That’s wonderful news. Are you willing to share your exercise and supplements routine for the rest of us trying to avoid the drugs. You are proof that it can be done without the dreaded drugs.
Great news really pleased for you, I was only diagnosed a couple of months ago, not taking meds and your post gives me hope that I can reverse my T scores
WOW: congratulations...i’m with everyone else: please share regime details + your age...AND i’m very interested in whether you have any diagnosed comorbidities so are in prescrip meds for these eg autoimmune conditions
Thanks everybody. I’ll try and answer all the questions and comments in one reply.
Exercise -
So, after diagnosis, as I don’t like drugs, I phoned the dexa nurse and she mentioned a physio service. Handout arrived with details of Live Active and Vitality. Contact at Live Active devised a programme. This person is not OP trained though. I started at the gym 2 years ago. Deadlifts, farmers walk, leg press, dumbbells, various machines and mat work. After 1 year, I was ‘handed over’ to normal gym staff, who know even less about OP! I also had physio handouts based on NOS information, which I showed to gym staff. My programme was always too long, so I eventually split it into weights at gym and mat work at home. I was quite sporadic with Vitality, and now do Shabam instead, with my first Body Combat class this week. I have been doing yoga since January. Same time frame for Shabam. Walking (which apparently doesn’t do anything, but I like it!). Only recently started jogging, jumping more frequently and more one legged standing.
Diet-
I previously did a nutrition course at the local Maggie’s Centre (cancer) run by a dietitian. I also read NOS information and information on this forum. Now, I’m trying to kill 2 birds with one stone - anti OP and anti cancer.
I upped my calcium intake to1200mg a day from soy, nut, coconut milk and natural yogurt with cultures and some cheese. Oily fish. I include up to 10 fruit and veg a day. Some organic. I take turmeric and herbs. I eat a lot of nuts and seeds, including sesame, chia, pumpkin, sunflower, linseed.
I make kefir with organic whole milk. Dietician said don’t need yogurt with kefir as it’s superior.
Supplements -
Information from this forum.
D3 - took it before op. Increased to 3000 iu. Dropped down to 1000iu. Get annual nhs test. Now 2000iu maintenance. Will get private test soon. 131nmol.
K2 120ug. Source of Life. Maybe increase?
Vit C - 1000mg a day
Boron from 6 prunes. Maybe switch to supplements?
I have just turned 64. Went through menopause at 57.
Diagnosed with colon cancer at 60.
I had lost a lot of weight. After surgery, I had 6 months double chemo, with anti sickness drugs and some steroids and PPIs. I spent so much time researching the chemo, even stopping one drug early, I neglected to research the steroids and PPI. Now know about the bone damage.
Now, I did read a small study that bone damage from steroids during chemo will reverse in 9 months. ??
I don’t know if some of my BMD gain is from recovering from cancer treatment and weight gain.
So, to summarise, dexa nurse amazed, and did not offer me drugs. Scan again in 2 years. I still have op in my spine but she knows my opinion on drugs.
Told to continue what I’m doing!
Hope I’ve covered everything - if not, will update.
I was surprised that you weren’t taking magnesium!
The regime I am following is 5000 iu vitamin d, 500 mg of elemental magnesium (it’s better if you can take it orally as it’s easier to control doses) 600 mg K2-mk7, and 6 mg boron. At the last count my vitD levels were 120 and I’m hoping to get them up to about 200 before throttling back a bit.
Lots of good info on the Facebook group “vitamin d and co factors - U.K.”
Fantastic that you have improved your scores and thanks for sharing your programme. Like you I have refused bone meds after my Dexa Scan. I have osteopenia in my spine and osteoporosis in my hips. This was diagnosed last September. A recent scan showed some areas of improvement but in right hip but a slight decline in left hip. I use to do a lot of weight bearing gym exercises and classes before diagnosed with PMR ( now in remission). I have started body combat again but worried about returning to jogging due to the hip scores. It might be alright if I do it gently. I think I have to be disciplined to do the exercises. Very easy to find a reason not to
I do have one question. I take Vitamin K2 50 ug daily as this is recommended on the bottle. I am picking up that others take more. I don’t really know what 50 ug is equivalent to.
Vitality is nhs/ council project. Gp referral. For people with health issues. Mostly older 70s and 80s. Bit like aerobics with circuits. Think details on nhs website.
Shabam is for ‘normal’ people..lol
It’s one of Les Mills classes.....as is Body combat....Think Body Attack ....is too.
Body Jam....Body Pump....haven’t tried....
I have membership of council gym/classes included....
Maggie's Centres are so good, not just for Canxer patients, although that is what they are mainly for. I loved gping to my local one for the social side as well as for advice.
Thank you for sharing your recovery plan. Sounds like I'm doing much the same type of thing as you so I'll ask for a DEXA scan earlier than the 5 years proposed.
My T scores are similar to yours in my spine. I was thinking about boron supplements but read that prunes have many additional benefits and don't promote weight gain according to studies so I think I'll stick with the prunes.
As my Bone density may be reduced for different reasons than yours I may not make the same gains as you - so we'll see. I take 150mcg of K2 daily by alternating 100 and 200mcgs. I take a little less vitamin C but its an active food variety rather than ascorbic acid - don't know if it matters. I take a B complex that contains the methylated forms of B including methyl folate. Vit D is around 110nmol. I'm going to add silica now. I do Hatha Yoga, Zumba and jog about 1k, 3 times a week. I know that's not a lot but it's what I can manage.
Like you, I found my gym program too long so now do some weights at home and some floor exercises daily at home.
It sounds like it might all be worth the effort after all!
There is research suggesting prunes are good for the bones, but it's unlikely to be solely due to the boron in them. 100g prunes (that's about 10-12 prunes) contain just over 1mg of boron, so 6 prunes will only contain about 0.5mg.
No, they do not affect me adversely. In fact they are so many good things in prunes that they normalise gut function. Might not work if you have a gut disease though.
I can't believe I was also offered horrible drugs for Osteopenia but not offered any other help or advice whatsoever. I also refused to take them. I thought you were in the US until I read the NHS mentioned. Well done you!
Same here! I had a quite a fight to go drug free, but wasn’t offer any help, not even a leaflet or the name of Bone Health! Thank goodness for HealthUnlocked!
That’s wonderful news, it’s both encouraging and inspiring! Thank you for the additional information too.
Fantastic news Justme13, and thank you for sharing your regime/supplements. I wonder if your results are even greater than they appear: I was told that chemorad effects on my bone loss do not wear off, and they continue. (Cancer colon resected 5 yrs ago). However, I haven't heard this elsewhere (nor have I asked) only from my practice nurse who has always been reliable.
I'm happy for you. This must be a tremendous boost in motivation, very handy as winter approaches.
Well done. Thanks for all your posts. Looks like many of us have no wish to take these awful drugs and to be honest we seem just as well on the natural route but with out the nasty side effects..
Let's all make a stand against these drugs that are constantly pushed by the pharmaceutical industry...
Yay! welcome to the growing club of people who have improved their bone density without drugs. Why not make a separate post of your account of what you did so you can share, like I did? The more evidence we can accumulate the easier it will be for others to follow in our footsteps.
Thanks Heron. Will try and copy and paste my reply. I’m still learning and have no idea what the single most important factor was. Obviously, have a long way still to go, but this forum has been invaluable.
Inspiring!💪 Love it! I have a question, how do you see a DEXA nurse? I had my DEXA and then it was sent to GP. My GP said I cannot see anyone who specialises in OP, is that right. Do you have some vitamin supplier recommendations?
HiOh dear...typed it.....must’ve disappeared. 1st dexa sent directly to me. 2nd dexa nurse was there and gave me report. Gp had offered to refer me to endocrinologist but a long wait. I declined as I didn’t want drugs.
I’m no expert on suppliers for supplements, but I use Better You oral spray vitamin d and body spray magnesium. I use Holland n Barrett for tablets of boron, zinc and Vit c though they’re not the best. Vit k2 tablets on line, although I prefer Better You Vit k2 oral spray.
The ability to reply to this post has been turned off.
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.
dexa scan results advice please 
Advice about Alendronic Acid
Advice on treatment for osteoporosis.
Dont understand Results
