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Will Forteo Or Prolia Help Better To Treat Severe Osteoporosis?
Question: I am the care giver for a 87 year old female with severe osteoporosis.
She has had several compression fractures repaired with Kyphonplasty.
She has been refereed to a rheumatoid arthritis doctor.
He is recommending she start the protocols for Forteo. Now, her PCP is recommending Prolia.
Cost will be an issue, considering her age and history of 7 fractures, what should we be looking at as the best drug to slow the progression of the bone loss?
She has had several compression fractures repaired with Kyphonplasty.
She has been refereed to a rheumatoid arthritis doctor.
He is recommending she start the protocols for Forteo. Now, her PCP is recommending Prolia.
Cost will be an issue, considering her age and history of 7 fractures, what should we be looking at as the best drug to slow the progression of the bone loss?
Brief Answer:
Osteoporosis
Detailed Answer:
Good evening
Thank you for writing on health care magic
Kind of you to be taking care of her and inquiring more information..
Well, considering multiple fractures she has had, it is wiser to start medicines than be anti drug as it can impair her quality of life.
Both the drugs are equally good...
With Prolia, it is a good drug and comes with a convenience of being taken once in 6 months. But yes, it is expensive, does come with a few side effects like increased risk of infections as it is monoclonal antibody...But yes , more effective than the other drugs made...
Forteo is an equally good drug with less of side effects and helps in bone forming as well as stopping the further progression. Only side effect is daily injection( like insulin), for next 18 months. SO , if she s ok with taking injections I would recommend Forteo as the first line... If she still gets fractures after this, at least we then have Prolia as the backup...
Also, do ask her to take calcium vitamin D supplements...Without them, the injection holds no use...
Hope the information was useful
DO let me know for more queries
REgards
Dr Naval
Osteoporosis
Detailed Answer:
Good evening
Thank you for writing on health care magic
Kind of you to be taking care of her and inquiring more information..
Well, considering multiple fractures she has had, it is wiser to start medicines than be anti drug as it can impair her quality of life.
Both the drugs are equally good...
With Prolia, it is a good drug and comes with a convenience of being taken once in 6 months. But yes, it is expensive, does come with a few side effects like increased risk of infections as it is monoclonal antibody...But yes , more effective than the other drugs made...
Forteo is an equally good drug with less of side effects and helps in bone forming as well as stopping the further progression. Only side effect is daily injection( like insulin), for next 18 months. SO , if she s ok with taking injections I would recommend Forteo as the first line... If she still gets fractures after this, at least we then have Prolia as the backup...
Also, do ask her to take calcium vitamin D supplements...Without them, the injection holds no use...
Hope the information was useful
DO let me know for more queries
REgards
Dr Naval
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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