starting Forteo and scared - Osteoporosis Message Board

daisy5732 · 08-11-2006, 06:59 PM

I was diagnosed with osteoporosis 4 years ago. I have been on Fosomax
for 4 years and Fosomax AND Evista the last year. My T score is worse every year. My Dr says the only thing left to try is the Forteo injection.
I am scared to death to give myself a shot!!
Anyone else on Forteo that can tell me how they
got the courage for that first injection?
Help!

spinewhine · 08-11-2006, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daisy5732

I was diagnosed with osteoporosis 4 years ago. I have been on Fosomax
for 4 years and Fosomax AND Evista the last year. My T score is worse every year. My Dr says the only thing left to try is the Forteo injection.
I am scared to death to give myself a shot!!
Anyone else on Forteo that can tell me how they
got the courage for that first injection?
Help!

You sound like so many of us here. I was shaking the first time I gave myself the shot, being a complete needlephobe my whole life. If you fold up a bit of skin like they show you in the video that comes with the Forteo starter kit, you find out very quickly that it's no big deal. The shot is subcutaneous. It's a small needle that doesn't go in very deep. I can't say it's entirely painless but it's certainly no big deal. I'm astounded that it was so easy to get used to.

I started using my thighs, but later got up the courage to try the shots in the abdomen, after reading posts from people here. I actually found that to be easier and less painful. I guess I have some more flab in that area. Never thought that flab would be good for anything, but there you have it.

Best of luck to you. Try not to panic over the shots. They are truly easy to get used to.

Good luck to you.

taape · 08-11-2006, 11:25 PM

I was really nervous doing the first shot which I did at the doctor's office. My biggest fear wasn't the needle but that I would get immediately dizzy but I ddn't. This medication has been the best thing for me and really works to increase bone density. You'll get used to the shots, it's very easy and painless.

CrohnieToo · 08-12-2006, 09:25 AM

Hey, I'm the lady who couldn't see the needle for my children's childhood innoculation w/o dry heaving!! I was especially dubious about ANYONE, myself or anyone else, giving me a shot in the abdomen!!! Yeah, sure. So I insisted that when my doctor's nurse was to help me give my first shot myself that it be in the abdomen. I figured if I could do in the abdomen then I most certainly could do it in the thighs.

My hands were shaking, my tummy was queasy, I finally managed to stick the needle into a fold in my abdomen as shown - and knee jerk reaction immediately pulled it right back out!! Had to "stick" myself in another abdominal fold in order to actually inject the Forteo.

Ah! Success! Does wonders for the confidence and ego. I didn't fall apart, I didn't throw up, I didn't even drop the syringe. What's more it was a piece of cake! All that sweating and dreading ... for nothing as it turned out.

And in just 10 months on Forteo and vitamin D my T-scores improved to better then my 2005 DEXA and almost as good as my 1996 DEXA.

PikaB · 08-12-2006, 10:31 AM

The technique that works very well for me, is not to pull the needle out (after the injection); simply release the fold of skin, and it will instantly slip off of the needle.