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Osteoporosis treatment: Medications can help

Which medications are commonly used for osteoporosis treatment? How do most osteoporosis medications work? How do you know if you're taking the right bisphosphonate? When might other osteoporosis medications be used? Can bisphosphonates hurt your bones? How long should you take a bisphosphonate for osteoporosis treatment? What happens if you break a bone while taking an osteoporosis medication? Content Which osteoporosis medications are usually tried first? What are common side effects of bisphosphonate pills? Do intravenous bisphosphonates have advantages over the pill form? Can osteoporosis medications hurt your bones? Should I take a drug holiday from bisphosphonates? Are hormones used to treat osteoporosis? How do osteoporosis medications work? Which drugs help speed up the bone-building process? Can medication alone successfully treat osteoporosis?

Which drugs help speed up the bone-building process?

Bone-building drugs include:

  • Teriparatide (Forteo)
  • Abaloparatide (Tymlos)
  • Romosozumab (Evenity)

These types of drugs are typically reserved for people who have very low bone density, who have had fractures or whose osteoporosis is caused by steroid medication.

Teriparatide and abaloparatide require daily injections. Studies in laboratory rats found an increase in the risk of bone cancer, so these medications are not used in people at high risk of bone cancer. So far, an increase in bone cancer has not been found in people who have taken these medications.

Romosozumab is given as a monthly injection at your doctor's office. It is a new drug and less is known about long-term side effects, but it is not given to people who have recently had a stroke or heart attack. Treatment stops after 12 monthly doses.

These bone-building drugs can be taken for only one or two years and the benefits begin disappearing quickly after you stop. To protect the bone that's been built up, you'll need to start taking a bone-stabilizing medication such as a bisphosphonate.

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