Hello Everyone, this is my first post. I had my first Teriparatide injection today (Brand name Teva). A nurse from Alcura, the company that delivered the drug, came to show me how to inject. I bled at the site of the injection (is this normal) and in minutes I had severe cramping pains in my lower back that shot up my spine and took 45 minutes to settle down. The nurse was trying to insist that I must have had this before (I hadn’t) and it wasn’t a listed side effect (it is apparently) he was in a hurry to have his paper signed and then leave. I’ve managed finally to speak to an Alcura pharmacist who agreed it isn’t common but it doesn’t happen and has to be reported, she’s told me to call the consultant’s secretary and she is emailing him too. Has anyone else experienced this? I’m loathe to experience it again as it was pretty extreme. If the consultant doesn’t get back to me I don’t know what to do.
Hi JoniVe, I’m fairly new to the group myself but have found it v useful in terms of others experience ( along with the FB group Osteoporosis Uk) I’m on teriparatide ( Sondelbay) and had my first injection 2 weeks ago. I occasionally get a spot of blood at the site of injection, and occasionally I also feel a sting as I inject, but those are the only things I’ve experienced. I’m so sorry to hear you had such a destabilising experience with your first injection- the nurse doesn’t sound very supportive. I’m not medically qualified in any way but I wonder - do you think you might have hit a nerve? You could ring the ROS nurses tomorrow and get some reassurance and advice. I hope it’s a one off experience for you. All the best, P
Thanks LadyP, as you say very destabilising and scary. I’ve just recovered nicely from a broken hip and the latest spinal fractures and felt healthy for the first time in ages too.
Hi JoniVe,
Welcome to our community, thank you for sharing with us here 
It really understandable to feel uncertain about the next steps as you mention how difficult the experience was for you. We’d warmly welcome you to get in touch with our helpline of specialist osteoporosis nurses if you’d like to chat through your situation further.
For anyone coming across this conversation looking to learn more about Teriparatide, we have lots of information on our website: Teriparatide
We also hope you can keep reaching out here, as it’s so important we don’t feel alone in our health journey
Wishing you the very best,
Lulu
ROS Moderator
I have been on teriparatide injections for nearly a year now. Sometimes I get that pain in my back which lasts for about 15 mins and sometimes I don’t. The staff at the endocrine dept of a large teaching hospital which look after me told me that it is nothing to worry about and apart from the brief discomfort there doesn’t seem to be.
Sometimes a very small blood vessel can be caught by the needle as it is injected because they are difficult to see and avoid. There can be a tiny bit of bleeding and a bruise. I have done this several times but nothing to worry about. You will get used to having your injections and I hope that over the two years it helps with your bones.
Ah thank you Littlechi the pharmacist I spoke to said to wait to hear from the consultant and I haven’t heard so I’m not taking it today. I will have to check with him and start again on Monday as it’s the weekend.
I’m on Tymlos (not sure what called in UK) and honestly been fine. I think the thing with Forteo (your drug) is you start out right at full dose. The Tymlos pen has “clicks” so you can actually titrate up IF your doctor approves, which mine did. I started at 2 clicks and then over 2.5 weeks titrated up. I think that helped me a LOT wrt side effects, gave my body time to get used to the medicine. Would it be possible for you to inject every other day or to switch to Tymlos where you can do titration IF your doctor approves? I do want to say too I had my 3 month blood work and it was very positive for bone markers improvement. Need patience to wait for the next DEXA.
Sorry about this side effects. Keep a diary and report to doc?
BTW Tymlos is also daily injections, I have def bruised myself a few times. Am small so finding fat in the belly is a challenge.
Good luck!
Hi JoniVe
That sounds like such an unpleasant experience.
I am reaching the end of my second month on the Sondelby Teriparatide,and have had same experiences as LadyP. Odd occasion of sting, blood or bruise - ive always got at least one fading bruise on my abdomen! But never any back pain like you described.
I feel a little bit nauseous for about 5 mins but it soon clears, and I take it as part of my bed time routine for that reason.
I strongly recommend chatting with the ROS nurses, they have been incredible support to me on several occasions to me during my Journey (diagnosed 10 months ago) and they give you the time that no-one else can or will.
Take care and I hope your experience improves. X
Hi I’ve just finished my 2year course of Teriparatide (Mylomia) and I’m waiting for a DEXA scan and hoping against hope that things have improved.
I’m so sorry to hear about your experience I would advise to stay with it. For the first 4 to 6 months I had pain in the top of my leg and developed a limp, I saw the Physio and thankfully the symptoms eased to nothing.
Good luck with your meds
Hello, I’m sorry to here of your reaction to Teriparatide. I injected it daily for nearly 4 months with difficult reactions. Intense deep bone pain, dizziness, bad headaches & nausea. Most of these subsided over a couple of months except the bone pain which was worse at night & became unmanageable, severely affecting my well being. The Rheumatologist was loathe to stop it, saying it was the best treatment for me. Once I did it took several months to clear the symptoms. I am now on Denosumab and have only had one 6th monthly injection with mild side effects for a few days.
Also I’m not sure how to post a new question…apologies if this is not the right way to do it. I’m looking into having Bone Marker Tests privately, as they are not available on NHS. Can anyone advise how to organise this. Matilda
I found the nurse visit incredibly stressful and there wss a total lack of any kind of support.
I do 10 minutes of meditation using the calm app before doing my injections, and once I got used to the practical steps of doing it I felt OK.
I did it daily for 11 months. Then had a 6 weeks pause of treatment and had DEXA scan. Consultant phoned me today, Ive agreed to resume it.
I did have some side effects, risk/benefit for me, I made the decision to resume treatment. I will see how I feel this time.
Good luck.
I use spot plasters from Amazon. Most of the time there isn’t any bleeding. Sometimes there is. I have a tissue nearby.