Because this has sort of come up on the Pred Thread, I thought I would ask who is prescribed what for their anti Pred bone thinning med regimen.
Have you been put on AdCal D3, Fosamax, Calci-Chew or anything else. It is always good to know what the current trend is.
If you know your T score and degree of bone thinning it would be interesting to discuss that too.
If you haven't been started on any of these meds so don't know the foggiest about these things, I prescribe Olives of any variety for you and your Pred Munchies!
After a year of 40mg Pred, I had my Dexa scan. Hips are fine only -1, Lower back is in Osteopaenia, borderline Osteoporosis, T score of -2/-3.
I am on AdCal D3: 2 tablets chewed a day with lunch!
Fosamax (Alendronate) 70mg once a week.
Was also told to include as many green leafy vegetables as possible in diet. I have no problems with dairy, other than the gunk, so have plenty of milk and yogs etc.
I take Calcichew D3 Forte twice a day and Fosamax 5mg daily!
(I cant take the one a week Fosamax due to the bowel surgery last year!)
My last bones scan gave weird results so I had to go for a slightly different one that involved injections!
I have some degeneration and porous bone structure and thats all I know!
(Now tell me OFF as that scan was over 3 or 4 years ago!)
Calceos (with vit D)a nd Fosamax once a week cos my spine was in the ""red zone"" and hips only one notch above. Calceos is the only nice calcium tablet around, a little like a mild refresher or love heart. I have to remember to only take 2!
Bex
Hello,
I've been on calcichew D3 twice a day and fosamax 70mg weekly for 2 years now. I was very foolish and rebellious as a teenager and decided I didn't want to take pred anymore, I was on 40mgs a day for around 8months and decided I had enough and stopped taking it instantly. I was told I'm lucky to still have teeth and lucky I can still walk. I am paying for it now, I get alot of pain in my hips and back, my doctors are looking into giving me IV pamidronate.
tks xxxxx
hi all
i take fosamax 70mg once a week and calichew forte (yummy) twice a day, i am lactose intolerant and suffer hip and back pain sometimes so bad i could cry. anyway dexa scan says osteopini, can't spell either
I did have osteoporosis, was started on didronel in 1998, changed to Fosamax 70mg and Ad-cal D3 over 4 years or so ago and my bone scan last year showed an improvement as now bones are only osteopenic. ( the stage before osteoporosis)
So, fosamax does work! (can't remember scores and bit of paper with scan results is burried in a drawer somewhere)
I also eat alot of tinned fish like sardines, calcium enriched soya moo, and goat cheese, yogs etc.
Kate
Hi all,
I take actonal - 35mg -once a week at the same time . Had two scans last year,- bone and lungs.
Bone results, - can’t remember numbers, but was ‘excellent’ according to chest con.(Wish I could say the same for lungs.)
My personal belief is that diet and weight bearing or load bearing exercise, (muscle pulling on bone builds bone) - if pos,- will definitely reduce the long term side effect that oral steroids contribute towards bone thinning. I truly believe that a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D helps as well. I eat lots of fish. I absolutely love pilchards and fresh or tinned salmon, bones and all. I actually prefer tinned salmon cause of those softened bony type bits. I’ve been very lucky to be able to maintain long time, long distance running until recently, and that, in my opinion, has helped stave off the side effect of bone thinning, despite my loss of weight, and long time - ten years on and off - intake of oral steroids.
One other side effect that has really affected me re the long term pred intake is that of thinning of the skin. OK I know I’m digressing and maybe should start a separate thread. But I don’t know of any therapy or medication that will reverse or ameliorate that particular side effect. Does anyone know any different?
Mia
BTW before I forget Sus. Picked up the baby olive kalamatas from M and S Moto service shop place coming back up from the South earlier on today, - on your recommendation!
I've been on varying but high dose pred for 4ish years. Have Actonel 35mg once a week and Adcal D3 2 horse yucky tablets at lunchtime.
My bone scan results are inconclusive can only be used as a comparable baseline at next scan due to twin pregnancy and age (went to osteoporosis unit and charts only start at age 30 plus but i was 29!)
Does anyone else get problems with sickness and stomach pain the day after taking actonel?
I take Fosamax once week and last scan fine. I was told that being overweight helps as your bones tend to be stronger as they have to support the muscles and weight not sure how true this is.
Mia no have not found anything to help skin which is sooo thin and has odd patches as well. Bruise terribly hubby denies everything!
Den
Marmite, you do take your fosamax first thing on a empty stomach with a full glass of water and not lie down again for at least 30 minutes or eat? I only ask cos my granny took them and had dreadful trouble with sickenss it was only when i went on them and said what a pain it was to not be able to go back to bed or have a cup of coffee for half an hour that we realised no-one had told them about the ""rules"" for taking fosamax. Forgive me if you do all that anyway i am not trying to teach my grandma to suck eggs it is just that some Drs don't explain the importance of it all.
Bex
Bex thanks but do do that and have to take zoton before eat and maxalon to minimise problems but still have problems next day but at least it's doing my bones good i suppose! It's probably the bending forward to pick up toddlers/change napppies first thing in morning after taking that does it iv'e just realised as i'm typing. I'm an idiot!
I have been on high dose prd for 5 years and was on weekly fosamax then actonel weekly but didnt take regularly due to severe gastric side efects, slthough i failed to tell my docs ( and im a nurse!! true we make the worse patients!!) anyway now paying the price with osteoporosis1! lost count of the times i have broke a rib from coughing during attacks!! and am now on reg oramorph for the pain. For my bones i have iv pamidranite every 3months, and daily calcichew n so far no gastric probs. So take my advice and if you can tolorate it take it and dont pay the price im paying.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Fostair excessive use maybe? 
Side effects of steroids
Respiratory Consultant wants me to come off asthma meds!
Any advice on explaining severe asthma to doctors and nurses?
First course of steroids 
