risk of cancer, and this is why they are very limited in the length of time they can be taken.

I note you've been in this quandary for a couple of years. In that time has your doctor tested you for "secondary causes of osteoporosis" to make sure there's nothing other than normal aging (which can be dealt with naturally) going on?

osteoporosis.ca/medical-con...

[Sandy33 in reply to HeronNS]

Thanks for your response and totally agree about the lack of "friendly" osteoporosis med options. I had a test done concerning calcium levels and thyroid by regular doctor and then tried a functional doctor for further testing but really didn’t get any silver bullet answer. Very frustrating.

[HeronNS in reply to Sandy33]

I asked because a number of people who post on the forum, here and the American Bone Health one, have discovered there was a problem with their parathyroid glands (nothing really to do with thyroid, except their position in the body) and once that was sorted their bone density began to improve naturally.

[Sandy33 in reply to HeronNS]

Thanks! Definitely worth checking.

[Sandy33 in reply to HeronNS]

I actually have had that test and it came back within the normal range. So unfortunately, not a potential resolution for me.

[HeronNS in reply to Sandy33]

It's good that the proper checks were done.