@gouf78 My dentist is aware that I take alendronate, and isn’t thrilled. At the beginning, he gave me a stem lecture about the importance of staying on top of my dental hygiene, which I do. I’m 3 years in with 2 to go, so at this point I’m not going to ask him if he’s seen any cases of the jaw problem. The decision is made, and my last DEXA showed very good results. In addition to the Fosamax, I take my calcium supplements faithfully and I do weight training.
My Vit D also registered low normal despite supplements and living in a pretty sunny place. I might need to up mine, too.
With the Prolia if I have to have any serious dental work (not just crowns or normal cleaning, fillings etc) I need to work around the Prolia schedule to minimize risk.
^ cardiologist told me vitamin d must be taken with some fat to be absorbed, even he realized he was taking it with low fat breakfast and hence his levels remained low.
I take mine with breakfast which has a big glob of peanut butter.
I didn’t know about the fat and Vitamin D. I guess I will shift to taking at dinner time.
MOWC curious how much you take daily ?? I have friends who are taking mega doses for deficiency, she sees experts in NYC - seems like high doses but maybe needed ? Curious if you don’t mind me asking.
I’ve been taking the 2000 IU softgel in the morning. It’s just one tiny soft capsule. I think that is a pretty high dose, but that seems to be what is recommended. When I was diagnosed about 5 years ago as REALLY low, I had to do a regimen (I think prescription) of very high dosage for a couple of months.
I also take the 2000 IU softgel, and it brought me from seriously deficient to right where I should be.
I take 32,000 per week – averages out to 4500/day. That’s what it took to move me out of the very bottom of the normal range, and to have decent PTH levels. I try to get sun exposure – but I live in the cold north, so for 5 month of the year I get very little sun. I may lower that number a bit over the summer.
Article addressing absorption rates of vitamin d and calcium
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/ask-well-eating-fat-to-boost-vitamin-d-and-calcium/?_r=0
Wow. Just wow.
I had my first Prolia injection on 5/20. I just got the EOB from my insurance company.
Amount billed for the injection was $1,200. Amount allowed was $936.60, of which I’ll need to pay 20%, or $187.32. OK.
Then there is also a charge for “Non-hormonal anti-neoplastic chemotherapy beneath the skin or into muscle” for $83.76, of which I’ll pay 20%, or $16.75.
I’m not complaining about the amount I have to pay – I can handle that – but at the cost of the drug, and at the whatever-the-hell that extra charge is.
OK. Here’s what a little research shows: https://www.aapc.com/blog/31464-prolia-denosumab-j0897-administration/
Good grief. Medical coding is crazy.
Wow. I’ll have to see what happens with mine. I got this co-pay card that is supposed to cover my out of pocket expenses. I’m not sure how all that works.
VeryHappy- have you noticed anything? I think I am having some fatigue and muscle soreness. I hope it goes away. I’ve read some things that indicate that the first month can have some side effects in particular. I’m a little paranoid (well partly because I know someone who had the femur fracture on Boniva) about a femur fracture.
I also thought the shot burned pretty much. Not unbearable, but much worse than Forteo. They made me sit for 20 minutes afterwards to make sure I didn’t have an alleged reaction. That’s just for the first time.
I’m feeling absolutely nothing. Still working out as I always have been, sleeping no more or less than I always have been, eating as much as I always have been. Actually, I did a bunch of leg exercises a week ago and certainly felt it the next day or so, but that’s now faded. I really don’t think it had to do with the injection.
MOWC, where did you get the co-pay card from – your doc?
I go to a doc at Vanderbilt, and my experience with the Vandy Diabetes Clinic (which houses all the endocrinologists) has been shockingly positive. They gave me a lot of free Forteo, and now gave me the co-pay card and ran down all my approvals with insurance. The lady at Vandy who chased down my benefits for his med gave me her name and direct line (without me asking) in case I have any trouble.
I am running OK, and it might just be the terrible heat, but I just feel a little off. I’m very sensitive to meds, though.
I’m going to ask my endo about the co-pay card. Thanks for the tip.
How long ago did you get the shot?
A week ago. June 9. The copay card is basically a debit card and is issued by the manufacturer.
So I very reluctantly agreed to one year of fosamax in December. I am very sensitive to most drugs and suffer many side effects when I have to take drugs . After 4 months, I had gained 15 pounds (most in first 6 weeks), was nauseous most of every day (worst was day after taking weekly pill), and my first patient presented with ONJ. I quit immediately after that.
In 2.5 months, I’ve dropped the weight without dieting , no longer nauseous. The jaw issue frightened me as my mouth is heavily restored and I won’t make it through life without an extraction or two, plus getting some dental implants.
The extra calcium and D upset my stomach, so I try to take them with food, but easier if I take them on alternating days. And I walk daily.
My endo told me I had to have the calcium by food but the vit D could be by supplement. I have found that the cheddar and mozzarella cheese sticks (like for kids lunches are 200 mg) or swiss cheese, yogurt ,and fat free organic milk are very tolerable. The vit D is taken with dinner. My stomach does not like a lot of food either. Oh yeah, the hot chocolate mix ( I am sure is a supplement) is really good with morning coffee or at night. It has 300 mg calcium.
Thanks @rockymtnhigh. I don’t like milk products very much, so 2/3 cup of 1% organic white milk mixed into oatmeal and 16 ounces of 1% chocolate milk daily is it. Maybe I’m somewhat lactose intolerant…but I don’t get enough calcium from foods so supplements it is.