forteo

I JUST STARTED THE DRUG FORTEO. THE ONLY SIDE EFFECT I AM HAVING IS A HEADACHE. BUT LAST JUST FOR A SHORT TIME. I REALLY HOPE THIS DRUG WORK. WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM SOME ONE TAKING THIS MEDICINE

THANKS,
MARYJANE

I'm just starting Forteo and have concerns about the problem with bone cancer. Is there anyone that has been on the drug for some period of time. Since it's such a new drug, doesn;t seem to be much data. Would appreciate hearing about the experiences others have had with this drug. Thanks Letty-Feb 27, 2005

marmot wrote:

My wife has been on forteo since March 2003 with great results (10%) bone increase on annual scan. We have made three overseas trips including river cruises, bus tours and car rental independent travel. Buses, hotels, river boats and B&B's have accomodated refrigeration (sometimes at the bar refrig). We used a freeze gel pack and icebox in the rental car. Get one that plugs into the lighter. All are 12V. On the flight the best solution we found is a wide mouth thermos with ice cubes. It will stay cold more than 24 hrs.

Like "marmot" I travel a lot. I started Forteo a couple of months ago. The shots are painless, and I have experienced no side-effects, but keeping the pen cold when I travel is a major problem.
I am delighted that someone else has tried the wide-mouth thermos solution with success. I made do on a the westward part of complicated trip across the country with a combination of techniques, but it was stressful making sure the temperature stayed in the right range.
The wide-mouth stainless steel thermos I ordered for our return trip should be here in a few days. Some preliminary experiment with a thermometer reassured me that prolonged submersion in water and ice did not actually put the reading down to 0 degrees centigrade, and I suspect that the actual freezing temperature of the Forteo solution may be a bit lower than that of water. I will try to confirm that before we start back in a week on the long and complicated route home. I still have a little concern about whether the pen is water-tight, but have discovered that a 1-quart freezer bag with double walls seems to be, so will encase the Forteo pen in that when I put it in the thermos. I should have time to experiment with temperature range and duration of adequate cold using cracked ice alone vs. ice in water before we leave.
This trip we're on is one with a lot of car travel on either end of the cross-country flight-with-on-connection. The 3-hour travel pack supplied barely lasted from our door to the plane, and would not definitely not last from the door of our vacation home to the airport on this side! If the thermos solution works as well as I hope (and "marmot's" posting is elating) it's clearly the way to go for such complex domestic trips as well as the ones to the other side of the world.
My husband and I travel a LOT, and really need something that will keep my Forteo safe for 24 hours. Lilly customer service currently doesn't offer real help to people like us, and they should start considering the realities of modern life. Not all of us with low bone density stay at home. This fall my husband has a professional trip to Paris and Portugal, and one to China is coming up. I see no need to choose between doing something for my bones and continuing to enjoy such travel with him. Good for you, "marmot"!

I've read the posted travel trips and need to know if others have had success is the wide mouth thermos solution? We are traveling to Europe and need to assure that the drug is good for a 12 -16 hour trip.

In addition, what type of thermometer have you found, and where, to measure the temperature of the drug in the pouch?