Paget's Disease Treatment: Options, Drugs, and What Works Best
When your bones start breaking down and rebuilding in the wrong way, it’s called Paget's disease, a chronic disorder that disrupts normal bone remodeling, often leading to enlarged, misshapen, or fragile bones. Also known as osteitis deformans, it mostly affects older adults and shows up in the pelvis, spine, skull, or legs. It’s not cancer, but it can cause serious pain, fractures, or hearing loss if left unchecked.
The main goal of Paget's disease treatment is to slow down the abnormal bone turnover. The go-to drugs are bisphosphonates, a class of medications that stop bone-resorbing cells from overworking, helping bones return to a healthier structure. Drugs like zoledronic acid and risedronate are often given as a single IV infusion or daily pills. They’re not a cure, but they can stop symptoms for years. If bisphosphonates don’t work or can’t be used, calcitonin, a hormone that reduces bone breakdown, is sometimes used—though it’s less common now because it’s weaker and needs injections.
People with Paget’s often need more than just meds. Pain relief, physical therapy, and sometimes surgery for broken bones or joint damage are part of the plan. If you’re having hearing loss or headaches, your doctor might check if the skull or spine is involved. Blood tests like alkaline phosphatase help track how well treatment is working. You don’t need to live with constant aches or deformities—most people respond well to the right treatment.
What you’ll find below are real, practical guides on how these treatments work, what side effects to watch for, how to tell if they’re helping, and what alternatives exist when standard options don’t fit. From drug comparisons to managing long-term symptoms, these posts give you the no-fluff details you need to make smarter choices with your doctor.
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