[Boomer]

HRT used to be more commonly prescribed and it helped to prevent osteoporosis. Premarin is an old drug that has gone through off and on controversy. The 2002 study caused many women to stop using HRT. Many of them probably did not need to stop. But some did, just like with so many other drugs. I think the newer drugs for osteoporosis really took off then. So in comparison to the old standard HRT, they are relatively new and, of course, target just the bones and not all the other stuff that HRT does.

I have a friend who got so caught up in reading the side effects of the osteoporosis drugs that she decided to just take her chances with HRT. Her main concern was that she had a history of having problems with abscessed teeth from time to time. She was worried about the jaw thing. She has one of those what I call "thriving internet medical practices" and pursues every study. You can get on information overload sometimes. But we each have to come to terms with what risk vs. benefit means to us.

Any and all side effects reported during the drug studies are listed. There are also side effects that show up in after market reporting, too, and those are added to the list. When side effects are listed, they are listed in order of most often to least often and in categories that show percentages. It's kind of like ingredients on a cereal box. Most is first.

I think with any drug we take, new ones, old ones, whatever, we have to weigh risk vs. benefit.

Did you have a bone scan? (It's late and I cannot think of the name of that test. Maybe Dexascan?? - not sure.) That has to be the simplest test ever. And it should tell you exactly where your bones are. If you have not had the test, you may want to so that you can know for sure how you are doing.

I hope things work out well for you, nj.

Boomer