Evenity (romosozumab)
How this therapy is used at Arthritis Care of Texas in Corpus Christi, TX — what it treats, how it is given, and how often.
- Treats
- Osteoporosis
- How given
- Two injections under the skin, in our office
- How often
- Once a month, for 12 months
Evenity is a damage-reversing treatment: it builds new bone and slows bone loss at the same time, producing some of the fastest density gains available over its 12-month course. You will not feel it working — the DEXA scan is the scoreboard — and it does not relieve pain directly; stronger bone is the protection against fractures.
What it is: A bone-building medicine for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who are at high risk of fracture. It works in two ways at once: it blocks sclerostin, a protein that normally puts a brake on bone formation — so releasing that brake helps the body build new bone while also slowing bone loss. Because it both builds and protects, it raises bone density faster than medicines that only slow breakdown, and it can reduce fracture risk within the one-year course.
Before starting: We check your blood calcium and vitamin D and correct low levels first, because Evenity can lower calcium temporarily and building bone requires enough vitamin D to work with. Your provider will also review your heart and circulation history with you: Evenity is not started in patients who have had a heart attack or stroke within the previous year, because studies found a possible increase in those events — that history check is a standard part of deciding whether this is the right medicine for you. Tell us about all your medicines, and about any jaw or dental problems or planned dental surgery.
How it's given: Two injections under the skin, given by our clinic team once a month (two separate shots make up the full dose). Treatment is a one-year course of 12 monthly visits — the bone-building effect levels off after 12 doses, so the course is not extended. When the course is complete, your provider will move you to a bone-protecting medicine (such as Prolia or a bisphosphonate) to hold the gains; stopping with no follow-on treatment would let the new bone density drift back down.
What to expect: You will not feel bone being built — progress is measured on your DEXA scan, where Evenity typically produces some of the largest density gains of any osteoporosis medicine, and by staying fracture-free. The most common side effects are joint pain, headache, and soreness or redness where the injections were given. Symptoms of low calcium — numbness or tingling around the mouth or in the fingers, muscle cramps — are uncommon when levels are checked first, but report them if they occur. Seek urgent care for any symptoms that could suggest a heart attack or stroke, as you should on any treatment.
Everyday guidance: Because the course is exactly 12 monthly visits, protect those appointments — set reminders, and call ahead if you must move one so the month is not lost. Take calcium and vitamin D as your provider directs. Keep up dental care and tell your dentist you are receiving Evenity. Weight-bearing exercise, adequate protein, not smoking, and fall-proofing your home all add to what the medicine achieves. And plan the transition at month 12 together: the follow-on medicine is what turns one good year into lasting protection. Questions: call (361) 400-7700.
Bone density testing: Treatment is guided by bone-density results. Our in-house DEXA scan — a quick, painless scan done right here in our Corpus Christi office — measures bone density to diagnose osteoporosis and track your bone health over time.
Used for Osteoporosis
Common worries
Why is it only 12 months?
The bone-building effect naturally levels off after about a year of sclerostin blocking, so the course is fixed at 12 monthly doses. Afterwards a bone-protecting medicine holds what you gained — that follow-on step is part of the treatment, not an optional extra.
Why two injections each visit?
The full monthly dose is more than fits in one syringe, so it is split into two quick injections. Both are part of the same dose.
Why the questions about heart attacks and strokes?
Studies found a possible increase in heart attack and stroke with Evenity, so it is not started within a year of one. Your provider reviews that history with everyone — it is standard screening for this medicine, and if it rules Evenity out, other bone treatments remain available.
Ready to be seen? New patients are seen within 2–4 weeks.