Serious FORTEO Question

[anonymous]

My 24 year old daughter's Orthopedic Surgeon would like her to take FORTEO post total ankle replacement now almost 6 weeks after Surgery. Our Internist is concerned about her age taking this drug & is recommending not to do so, atleast not in the immediate future. The Internist is concerned this drug in conjunction with some of the medications she took as a young girl (she was born with arthritis) may effect her ability to bear children in the future? I would appreciate any feedback in regards to this & thank you for your assistance.

 

[anonymous]

My 24 year old daughter's Orthopedic Surgeon would like her to take FORTEO post total ankle replacement now almost 6 weeks after Surgery. Our Internist is concerned about her age taking this drug & is recommending not to do so, atleast not in the immediate future. The Internist is concerned this drug in conjunction with some of the medications she took as a young girl (she was born with arthritis) may effect her ability to bear children in the future? I would appreciate any feedback in regards to this & thank you for your assistance.

honestly bro, go talk with your doctor. this is not the place for medical advice. Yea we sell stuff, but we are not doctors. Please ask a professional. Now, if you want to complain about company car choices or hotel choices, THIS is the place for you! I hope you find a safe resolution to your situation.

 

[anonymous]

My car sucks!!!

 

[anonymous]

Sales reps are not physicians.

But frankly, since the time Forteo was launched, because it was such a different product for osteoporosis, most of the Drs we talked with knew almost nothing. The well trained specialty rep was a good resource.

The concern with young people was based on whether or not they had stopped growing as it was thought that the bone formation could cause bone plates to close. There was never any danger for anyone of child bearing age, and that idea is just ludicrous. It's parathyroid horomone, people, synthetic yes, but amino acid for amino acid in a change, identical to the first 34 and a chain of 84. Where the Dr got the idea that it would pose a danger for having children is frankly, nutty.

All that said, it is against the indication, but Orthopedic surgeons do use it and have since it was introduced, to speed bone healing, because it works.

Dr. Elliott Schwartz, Bay area, saved the career of washed up White Sox slugger Frank Thomas, who had a non union fracture in his ankle. He took Forteo after the Oakland A's picked him up on waiver, healed, and went on to earn an extra $50 million for the rest of his career. Other athletes like Donovan McNabb, healed quickly from a fracture and got back into the playoffs for the Eagles years ago. And pro golfer Brent Snedeker, diagnosed by Vanderbilt Endos with "low bone turnover" and was continually breaking ribs. After being put on Forteo he stopped fracturing and won the AT&T Pebble Beach tournament. These are a few of dozens of athletes who were successfully treated with Forteo.

Despite the lack of bone healing indication, doesn't mean it won't work.

But if you have a Dr who thinks it's going to present a problem for a young woman for future childbearing, probably time to find another Dr. Obviously if she got pregnant you wouldn't want to take Forteo because of unknown risk to a child in utero.