Post Menopause

As many already know, women going through menopause experience a lot of changes in their body. I know this because my mom is going through menopause right now. Some of the symptoms one may experience going through menopause are hot/cold flashes, irregular periods, mood swings, sleeping disorders, weight gain, and depression. A few years after menopause is finished, a woman may experience osteoporosis, a bone disorder where bones are weakens and may eventually give out all together. This can become a serious issue. The reason women develop osteoporosis is because estrogen levels drop during menopause and estrogen absorbs calcium needed for the creation of new bone to replace old bone.

Recently a new osteoporosis treatment has been created for postmenopausal women. Amgen has created Prolia, an injectable drug that is a RANK ligand inhibitor, so it aids bone density to prevent severe osteoporosis. Women who take Prolia have a "twice-yearly 60-mg subcutaneous injection." This treatment has been FDA approved and immensely tested, the results positively demonstrating that it reduces bone fractures.

Some side effects of the drug are back pain, musculoskeletal pain, high cholesterol, urinary bladder infections, hypocalcemia, infections of the skin, dermatitis, rashes, and eczema. Additionally, Prolia may cause "significant suppression of bone turnover and this suppression may contribute to the occurrence of osteonecrosis of the jaw, a severe bone disease that affects the jaw, atypical fractures, and delayed fracture healing."

[Source: http://www.pharmacist.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Pharmacy_News&template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=23563]