Following on from our previous article about drug based menopause treatments, here’s some more common drugs used to treat menopause in the past, and what you need to know about each one.
Tedparatide
(Forteo) is a new drug recently introduced for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. It consists of a small fragment of parathyroid hormone and induces the formation of new bone, increasing bone mineral density and bone strength, therefore reducing the chance of getting a fracture (although it is too recent to have long-term studies available).Teriparatide can be used by postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who are at a high risk for having a fracture. It can also be used by those who have had a fracture related to osteoporosis, or who have multiple risk factors for fracture, or who cannot use other osteoporosis treatments, Teriparatide is easily self-administered by daily subcutaneous injections (similar to insulin injections), with a maximum duration of treatment of I 8 months. In the UK it should only be prescribed by a specialist.
Bisphosphonates
Bisphosphonates are substances similar to pyrophosphate, a naturally occurring compound that interferes with the regulation of calcium metabolism and can help to prevent bone breakdown.
These substances had been known in the chemical industry for more than a century but their capacity as drugs only started to be investigated in the 1960s. Several less common conditions such as Paget’s disease and multiple myeloma (a form of bone cancer) were initially seen to benefit from these drugs. More recently some of them have been licensed for use in osteoporosis.
The eight bisphosphonates currently licensed by the CSM for treatment of human disease are alendronate (Fosamax), etidronate (Didronel), pamidronate (Aredia), ibandronate (Bondronat), nsedronate (Actonel), clodronate (Bonefos, Loron), tiludronate (Skelid) and zoledronic acid (Zometa). Whereas they have slightly different properties and may be tolerated differently by different individuals, they all work on the same principle: by inhibiting the osteoclasts – the cells that digest or resorb bones.The drugs
Really Are Prescription Drugs A Viable Menopause Treatment Part 2