To: lanesharon
Unfortunately, medications can be so expensive. I do hope and pray that the Aredia infusions will help significantly. I won't have another dexa scan until March of 2005. My last one was in March of 2004. There was a slight improvement in some areas but at least I maintained the good improvement that was shown in March of 2003. I do have a follow up appointment with the doctor in August which is four months after starting the Forteo injections. I will have some blood tests before meeting with her.
Good luck,
Carol Kilduff
Carol,
The doctor told me today that my N-telopeptide values are extremely high, which means the osteo is well and active in my body. He said that I cannot expect too much from the Aredia for at least a year, and he does not expect my dexa scans in January to show any improvement. He said that I had a year and a half since the last dexa when I was not on medication. So, he actually expects the dexa to be much worse than the last one.
Plan is:
today I had liver function tests
another urine N-telopeptide sometime next week
next Aredia infusion on the 11th of June
more liver function blood tests one week after the infusion
Then, I hopefully leave to see my grandkids and kids. I would do the next infusion in September and at that point he may put me on monthly infusions and bump up the dose. I think that this doctor is doing an excellent job of monitoring and trying to treat my osteoporosis. I am lucky to have him.
I would imagine that the blood tests you are having are liver function tests. It is a good thing that you are getting treatments that improve your BMD, even if it is a slight improvement. Any amount on the plus side is good news.
I am not into all this myself (yet) but I must post to thank all of you for the generous information.
lanesharon wrote:I am a new member, so forgive me if I was supposed to introduce myself first. I have had osteoporosis for several years also. I tried Fosamax and Actonel, but both of them destroyed the lining of my intestines. I was off of everything for a while and my counts got worse.
My oncologist (I am a cancer survivor) recommended that I try Aredia infusions. I had my first 3 months ago and I am going for my second this coming week. The first infusion left me in really great shape the first week, but in the second week I had flu like symptoms. It wasn't too bad. I was told that the researchers are coming out with a new infusion that will only have to be done once a year. The good thing about Aredia is that it rebuilds bone mass.
I will let you all know how I do with it.
Have you tried to take low dose Fosamax, instead of the 70 mg tab?
