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Osteoporosis treatment: Medications can help
Which medications are commonly used for osteoporosis treatment?
How do most osteoporosis medications work?
How do you know if you're taking the right bisphosphonate?
When might other osteoporosis medications be used?
Can bisphosphonates hurt your bones?
How long should you take a bisphosphonate for osteoporosis treatment?
What happens if you break a bone while taking an osteoporosis medication?
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Which osteoporosis medications are usually tried first?
What are common side effects of bisphosphonate pills?
Do intravenous bisphosphonates have advantages over the pill form?
Can osteoporosis medications hurt your bones?
Should I take a drug holiday from bisphosphonates?
Are hormones used to treat osteoporosis?
How do osteoporosis medications work?
Which drugs help speed up the bone-building process?
Can medication alone successfully treat osteoporosis?
What happens if you break a bone while taking an osteoporosis medication?
Osteoporosis medications lower the chance of fracture, but they don't eliminate all risk of breaking a bone. If you have a fracture while on treatment, your doctor will reassess you to check for other problems that may have contributed to the broken bone.
Depending on the outcome of that assessment, you may be a candidate to switch to a more aggressive bone-building therapy such as teriparatide. Another option might be to switch to a newer type of osteoporosis drug called denosumab.