Osteoporosis -what medication would you recommend

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DATNY
DATNY Member Posts: 358
edited October 2018 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

Hello everyone,

Hormone negative, Her2 positive here. I just finished my year of Herceptin and Perjeta and found out I have osteoporosis. I had TCHP last year and that stopped my periods which were regular until then (44 at diagnosis).

What would you recommend for osteoporosis treatment? What was your experience with the medication that you recommend (side effects, bone density improvement).

Also how is it possible that I have osteoporosis so soon after my period stopped (one year only). Thank you in advance for your comments!

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited October 2018

    DATNY,

    Are you taking an aromatase inhibitor (Aromasin, Femara, or Arimidex)? The AIs can quickly bring on osteoporosis, though I doubt you were prescribed one because you're hormone negative. When I started Aromasin in 2015, I was borderline osteopenic. Two years later, I had osteoporosis. I was intially prescribed Fosamax, which I took on a weekly basis. Then, my oncologist prescribed Prolia, a shot you get every six months. Neither of these meds had side effects for me. In terms of convenience, the Prolia beats the Fosamax. I will see whether or not the Prolia has worked in 2019, when I'm due for another dexascan. Good luck!

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  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 4,800
    edited October 2018

    I'm going to follow this thread as I just got dx'd with osteoporosis. I still had periods when I started chemo but haven't had any since, and I'm not taking any hormonal therapy. I'm just on the border of ostepenia/osteporosis with a score of -2.5

    Fwiw, I have read that abrupt ovarian shut down can trigger rapid bone loss. " ... more than 60% of women initiating chemotherapy are expected to experience ovarian failure within 1 year [10], which is associated with further significant and rapid declines in BMD [11]. " https://www.thebreastonline.com/article/S0960-9776(17)30593-3/fulltext

    My MO has referred me to an endocrinologist who specializes in breast cancer patients. I see him next Friday so I'll report back which he recommends. My GP wanted to start Prolia right away but I wanted to hear what the specialist thinks about zometa vs. prolia. I'm curious especially about which (if any) has any data about preventing bone mets. As I'm being treated as a triple neg & not getting hormone therapy, I want to boost my odds of preventing spread to bone.


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  • DATNY
    DATNY Member Posts: 358
    edited October 2018

    Thank you Elainetherese and moth. So I guess there isn't anything unusual, just expected. My score was -3, and all this happened within one year.

    Elainetherese, no, I don't take anyhhing anymore, although I so consider starting Neratinib, which is for her2+ cancer. Elainetherese, have you heard anything about potential long term effects of Promis. I've heard it could lead to some heart damage over time.

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