Evenity (romosozumab-aqqg)

Evenity side effects

Evenity can cause mild or serious side effects. The following lists contain some of the key side effects that may occur while taking Evenity. These lists do not include all possible side effects.

For more information about the possible side effects of Evenity, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can give you tips on how to manage any side effects that may be concerning or bothersome.

Note: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tracks side effects of drugs it has approved. If you’d like to notify the FDA about a side effect you’ve had with Evenity, you can do so through MedWatch.

Mild side effects

This section contains a partial list of mild side effects of Evenity. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or view Evenity’s prescribing information.

Mild side effects of Evenity can include:

• joint pain
• headache
• muscle spasm (sudden, involuntary muscle tightening)
• peripheral edema (swelling of the legs, ankles, or arms due to fluid buildup)
• weakness
• neck pain
• insomnia (difficulty sleeping)
• pins and needles, tingling, or burning sensations
• injection site reactions, such as pain or discoloration

Most of these side effects may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. But if they become more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

For more information about some of these side effects, see the “Side effect details” section.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Evenity aren’t common, but they can occur. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 or your local emergency number if your symptoms feel life threatening or you think you’re having a medical emergency.

Serious side effects and their symptoms can include:

• Hypocalcemia (low blood calcium levels). Symptoms can include:
  • muscle cramps, spasms, or twitching
  • numbness or tingling in your fingers or toes or around your mouth
• Osteonecrosis (death of bone tissue) in the jaw. Symptoms can include:
  • loosening of a tooth
  • pain in your jaw, teeth, or mouth
  • gum pain, swelling, or discharge
  • sores on your gums that don’t heal
  • numbness or a feeling of heaviness in your jaw
• Atypical femur fracture (a thigh bone fracture that occurs after a minor injury or with no clear cause). Symptoms can include:
  • new or unusual thigh, hip, or groin pain
  • difficulty walking
• Boxed warning: Risk of heart attack and stroke
• Allergic reaction.

For more information about some of these side effects, see the “Side effect details” and “Evenity precautions” sections.

Side effect details

You may wonder how often certain side effects occur with this drug, or whether certain side effects are associated with it. Here’s some detail on certain side effects this drug may or may not cause. You can also refer to this in-depth Evenity side effects article for more information.

Allergic reaction

As with most drugs, some people can have an allergic reaction after taking Evenity. This may also be called a hypersensitivity reaction.

Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:

• skin rash
• itchiness
• flushing

A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include:

• swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
• swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat
• difficulty breathing

Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Evenity, as the reaction could become severe. Call 911 or your local emergency number if your symptoms feel life threatening, or you think you’re having a medical emergency.

Injection site reactions

It’s possible to have a reaction at the site where you have your Evenity injection. The most common symptoms of an injection site reaction in clinical trials were pain and skin discoloration. Other possible symptoms include swelling, hives, or itchiness at the site of injection.

When an injection site reaction occurs, it’s typically minor. Symptoms may occur immediately or a few hours after you receive an injection.

To help prevent injection site reactions, your healthcare professional should inject Evenity into a different site each time you have an injection. And injections shouldn’t be given in areas of skin that are tender, red, discolored, bruised, or hard.

Symptoms of an injection site reaction after a dose of Evenity usually reduce after a few days. If you have symptoms that last longer than a few days or are severe, talk with your doctor.

Note: In some cases, skin discoloration, swelling, and certain other symptoms can indicate an allergic reaction. However, injection site reactions are specific to the area where you received an injection. In contrast, an allergic reaction tends to affect larger areas of the body where you may not have received an injection. See the section “Allergic reaction” above for details.

Evenity vs. Prolia

Evenity and Prolia are both approved to treat osteoporosis in females who’ve gone through menopause and have a high risk of bone fracture. Prolia is also approved for use in certain adults (including some males) who have a high risk of fracture.

Evenity contains the active ingredient romosozumab-aqqg, and Prolia contains denosumab. Both drugs are given by healthcare professionals as a subcutaneous injection. Evenity is given once per month for 12 months. Prolia is given once every 6 months, for as long as your doctor recommends.

These drugs can cause similar side effects and some different ones. Evenity and Prolia each have a boxed warning, which is the most serious FDA warning.

For more information, you can refer to this Evenity vs. Prolia article.

Note: Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Use of the terms “female” and “male” in this article refers to sex assigned at birth.

Evenity generic or biosimilar

Evenity is a biologic drug that’s available only as a brand-name medication. It doesn’t come in biosimilar form.

A biologic drug is made from living cells, while other drugs are made from chemicals. Drugs made from chemicals can have generics, which are exact copies of the active drug in the brand-name medication. Biologics, on the other hand, can’t be copied exactly. So instead of a generic, biologics have biosimilars. Biosimilars are “similar” to the parent drug, and they’re considered to be just as effective and safe.

Like generics, biosimilars are often less expensive than brand-name medications.

Evenity cost

As with all medications, the cost of Evenity can vary. The actual price you’ll pay depends on your insurance plan, your location, and the medical facility where you receive this drug.

Your doctor or healthcare professional will order Evenity for you. And you’ll receive doses of the drug in a medical facility. You won’t pick up this medication from a pharmacy or administer it to yourself.

Financial and insurance assistance. If you need financial support to pay for Evenity, or if you need help understanding your insurance coverage, help is available.

Amgen, Inc., the manufacturer of Evenity, offers several ways to help lower the cost of this drug. For more information and to find out if you’re eligible for support, visit the manufacturer’s website.

Before approving coverage for Evenity, your insurance company may require you to get prior authorization. This means that your doctor and insurance company will need to communicate about your prescription before the insurance company will cover the drug. The insurance company will review the prior authorization request and decide if the drug will be covered.

If you’re not sure if you’ll need to get prior authorization for Evenity, contact your insurance company.

Generic or biosimilar version. Evenity is only available as a brand-name medication. It’s not currently available in biosimilar form. (Biosimilars are like a generic version of a biologic medication. Like generics, biosimilars are often less expensive than brand-name medications.)

You can refer to this Evenity cost article for more information. You can also learn more about saving money on prescriptions.

Evenity dosage

The following information describes the dosing schedule of Evenity that’s commonly used or recommended. However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. They’ll determine the best dosage to fit your needs.

Drug form and strengths

Evenity comes as a solution inside a single-use, prefilled syringe. It comes in a strength of 105 milligrams per 1.17 milliliters (105 mg/1.17 mL).

Evenity is given by a healthcare professional as a subcutaneous injection.

Dosage for postmenopausal osteoporosis

Evenity’s recommended dosage for treating osteoporosis is 210 mg (which is two injections), given once every month for 12 months.

What if I miss a dose?

If you miss an appointment to get your Evenity injections, call your doctor’s office right away to reschedule your appointment. You should get your missed dose as soon as possible. And your next appointment should be 1 month from the date that you received your missed dose.

It’s important to keep your appointments with your doctor for your Evenity injections. To help make sure you don’t miss a dose, try setting a reminder for your appointments on your phone.

Will I need to use this drug long term?

Evenity is meant to be used for 12 months only. After 12 months, the drug becomes less effective at rebuilding bone. (Evenity works to treat osteoporosis by rebuilding bone and slowing bone breakdown.)

If you still need treatment for osteoporosis after stopping Evenity, your doctor can recommend a different treatment for you.

For more details, you can refer to this Evenity dosage article.

Alternatives to Evenity

Other drugs are available that can treat osteoporosis. Some may be a better fit for you than others. If you’re interested in finding an alternative to Evenity, talk with your doctor. They can tell you about other medications that may work well for you.

Note: Some of the drugs listed here are prescribed off-label to treat these specific conditions. Off-label use is when a drug that’s approved to treat one condition is prescribed to treat a different condition.

Examples of other drugs that may be used to treat osteoporosis include:

• drugs that help rebuild bone, such as:
  • abaloparatide (Tymlos)
  • teriparatide (Forteo)
• drugs that slow bone breakdown, such as:
  • denosumab (Prolia)
  • alendronate (Fosamax, Binosto)
  • risedronate (Actonel, Atelvia)
  • ibandronate (Boniva)
  • zoledronic acid (Reclast)
  • raloxifene (Evista)
  • calcitonin salmon (Miacalcin)

Note: Evenity is only approved to treat osteoporosis after menopause. But some of the drugs listed in this section are used to treat osteoporosis in other situations. For more information about how Evenity is used, see the “Evenity for postmenopausal osteoporosis” section.

Evenity vs. Forteo

You may wonder how Evenity compares with other medications that are prescribed for similar uses. Here, we look at how Evenity and Forteo are alike and different.

Note: Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Use of the terms “male” and “female” in this article refers to sex assigned at birth.

Ingredients

Evenity contains the active drug romosozumab-aqqg. Forteo contains the active drug teriparatide. The drugs work in these different ways in your body:

• Forteo works to rebuild bone.
• Evenity also works to rebuild bone. It also works to slow bone breakdown.

Uses

Here is a list of conditions that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Evenity and Forteo to treat.

• Both Evenity and Forteo are approved to treat:
  • osteoporosis in certain females who’ve gone through menopause
• Forteo is also approved to treat:
  • osteoporosis in males
  • osteoporosis (in males or females) that’s caused by taking certain corticosteroid drugs

For these uses, both Evenity and Forteo are approved for use in certain people who have a high risk of fracture.

Drug forms and administration

Evenity and Forteo are both given as a subcutaneous injection.

Evenity will be administered by your healthcare professional. On the other hand, Forteo will be administered by your healthcare professional when you first start taking the drug. But you (or a caregiver) may be able to learn how to give yourself Forteo injections at home over time.

Evenity is taken once per month for 12 months. Forteo is taken once per day for up to 2 years. Evenity should be taken with a daily calcium and vitamin D supplement. But Forteo may or may not be taken with these other treatments.

Side effects and risks

Evenity and Forteo both contain drugs that increase bone strength. This means that these medications can cause some similar side effects, but some different ones as well. The following lists contain examples of these side effects.

Mild side effects

• Can occur with Evenity:
  • muscle spasm (sudden, involuntary muscle tightening)
  • insomnia
  • pins and needles, tingling, or burning sensations
  • peripheral edema (swelling of the legs, ankles, or arms due to fluid buildup)
  • injection site reactions, such as pain, redness, or discoloration
• Can occur with Forteo:
  • body pain
  • nausea
  • hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • dizziness
  • a runny or stuffy nose
  • cough
• Can occur with both Evenity and Forteo:
  • joint pain
  • weakness
  • neck pain
  • headache

Serious side effects

These lists contain examples of serious side effects that can occur with Evenity or Forteo, as well as serious side effects that both drugs may share.

• Can occur with Evenity:
  • boxed warning: heart attack and stroke
  • hypocalcemia (low blood calcium levels)
  • osteonecrosis (death of bone cells) in the jaw
  • atypical femur fracture (a thigh bone fracture that occurs after a minor injury or with no clear cause)
• Can occur with Forteo:
  • hypercalcemia (high blood calcium levels)
  • risk of osteosarcoma (a type of bone cancer)
  • orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure that occurs when changing positions, such as standing up)
• Can occur with both Evenity and Forteo:
  • allergic reaction

Effectiveness

Evenity and Forteo have different FDA-approved uses. But they’re both used to treat osteoporosis in certain females who’ve gone through menopause.

The use of Evenity and Forteo in treating postmenopausal osteoporosis has been directly compared in clinical studies. These studies compared the effect of the drugs on bone mineral density (BMD). BMD is a measurement of how strong your bones are. But it’s worth noting that these studies didn’t compare how effective the drugs were in preventing fractures.

One clinical studyTrusted Source looked at females with low BMD who took either Evenity’s active drug (romosozumab-aqqg) or Forteo’s active drug (teriparatide). In this study, Evenity’s active drug was more effective than Forteo’s at increasing BMD in certain parts of the spine and hip.

Another clinical studyTrusted Source looked at females who’d been through menopause and had previously taken a bisphosphonate drug for osteoporosis. In this study, Evenity’s active drug increased hip BMD more than Forteo’s active drug did (on average). (Bisphosphonate drugs are a group of medications that work to slow bone breakdown. Bisphosphonate drugs belong to a different group of medications than Evenity or Forteo.)

A review of studies has indirectly compared the effectiveness of these active drugs in preventing fractures. Researchers found that Evenity’s active drug may be slightly less effective than Forteo’s in preventing spinal and non-spinal fractures. But they also found that Evenity’s active drug may be more effective than Forteo’s in preventing hip fractures.

Both Evenity’s and Forteo’s active drugs are recommended in current treatment guidelines for osteoporosis in females who’ve been through menopause. If you’re interested in taking Evenity or Forteo, talk with your doctor about which drug might be the best option for you.

Costs

The actual price you’ll pay for Evenity or Forteo depends on your insurance plan, your location, and the pharmacy you use or the medical facility where you receive the medication.

Evenity and Forteo are both brand-name biologic drugs. There are currently no biosimilar forms of either drug. (A biosimilar is a drug that’s similar to a brand-name biologic medication. Biosimilars tend to cost less than the brand-name drugs they’re based on.)

Evenity for postmenopausal osteoporosis

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as Evenity to treat certain conditions. Evenity may also be prescribed off-label for other conditions. Off-label use is when a drug that’s approved to treat one condition is prescribed to treat a different condition.

Evenity is FDA approved to treat osteoporosis in females who’ve gone through menopause, and:

• have a high risk of bone fracture, or
• have tried and stopped other osteoporosis treatments because the treatments either:
  • weren’t effective enough, or
  • caused side effects that were bothersome or severe

You may have a high risk for fracture if you:

• have had a fracture in the past
• are of an older age
• have a high risk of falling
• are taking corticosteroid drugs, such as prednisone (Rayos)
• have very low bone mineral density (BMD)

Note: Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Use of the terms “female” and “male” in this article refers to sex assigned at birth. (There is ongoing research about the risk of osteoporosis in people who are transgender. However, it’s not known how hormone or surgical transitions might affect osteoporosis risk. For more information, talk with your doctor.)

What happens with postmenopausal osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis causes your bones to become weak and brittle. It can also cause your bones to fracture easily. Osteoporosis develops when bone is broken down more quickly than it’s rebuilt.

Throughout your life, your body breaks down old bone and forms new bone. As you age, your body breaks down old bone more quickly than it forms new bone. This is especially true for females who’ve been through menopause. This is because estrogen (a female reproductive hormone) helps regulate bone breakdown and keep your bones strong. And as you go through menopause, your estrogen levels decrease. This decrease in estrogen can weaken your bones after menopause. And this can eventually lead to osteoporosis.

What Evenity does

Evenity works to increase the formation of new bone and slow the breakdown of old bone. The goal of Evenity treatment is to strengthen your bones by increasing your BMD. And having higher BMD lowers your risk for fracture. (See “How Evenity works” for details.)

Effectiveness for postmenopausal osteoporosis

Evenity has been shown to be effective in lowering fracture rates and increasing BMD.

In clinical trials, people who received Evenity had fewer spinal fractures after 12 months than people who received a placebo (a treatment with no active drug).

In another trial, people who took Evenity had fewer fractures and higher BMD after treatment than people who took a different osteoporosis drug called alendronate (Fosamax, Binosto).

Evenity and children

Evenity is not approved for use in children. It’s only approved for use in certain females who’ve been through menopause and have osteoporosis.

Evenity use with other drugs

Taking Evenity can sometimes lower your calcium levels. For this reason, your doctor will prescribe a daily calcium and vitamin D supplement for you to take with Evenity. Calcium and vitamin D are nutrients that help your body build and maintain strong bones.

If you have questions about taking calcium and vitamin D supplements while you’re taking Evenity, talk with your doctor.

How to take Evenity

Evenity is administered by a healthcare professional as a subcutaneous injection. You’ll get Evenity injections at your doctor’s office or clinic.

For each monthly dose, you’ll have two injections. The second injection is given immediately after the first. The injections may be given into your abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Within these areas of the body, each injection should be given at a different site.

Injections shouldn’t be given in areas of skin that have scars or stretch marks, or are tender, red, discolored, bruised, or hard.

When to take

Evenity is taken once every month for 12 months.

It’s important to keep your appointments with your doctor for your Evenity injections. To help make sure you don’t miss a dose, try setting a reminder for your appointments on your phone.

Evenity and alcohol

Evenity isn’t known to interact with alcohol. However, regularly drinking large amounts of alcohol can increase your risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Doing this can also worsen osteoporosis, which Evenity is used to treat.

Alcohol can affect how well your body absorbs calcium. This decreased absorption can lead to a lack of calcium, which can weaken your bones. (Calcium helps your body build and maintain strong bones.)

If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about how much may be safe for you to drink while taking Evenity.

Evenity interactions

Evenity is not known to interact with other medications, herbs, supplements, or foods. The manufacturer did not list any interactions in the drug’s prescribing information.

Before taking Evenity, tell your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also, tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.

You can refer to this Evenity interactions article for more details.

How Evenity works

Evenity works to increase the formation of new bone and slow the breakdown of old bone. It does this by blocking the function of a protein called sclerostin. Sclerostin helps regulate bone breakdown and repair in the body.

By keeping sclerostin from functioning properly, Evenity stimulates cells called osteoblasts to form new bone. To a lesser extent, Evenity also works to stop osteoclasts from breaking down old bone. As a result, Evenity can increase your bone mineral density (BMD). This increases the strength of your bones, both inside and out. Having higher BMD also makes your bones less likely to fracture.

How are bones formed and maintained?

Throughout your life, your body breaks down old bone and replaces it with new bone. This process of remodeling keeps your bones strong. It also helps maintain the required amount of calcium in your blood.

Specifically, cells called osteoclasts break down old bone, and cells called osteoblasts form new bone. Osteoclasts can also break down bone to release calcium into your bloodstream. This can happen if you don’t get enough calcium in your diet. (Calcium is a nutrient that helps your body build and maintain strong bones.)

What happens with postmenopausal osteoporosis?

As you age, your body forms new bone more slowly. As a result, forming new bone may take longer than breaking down old bone. This imbalance can lead to a loss of BMD.

When you lose BMD, the hard outer layer of your bones may become thin. The spaces inside of your bones may also become larger. These changes can make your bones weaker, and this can lead to osteoporosis.

Females who’ve gone through menopause have a higher risk of osteoporosis. This is because estrogen (a female reproductive hormone) helps regulate bone breakdown and keep your bones strong. And as you go through menopause, your estrogen levels decrease. This decrease in estrogen can weaken your bones.

Note: Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Use of the terms “female” and “male” in this article refers to sex assigned at birth.

How long does it take to work?

Evenity starts working within about 2 weeks after your first injections. But it takes longer than this for Evenity to strengthen your bones. You’ll need to take Evenity for 12 months for the drug to be most effective.

It’s unlikely that you’ll notice Evenity working, because it works over time to strengthen your bones. To make sure that the drug is treating your osteoporosis, your doctor may check your BMD with a DEXA scan.

Evenity and pregnancy

It’s not known if Evenity is safe to take during pregnancy. However, Evenity is only approved for use in females who’ve gone through menopause, meaning that they can no longer become pregnant.

Evenity hasn’t been studied in pregnant females. But in animal studies, Evenity caused congenital anomalies (commonly known as birth defects) when given during pregnancy. However, animal studies don’t always predict what will happen in humans.

If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant and you have osteoporosis, talk with your doctor about your treatment options. And if you’re taking Evenity and become pregnant or think you could be pregnant, contact your doctor right away.

Note: Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Use of the terms “female” and “male” in this article refers to sex assigned at birth.

Evenity and birth control

It’s not known if Evenity is safe to take during pregnancy. But the drug is only approved for use in certain females who’ve gone through menopause, which means that they can no longer get pregnant. Talk with your doctor if you have questions about your birth control needs while you’re taking Evenity.

For more information about taking Evenity during pregnancy, see the “Evenity and pregnancy” section.

Note: Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Use of the terms “female” and “male” in this article refers to sex assigned at birth.

Evenity and breastfeeding

It’s not known if Evenity is safe to use while breastfeeding. But keep in mind that the drug is only approved for use in certain females who’ve gone through menopause. So it’s not likely that someone using this drug would be breastfeeding.

Although Evenity hasn’t been studied in females who are breastfeeding, in animal studies, Evenity has been shown to pass into breast milk. The drug’s potential effects on children who are breastfed aren’t known. Keep in mind that animal studies don’t always predict what will happen in humans.

If you’re breastfeeding, talk with your doctor about your treatment options for osteoporosis.

Note: Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Use of the terms “female” and “male” in this article refers to sex assigned at birth.

Common questions about Evenity

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Evenity.

Can I use Evenity if I have kidney problems?

Yes, you typically can. But if you have severe kidney problems (such as kidney failure that requires dialysis), you’re more likely to have hypocalcemia while taking Evenity. Hypocalcemia refers to low blood calcium levels. Calcium is a mineral that helps your body build and maintain strong bones.

If you have kidney problems, you may have frequent blood tests to check your calcium levels while you take Evenity. And to help prevent hypocalcemia, Evenity should be taken with a daily calcium and vitamin D supplement. (Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium.) Be sure to take your supplement as prescribed by your doctor.

For more information about hypocalcemia while taking Evenity, see the “Evenity side effects” section.

Is it safe to have dental procedures while I’m taking Evenity?

It depends.

Rarely, Evenity can cause a severe side effect called osteonecrosis of the jaw. This is a serious condition in which bone cells in your jawbone die, causing damage to the jawbone. And having invasive dental procedures (such as dental surgery or tooth extraction) while taking Evenity increases your risk for this side effect. But having less invasive procedures (such as scaling and polishing) may not increase your risk for osteonecrosis of the jaw.

You should have a dental checkup before you start treatment with Evenity. That way, if you need any invasive dental work, it can be completed before you start Evenity. And if you need any dental work during Evenity treatment, be sure to tell your dentist that you’re taking Evenity.

Also, keep in mind that having gum disease or infections in your mouth can also increase your risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw with Evenity. So it’s important to practice good oral hygiene while you’re taking Evenity. To do this, brush and floss your teeth regularly. And use mouthwash as recommended by your dentist.

Can Evenity be used by males with osteoporosis?

Prolia could be prescribed by a doctor for use in males with osteoporosis. This would be an off-label use of the drug. Off-label drug use is when a drug that’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is prescribed for a purpose other than what it’s approved for. In some countries with approval from organizations other than the FDA, Evenity is approved for use in males.

Evenity is currently only FDA approved to treat osteoporosis in certain females who’ve been through menopause. But a 2018 clinical study found that Evenity’s active drug, romosozumab-aqqg, may also be effective in treating osteoporosis in males.

This study looked at bone mineral density (BMD), which is a measurement of how strong your bones are. In males who took romosozumab-aqqg, BMD in the spine and hip increased more than it did in males who took a placebo. (A placebo is a treatment with no active drug.) This 2018 study didn’t look at whether Evenity’s active drug reduced fracture rates in males with osteoporosis.

If you’re a male with osteoporosis and you’re interested in taking Evenity, talk with your doctor about your treatment options.

Note: Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Use of the terms “female” and “male” in this article refers to sex assigned at birth. (There is ongoing research about the risk of osteoporosis in people who are transgender. However, it’s not known how hormone or surgical transitions might affect osteoporosis risk. For more information, talk with your doctor.)

Is Evenity a long-term treatment?

Evenity is meant to be used for 12 months, and no longer than 12 months. This is because after 12 months, Evenity becomes less effective at helping your body build new bone.

If you still need treatment for osteoporosis after you stop taking Evenity, your doctor will likely prescribe a different drug.

Why do I need to take calcium and vitamin D supplements with Evenity?

Calcium and vitamin D are minerals that help your body build and maintain strong bones. Evenity also works to strengthen your bones. But the drug can sometimes cause hypocalcemia (low blood calcium levels). So taking a daily calcium and vitamin D supplement helps prevent your calcium levels from getting too low. (Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium.)

Make sure to take your supplements as prescribed by your doctor while you’re taking Evenity.

How do I know if I have a high risk for fracture with osteoporosis?

Evenity is given to certain females who’ve gone through menopause. Specifically, it’s approved for use in females who’ve tried and stopped other osteoporosis treatments or have a high risk of fracture.

With osteoporosis after menopause, you have a high risk for fracturing a bone if you:

• have had a fracture in the past
• are of an older age
• have a high risk of falling
• are taking corticosteroid drugs, such as prednisone (Rayos)
• have very low bone mineral density (BMD)

BMD is a measurement of how strong your bones are. It’s measured using a test called a DEXA scan. The result of this test is called your T-score. The lower your T-score, the lower your BMD and the higher your risk for fracture. If your T-score is -2.5 or lower, you have osteoporosis. Evenity works to increase your T-score, which can lower your risk for fracture.

If you have questions about your risk for fracturing a bone, talk with your doctor.

Note: Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Use of the terms “female” and “male” in this article refers to sex assigned at birth.