Posted , 13 users are following.
Discontinuing denosumab (Prolia) can lead to vertebral fracture, apparently not related to the underlying osteoporosis, but to the development of microcracks in the bones from denosumab. Advice is to replace denosumab, not go cold turkey off the med. Sounds like this drug is ripe for lawsuits, and perhaps should be discontinued.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27732330
2 likes, 72 replies
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allison72169 Anhaga
Posted
Other bisphosphonate drugs, e.g., Fosamax and Reclast, have the same mechanism of action as Prolia. It would stand to reason that any of these drugs can cause microcracks, especially after long-term use, e.g., a few years. The bisphosphonates also share the characteristic of having an exceedingly long half-life, which is the length of time they remain in the body -- up to ten years. Despite being widely prescribed, there's no a clear understanding, scientifically, of exactly how these drugs work or of whether the bone density that they're touted as preventing is equivalent to bone strength. Whether the drugs may actually be producing bone that is more brittle and thus prone to breakage/microcracks still seems to be an open question.
Anhaga allison72169
Posted
I believe it's been known for a long time that the bisphosphonates can cause these terrible things to happen to bones. The information about denosumab was, I believe, also known for a few years, but it recently (well, now a few months ago) hit mainstream media. Initially I think the concerns about denosumab focused on the effect it has on the immune system, but it appears that rebound osteoarthritis is the main concern after all. It seems like there is actually a distinction between the classic bisphosphonates and denosumab, because it is clearly stated in the recent literature that the osteoporosis which occurs after discontinuing denosumab is a direct result of stopping denosumab. The fractures caused by the bisphosphonates occur while still on the medication and are a result of new bone being laid over the aging matrix, aging because prevented from doing so by the bisphospohonates.
Anhaga
Posted