Forteo™ is promoted as a rising star on the osteoporosis scene, a bone drug that actually builds new bone, rather than just halting bone loss. By various mechanisms, Forteo “tricks” the body into building substantial new bone mass and short-term studies show Forteo actually reduces fracture more than other bone drugs. Sure, it is very expensive and has to be given by daily self-administered injections, but still, the large bone density increases and unprecedented reduction of both spinal and hip fractures are impressive.
While all this sounds great, when we look more carefully, we see Forteo has a variety of serious drawbacks and side effects. First, it is experimental and poorly tested. It also brings with it a series of potential adverse effects. These adverse effects include the development of bone cancer in animals, the potential to cause excessive new bone formation, high blood calcium, nausea, immunologic responses, leg cramps, hypotension, depression, and dizziness. For these reasons (not to mention its expense), I do not think Forteo is a worthwhile option for the treatment of osteoporosis in the majority of patients.
To read my full analysis of the Forteo drug, see my article Forteo™ – is this bone drug too good to be true?.
We created the Osteo Blast blog as our forum to express opinions and educate the public about natural means of supporting and improving bone health and overall wellness. As part of this forum, we sometimes discuss medical issues and medications, and their effects on bone health in general. However, we cannot advise readers about specific medical issues in this forum. If you wish to obtain advice from Susan E. Brown, PhD, about your specific bone health and nutritional concerns, please visit our Consultations page. Other specific medical questions should be referred to your healthcare provider.