There are lots of options to treat and manage your osteoporosis so that your bones don't continue to become weak and brittle. Weight-bearing exercises, dietary changes, hormone replacement therapy, vitamins, and medications can all be used to manage osteoporosis. One medication you may want to consider is abaloparatide. Read on to learn more about this medication.
What is Abaloparatide?
This medication is a man-made form of a parathyroid hormones. Ideally, the parathyroid glands in your body make enough parathyroid hormones (PTH), which help your body keep a good balance of phosphorous and calcium. However, people with osteoporosis may not have enough PTH. Abaloparatide acts like PTH, so that your body can produce enough phosphorous and calcium. Phosphorous and calcium are essential components for the formation and health of bones. So this medicine can help to prevent bone loss and prevent bone fracture.
Who is a Good Candidate for this Medication?
Only your doctor can tell you whether or not you are a good candidate for this medication, but typically abaloparatide is used for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who have a high risk of bone fracture. Some people, like those with a family history of cancer, may not be a good fit for this type of medication.
How Do You Take it?
This medication can take some getting used to because you need to inject it under the skin. Your doctor can teach you how to prepare and take the medication since you will need to take it at the same time each day. You will also need to keep a sharps container in a safe place—like a bathroom cupboard—as you don't want to throw injection pens and needles into the garbage can. Your doctor, pharmacist, or another healthcare provider can set you up with a sharps container.
Are There Any Side Effects?
Some people may be allergic to abaloparatide, so you'll need to reach out to your doctor if you experience any skin rashes, itching, swelling, etc. so your doctor can change your medication. Some people may experience temporary side effects like constipation, muscle weakness, nausea, fatigue, and low blood pressure as they adjust to the medication. Ideally, you shouldn't experience any side effects—and if you do, they should be temporary so that the benefits of the medication outweigh the symptoms.
Are There Any Studies Showing Its Efficacy?
One study found that menopausal women who were also dealing with diabetes were able to see significant improvements in their bone mineral density (BMD) compared to the placebo group.
Another study showed that abaloparatide could reduce more vertebral fractures and non-vertebral fractures than a placebo group. Hypercalcemia—where too much calcium in the blood causes bone weakening—was also less prevalent in patients who took abaloparatide compared to another medication.
As you can see, there are promising results that show that this medication can help your osteoporosis. Like every medication or treatment, you should weigh the pros and cons with your doctor and make sure that an abaloparatide injection to treat osteoporosis will suit your body's needs.
