the various medicines used to treat osteoporosis work in different ways. the various medicines used to treat osteoporosis work in different ways. bisphosphonates including drugs like actonel boniva fosamax and reclast work by blocking the effects of certain bone-destroying cells. in this way bisphosphonates can slow down bone loss and lower your risk of fracture. evista is a different sort of medicine called a selective estrogen receptor modulator or serm. it works by mimicking some of the effects of the hormone estrogen which has a beneficial effect on bone mass. other treatments are available. bone is constantly remodeling -- old bone is removed by cells called osteoclasts and new bone is laid down by cells called osteoblasts. calcitonin a hormone made within the thyroid gland inhibits bone removal by osteoclasts and promotes bone formation by osteoblasts. forteo a synthetic hormone may also help build bone mass by enhancing the actions of osteoblasts. prolia stops the bone-removing cells before they cause bone loss and is used to treat postmenopausal woman with osteoporosis.
how do the main osteoporosis medications differ?