Forteo: New Drug for Osteoporosis

After I had my son, my doctor asked me whether I wanted to take birth control pills, which were new, at that time. My answer was that I would see what developed in the next 20 years, and then I MIGHT consider it. Considering the problems that emerged, I believe that I made the right decision.

According to your article, this bone density medication has possible serious side effects, and would only be used as a third line medication. I also don't think that a lot of people would be able (or willing) to inject themselves.

I believe that this medication will have some use for people with serious osteoporosis. For others, the Fosamax, Miacalcin, or calcitonin-salmon will have to do. I think, that with every medication, one must consider the risk/benefit ratio, especially when the drug does not have a sufficient longitudinal track record.

As for me, I'll take calcium supplements, and walk a lot!

According to my internist, the calcitonin doesn't have any benefit greater than that afforded by a placebo.

This was news to me, since this is a med that can be inhaled.

As far as injections, that should be a turn-off. But, since it stimulates new bone systhesis, that is a plus especially for the elderly. Insulin is now available in an inhaled form. Thus, it is possible that one day Forteo will be available in an inhaled form, also.

New Haven- My mom is 93. In her 70's she devloped temporal arteritis. She took prednisone for about five years, and was left with a nasty case of osteoporosis. At the same time (we found out later) my husband's friend had the same illness, and was put on an experimental protocol using injectible calcitonin-salmon. After a couple of years of the prednisone and the calcitonin, he had lost not a bit of bone mass.

When I found out about this, I told my mother's MD about the calcitonin, and he prescribed it for her. Subsequently, she has fallen a number of times- hard. I was always concerned about her breaking a hip, or deranging her hip replacement. She never broke anything. I have to give some of the credit to the medication. She injected herself for years, until she was too elderly to do it safely. Now she is using the spray.

Phoenix:
Are there any online sources on the relative potency of these anti-osteo drugs?

New Haven- I really don't know. I have heard that some of the newer drugs, like Fosamax, are supposed to build bone, but I don't have any studies to back that up. I suppose that you would have to go into the medical journals to find any information that would be worthwhile.

*I do, as usual, most strongly agree with
the points which Phoenix has already made. The issue
"to use a drug or not to use" has always been made based
on the risk versus benefit ratio. With a risk like the one in
this case, I find it hard to believe that many patients would
consider the juice worth the squeeze.
My own mother for example - never had hormone replacement
therapy & never took calcium after menopause-yet she hasn't
got osteoporosis. She is getting close to 80. Her sister, on the
other hand, does have it and had a broken hip about 10 years
ago.
*When I took a hiatus from practicing pharmacy (well, I only
worked part time for a year or two) I got into studying
molecular genetics at the Univ of Florida, and some of what
I learned was both fascinating & unbelievably new, exciting &
different to me.
*The scientific community is being led by research more &
more toward the scientific model that your genetic make up
KNOWS all about your every health condition before you ever
begin to experience it - and knows it from the moment you are
born. And also can predict the time and cause of your death,
barring your getting hit by a bus & or dying due to some other
kind of accident.
*Far reaching implications of this kind of new thinking & research,
when fully drawn out - make the special low fat diets for heart
disease & certain cardiovascular exercise programs and all manner
of things that doctors still routinely advise patients to do seem quite
likely to have no significance whatsoever. This would, of course
explain the high degree of interest that doctors are now showing in
getting to know what diseases are/were common in your family of
origin. The "new patient" information sheets you fill out at the
doctor's offices nowadays ask you all about who in your family
had what disease(s) This is now the norm.

Your mother did not take HRT nor calcium supplements.

Was her bone scan normal? If it was at the age of 80 years, I suspect that her diet was enriched in calcium sources and that she excercised or worked hard enough to build new bone tissue.

While I believe that genetics does play an important role, I also believe that epigentic regulation of metabolic activity is equally , if not important.

Also important to note that women are more susceptible to osteoporosis than men.

Among women, those most likely candidates for osteoporosis are white or Asian and often very thin.

I had a bone scan done when I was 47 and it showed that I had osteopenia, the precursor to osteoporosis. For a year I took calcium, and continued to exercise regularly. I thought maybe my bones would improve because of the calcium, but a subsequent bone scan showed that they stayed the same. Now I'm on fosomax, and hoping for an improvement on the next bone scan.

I've never heard of calcitonin, but if the fosomax doesn't improve my bone density, I'd be much more likely to try that than the Forteo. I've just turned 50 and can't believe that I already have thinning of the bones. thanks everybody for so much helpful information.

Does this tend to run in your family?

Be careful not to fall and break a hip or leg.

dream2020- Do you do any weight bearing exercise? Even walking is good for preventing bone loss.

I jog, and lift weights and have done so for many years. I'm somewhat slim, short and small-boned, taking after my father. He shrank quite a bit (4 inches) when he was in his sixties. My mother and sisters are short but heavy, and have no bone problems.

dream2020- I think that you are doing exactly the right thing. If I were you, I would continue to take the calcium though!

I try to, along with eating calcium-rich foods. I really don't want tom end up 4 1/2 feet tall with a dowager's hump.

Smoking is also a cause of osteoporosis.

You need 1.2 gm of calcium/day at a minimum. Are you getting this amount?

Osteoporosis, at age 38
I will make this short, for 6 months I suffered a great deal with severe Bone pain, finally went to the Doc they did numerous tests & decided to try a Bone density test. I came up T -2.2 Very severe for a 38 yr. old. I had broken several ribs from coughing, shattered my left hand simply hitting something on accident. Anyway I have taken Fosamax that made me violently throw up for 6 out of 7 days of the week, the benefit though was the bone pain stopped immediately, well they took me off it and switched me to Miacalcin (Nasal Spray). Well the Bone pain is back & it is getting worse, Please let me know if anyone has had these symptoms from the Meds. I have taken HRT since age 23 (Hysterectomy) and the HRT truly does not protect you from Osteoporosis, as I am Living Proof of that.
Sincerely,
Kim

One thing to do, is to check with your pharmacist to be sure you're following the patient instructions , when taking Fosamax.

New Haven- I have a number of friends who take Fosamax, and they say that it is a pain in the butt, because of how you have to take it. I forgot exactly what they said, so I found this:

Link to Fosamax instructions.