Major Osteoporosis, Osteopenia medications : description, effectiveness.

Osteopenia medications; Osteoporosis drugs. Many health care providers use pharmaceutical drugs as the foundation of their treatments for bone loss.

Here is a site that attempts to provide you will up to date research on each drug's effectiveness and side effects

Pharmaceutical drugs for bone loss are classified by type:

Bisphosphonates  

These  interfere with the work of osteoclasts. (The bone cells that remove old bone.) Thus bisphosphonates slow bone loss by reducing the removal old bone.

The major bisphosphonates distributed in tablet form:

Bisphosphnates given by infusion rather than pill form are forms of Zolendronic acid, a bisphosophate. Some health care providers prefer these forms since the drugs are administered once or twice a year and so do not depend on patients 'remembering to take their medications'.

Calcitonin . Calcitonin works by inhibiting the work of osteoclasts (cells that remove old bone). This osteopenia medication can be administered by injection or by nasal spray. The nasal spray is used once a day and it can be taken at any time of the day. It has fewnegative side effects. Some report a 'runny nose'. Calcitonin has been shown to decrease spinal fractures and increase bone density of spinal vertebrae by 2.4% when used as directed for two years. If you want to read more about this Osteopenia / Osteoporosis medication go to Calcitonin

MIV-711 is a potential new medication. It is currently in trials. To read more click on MIV-711

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) - Sometimes called Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT). HRT has been approved for both the treatment and prevention of Osteoporosis. HRT slows the accelerated bone loss that occurs in most women during and right after menopause. There are a number of serious risks with HRT including an increased lifelong risk of endometrial cancer and increased lifelong risk of breast cancer. Any woman considering HRT as an osteopenia medication needs to discuss both benefits and risks with her health care provider - especially if she has a family history of cancer or other cancer risk factors.

In Japan and Italy, there is a drug called Ipriflavone which is marketed under different names. In other countries Ipriflavone can be bought as a natural supplement.

Parathyroid medication:  Abaloparatice thymos

RANK Ligand inhibitor. There is a new medication Densoumab which as passed its clinical trials. It is marketed by Amagen under the name Prolia If you want to read about it, go to Denosumab ( Prolia) an injection for better bones

Strontium ranelate - Protelos is a new drug which both stimulates the osteoblasts and inhibits the osteoclasts. Information can be found at Protelos Strontium- malonate is in clinical trials in the USA. If you live in a country where this medication has not yet been approved, you may want to check out Natural strontium

Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators:Although SERMS sometimes act like estrogen, they are not estrogens.  Evista . There is a newer Serm on the market Bazedoxifene or Conbriza. 

Statin drugs Osteoporosis. If you are taking drugs to lower cholesterol you might be helping your bones. See: Statins Osteoporosis

Teriparatide or Forteo is a medication sometimes prescribed for spinal Osteoporosis. Although Forteo is not usually prescribed for Osteopenia, I include it since so many readers have asked me to add a page about it. Go to Forteo

Testosterone drug Androgel for men.

Thiazide diruretices are often prescribed for hypertension. But researchers have concluded "These findings suggest the possibility of a preventive or therapeutic role for thiazides in osteoporosis". A study published in Lancet in 1989. done by the Department of Preventive Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee. concluded that thiazides protect against Osteoporosis in elderly people. Read more at: Osteopenia Medications -Thiazide Diuretics Although most health care providers do not usually think of thiazide diuretics as osteopenia medication, if you have hypertension you may want to raise this in your discussion of your osteopenia care plan.

Other Osteoporosis, Osteopenia medications with a 'side effect' of aiding bone density are Beta Blockers

New Osteopenia medications:

New medications:

Special Osteopenia medications: Vitamin D - in prescription form :

Some resources used in creating this page:
Karine Bohme with Frances Budden, MD. The Silent Thief. 2001.

Nancy E. Lane, MD. The Osteoporosis Book 1999.

Read about More Osteopenia Treatments at: Osteoporosis and Osteopenia treatments