Stories from Women Like You
Four different women with postmenopausal osteoporosis at high risk for fracture talk about Prolia®. Click below to hear their stories. These stories are examples of typical patients—not the experiences of actual patients.
Karen, 71 talks about Prolia®
This is an example of a typical patient and is not an actual patient.
Last year I fractured my wrist.
It was my left wrist. I should be glad it wasn't my right.
The moment I fell—I've played that moment over so many times in my head... if I had stepped here instead of there... I wouldn't have stumbled... I felt so clumsy.
My doctor said, Karen, you didn't get a fracture from being clumsy, you got a fracture from having weak bones.
Oh.
What do you mean I have weak bones?
He explained that my bone density T-score was minus 2.9, and that meant I had postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Told me all about it—how common it is among women after menopause; how your bones lose their density and can become brittle or weak; the risk of fractures; all of that. And what I could do to help strengthen my bones.
I'm an active person. I teach. And I want to keep teaching. I have some good years left in me! So I'm doing everything my doctor told me to do to help strengthen my bones.
My doctor prescribed Prolia®. He said it's approved for women with postmenopausal osteoporosis who have an increased risk for fractures.
That's me.
We looked at the Medication Guide together, and he explained the side effects I might experience.
He also explained how Prolia® works—that it helps stop the development of bone-removing cells before they cause bone loss.
It's not a pill, it's a shot every six months. That part—one shot every six months—I like that and it works for me.
And I'm doing everything else my doctor said. Vitamin D every day. Calcium supplements. Exercising.
I have had my first Prolia® shot, and have my second one scheduled. And I know I'm doing what I can to help protect my bones against fracture.
I tell my students that every setback is an opportunity—but it's up to you to take advantage of it.
Well, for me, fracturing my wrist was a wake-up call. It was an opportunity to pay attention and start doing all I can to help strengthen my bones.
The end-result is, I'm trying to take much better care of my bones than I was a year ago.
Here's some Important Safety Information you should know about Prolia®:
If you receive Prolia® you should not receive XGEVA®. Prolia® contains the same medicine as XEGVA® (denosumab). Prolia® can cause serious side effects, including low calcium levels in your blood. Your low blood calcium must be treated before you receive Prolia®. Take calcium and vitamin D as your doctor tells you to while you receive Prolia®.
Serious infections in your skin, lower stomach area (abdomen), bladder, or ear may happen. Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endocarditis) due to an infection may also happen more often in people who take Prolia®. You may need to go to the hospital for treatment.
Prolia® is a medicine that may affect your immune system. People who have weakened immune systems may have an increased risk for developing serious infections.
Skin problems such as inflammation of your skin (dermatitis), rash, and eczema have been reported. Severe jaw bone problems may happen. Your doctor should examine your mouth before you start Prolia®.
Before taking Prolia®, tell your doctor if you are taking a medicine called XGEVA (denosumab), have low blood calcium, cannot take daily calcium and vitamin D, had parathyroid or thyroid surgery, have been told you have trouble absorbing minerals in your stomach or intestines, have kidney problems or are on kidney dialysis, plan to have dental surgery or teeth removed, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding or plan to breast-feed.
The most common side effects of Prolia® are back pain, pain in your arms and legs, high cholesterol, muscle pain, and bladder infection.
One thing I did get out of all of this is, it's good to talk to your doctor! Ask your doctor what you should be doing about your bones. Ask your doctor if Prolia® might be right for you.
Please see Prolia® full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide
Julia, 60 talks about Prolia®
This is an example of a typical patient and is not an actual patient.
I find a lot of joy in my grandkids.
This is Leo, that's Zach—he's a handful.
They're boys—real rough-and-tumble boys. I've always been someone who tries to keep up. I had brothers. I raised two sons.
Now, I have to remind myself—Jules, they're the boys. You're the grandma.
You can chase them, but you don't need to wrestle them!
When my doctor diagnosed me with postmenopausal osteoporosis, to me that meant: I've got to take care of my bones.
My mom has pretty severe osteoporosis. A few years back she had a fracture in her spine. She's so cautious now. She's scared to even carry her groceries anymore. She relies on me a lot.
And that's ok... watching her, it's a reminder every day: I want to do everything I can to help strengthen my bones.
So, taking a medication for postmenopausal osteoporosis seemed like a no-brainer to me. The first medication I went on was a pill and it was giving me a lot of heartburn. That pill just was not agreeing with me.
I felt like I was getting bad heartburn almost every time I took it. So I talked to my doctor. Based on the trouble I was having, she suggested I try something else.
So she told me about Prolia®.... said it was for women like me with postmenopausal osteoporosis who have an increased risk for fractures.
She told me: it helps protect bones from fracture and helps strengthen bones; said it works by helping to stop the development of the cells that can weaken your bones. And that it's a shot under the skin, every six months, right in my doctor's office.
We also talked about the possible side effects I might experience while taking Prolia®. She gave me a copy of the Medication Guide to take home. She said it was important that I take calcium and vitamin D every day while I receive Prolia®.
Not having a pill to swallow and digest—for me, that's really a good thing.
So I'm taking Prolia®. Twice a year. And I'm doing all the rest too: Taking my calcium and vitamin D. Getting my exercise. Going to my doctor, getting my bone density scan.
I've got grandkids to keep up with. Gotta do all I can to help strengthen these bones!
Here’s some Important Safety Information you should know about Prolia®:
If you receive Prolia® you should not receive XGEVA®. Prolia® contains the same medicine as XEGVA® (denosumab). Prolia® can cause serious side effects, including low calcium levels in your blood. Your low blood calcium must be treated before you receive Prolia®. Take calcium and vitamin D as your doctor tells you to while you receive Prolia®.
Serious infections in your skin, lower stomach area (abdomen), bladder, or ear may happen. Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endocarditis) due to an infection may also happen more often in people who take Prolia®. You may need to go to the hospital for treatment.
Prolia® is a medicine that may affect your immune system. People who have weakened immune systems may have an increased risk for developing serious infections.
Skin problems such as inflammation of your skin (dermatitis), rash, and eczema have been reported. Severe jaw bone problems may happen. Your doctor should examine your mouth before you start Prolia®.
Before taking Prolia®, tell your doctor if you are taking a medicine called XGEVA (denosumab), have low blood calcium, cannot take daily calcium and vitamin D, had parathyroid or thyroid surgery, have been told you have trouble absorbing minerals in your stomach or intestines, have kidney problems or are on kidney dialysis, plan to have dental surgery or teeth removed, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding or plan to breast-feed.
The most common side effects of Prolia® are back pain, pain in your arms and legs, high cholesterol, muscle pain, and bladder infection.
Boys! Cookies!
It was important to me to get a good understanding from my doctor of how Prolia® works, and how it can help to strengthen my bones. What I would say now, to anyone who's dealing with postmenopausal osteoporosis, is "Maybe you should talk to your doctor about your management plan."
Please see Prolia® full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide
Elizabeth, 67, talks about Prolia®
This is an example of a typical patient and is not an actual patient.
It really had not crossed my mind that I could have postmenopausal osteoporosis.
I'm a very active person. I volunteer a lot. I'm on my feet; I may not be as young as I used to be, but I feel strong.
My doctor said I should get tested, because: I'm over 65; I'm past menopause; and my mom broke her hip when she was 68. My doctor said those are all factors that would raise my risk of having osteoporosis.
So I got tested— I had my bone density scan. Well, my results were really not good. My T-score was very low. My bones are weak. And it turns out my vitamin D level is low too.
My doctor said, you do have postmenopausal osteoporosis, and you need to know you're at increased risk for fractures.
When I heard that, my first thought was, am I going to have to stop doing the things I'm doing? Ushering at the theater—I love that! And I'm on my feet, I'm walking stairs. Am I going to break something?
My doctor said, to reduce my risk of breaking a bone, we needed to talk about a management plan for helping to strengthen my bones.
Okay then. Tell me how!
We talked about finding the right treatment for me, finding a treatment that would help protect my bones from fracture, help to strengthen them, and fit with my lifestyle.
She said it wasn't enough to stop my bones from getting weaker. We're going to work on helping to make them stronger. I liked that. Stronger bones.
My doctor prescribed Prolia®. She said it's for women like me with postmenopausal osteoporosis at increased risk for fractures and explained how it works—that it helps stop the development of bone-removing cells before they can weaken your bones.
We talked about the things I might experience while taking Prolia®—both the benefits and the side effects.
And another thing is—it's a shot under the skin, given once every six months in my doctor's office. That kind of schedule is a big plus for me.
So now I'm trying to do the things I need to do. I'm eating the right foods. I make sure I get my calcium, my vitamin D that my doctor recommended, and I walk every day.
I'm proud of myself for that.
Here’s some Important Safety Information you should know about Prolia®:
If you receive Prolia® you should not receive XGEVA®. Prolia® contains the same medicine as XEGVA® (denosumab). Prolia® can cause serious side effects, including low calcium levels in your blood. Your low blood calcium must be treated before you receive Prolia®. Take calcium and vitamin D as your doctor tells you to while you receive Prolia®.
Serious infections in your skin, lower stomach area (abdomen), bladder, or ear may happen. Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endocarditis) due to an infection may also happen more often in people who take Prolia®. You may need to go to the hospital for treatment.
Prolia® is a medicine that may affect your immune system. People who have weakened immune systems may have an increased risk for developing serious infections.
Skin problems such as inflammation of your skin (dermatitis), rash, and eczema have been reported. Severe jaw bone problems may happen. Your doctor should examine your mouth before you start Prolia®.
Before taking Prolia®, tell your doctor if you are taking a medicine called XGEVA (denosumab), have low blood calcium, cannot take daily calcium and vitamin D, had parathyroid or thyroid surgery, have been told you have trouble absorbing minerals in your stomach or intestines, have kidney problems or are on kidney dialysis, plan to have dental surgery or teeth removed, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding or plan to breast-feed.
The most common side effects of Prolia® are back pain, pain in your arms and legs, high cholesterol, muscle pain, and bladder infection.
The thought that I could help strengthen my bones is so encouraging. I would recommend to anyone concerned about their postmenopausal osteoporosis, talk to your doctor. Find out what you should be doing as a part of your management plan.
Please see Prolia® full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide
Sherry, 72 talks about Prolia®
This is an example of a typical patient and is not an actual patient.
It's been 9 or 10 years now that I've had postmenopausal osteoporosis.
I made a decision right when I was first diagnosed, that I'd do everything I could to try to help strengthen my bones.
The one thing that I was scared of, was to be a person who's constantly worrying, oh, I can't do this, I can't do that, I might trip, I might fall. But I'm so happy to say, that hasn't happened.
One of the first things I learned was that to help strengthen my bones, I needed to exercise. So I started a walking group with a friend of mine. It's been wonderful. It's good for my bones, and it's just a super, friendly group of women.
We all have our stories... Half of us have postmenopausal osteoporosis now, but I've been dealing with it the longest, so I'm kind of considered the expert.
And I'm always the one asking the other women, now are you getting enough calcium and vitamin D? When's your next DXA scan? Have you taken your medication? I was always good about taking my medication... back when I was taking pills for my postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Then one day I went for my next appointment. And you understand I thought I was doing everything right. Everyone thought I was doing everything right. The exercise, the calcium, the vitamin D, and taking my medication. But guess what?
I met with my doctor and we discussed my management plan and test results, and she said she felt that in my case, my osteoporosis medicine did not work well, and that she really thought I should try something else.
That's how I first heard about Prolia®. And we talked it through. Being the expert I wanted to know all about it. How Prolia® helps protect bones from fractures. How it helps strengthen bones. What the side effects are that I might experience.
And how it's taken: one shot every 6 months in my doctor's office. My doctor thought this might be an option for me—and that's when she put me on Prolia®. I'm still out walking with the group every week, taking calcium and vitamin D as my doctor told me to.
So I hope I have a lot more walking in me.
Here’s some Important Safety Information you should know about Prolia®:
If you receive Prolia® you should not receive XGEVA®. Prolia® contains the same medicine as XEGVA® (denosumab). Prolia® can cause serious side effects, including low calcium levels in your blood. Your low blood calcium must be treated before you receive Prolia®. Take calcium and vitamin D as your doctor tells you to while you receive Prolia®.
Serious infections in your skin, lower stomach area (abdomen), bladder, or ear may happen. Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endocarditis) due to an infection may also happen more often in people who take Prolia®. You may need to go to the hospital for treatment.
Prolia® is a medicine that may affect your immune system. People who have weakened immune systems may have an increased risk for developing serious infections.
Skin problems such as inflammation of your skin (dermatitis), rash, and eczema have been reported. Severe jaw bone problems may happen. Your doctor should examine your mouth before you start Prolia®.
Before taking Prolia®, tell your doctor if you are taking a medicine called XGEVA (denosumab), have low blood calcium, cannot take daily calcium and vitamin D, had parathyroid or thyroid surgery, have been told you have trouble absorbing minerals in your stomach or intestines, have kidney problems or are on kidney dialysis, plan to have dental surgery or teeth removed, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding or plan to breast-feed.
The most common side effects of Prolia® are back pain, pain in your arms and legs, high cholesterol, muscle pain, and bladder infection.
My doctor gave me a lot of good information about how Prolia® can help strengthen my bones. And now when I'm talking to my friends, one of the things I'm always saying is, Maybe you should talk to your doctor about how you're managing your postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Please see Prolia® full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide

