Hiatal hernia and bisphonates...to ta... - Osteoporosis Support

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Hiatal hernia and bisphonates...to take or not to take?

bamabev7 profile image
12 Replies

Hello all; I am 58 and the only daughter of a mom who suffered 12 compression fractures between the ages of 81-86. I desperately hope to avoid her situation; however, I already have osteoporosis. I also have a genetic hiatal hernia and the doctors keep wanting me to go on bisphonates. I've already tried and failed Prolia (high cholesterol). Was wondering if anyone here has this issue and best suggestions for dealing with it. My mother tried them and couldn't tolerate them due to the same problem but then had 12 fractures....

I should also add that I have fibromyalgia and am quite exercise intolerant but know I need to be doing something. Again, any suggestions would be welcome!

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HeronNS profile image
HeronNS

Do you know your current t-score and did your effort with medication make any difference?

Try wearing a weighted vest to get exercise which will improve your bones without your having to move vigorously. There are a few other things which help without your having to go to a gym. Simply walking, using Nordic poles for some of your walks, heel drops (look them up on the internet), and learning how to move in ways which protect your spine from damage - a good physiotherapist can help with this as well as prescribe simple exercises which will strengthen the muscles which support your spine.

Make sure you eat right and take a few supplements like Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2 (not K1) as well as enough calcium and magnesium in your diet.

Have you been tested for secondary causes of osteoporosis?

americanbonehealth.org/bone...

And this is a link to tell you about the kind of weighted vest I have, its advantage being you can start with very small weights and work up gradually. It isn't the total amount of weight you carry but the constant addition of more weight which triggers formation of new strong bone.

hyperwear.com/blog/weight-v...

bamabev7 profile image
bamabev7 in reply toHeronNS

Yes my T score improved a little with the Prolia but my cholesterol went up as well. I was wondering specifically about taking the bisphonates with the hiatal hernia; I don't want to make that worse. I had not heard of the weigted vest; I will check that out. Thanks!

HeronNS profile image
HeronNS in reply tobamabev7

There are ways to get bisphosphonates other than orally. Injection or infusion, something like that. If you've discontinued Prolia I hope you are on something to prevent rebound osteoporosis.

in reply toHeronNS

heron ... do you work for the pharma companies??

Ive not heard anyone say anything positive on these drugs only bad news like loss of teeth loss of jaw bone esophus things problems galore not to mention one or two people Ive heard had the long bone in the leg the femur just crack as they were simply walking !

HeronNS profile image
HeronNS in reply to

You must be kidding? Do you not read my posts? I am adamantly opposed to all these drugs. But there are people who are caught in a bind and I do try to put my prejudices aside and find helpful advice for them. It doesn't do any good to someone who's stuck on medication to listen to me sound off about how s/he should never have taken it in the first place.

And it is now well known that if you've been on Prolia for more than one dose you MUST do something to deal with the rebound osteoporosis which very possibly will occur in a short time after missing a dose. So far there's no proof that food, exercise and supplements will help avoid the rebound osteoporosis so I'm hardly likely to suggest to anyone they try that, no one should until we know for sure it's as good as or better than a bisphosphonate for retaining the gain denosumab gave them and preventing the catastrophic loss discontinuing it can cause.

in reply toHeronNS

Hi Heron I agree with you as I know people who used several of the bone drugs out there and have had deadly results so any way to strengthen bones without drugs is a good idea

Natural is best. you cant fool mother nature right?

I believe if you do the right thing to strengthen the body naturally it will respond but of course there are always exceptions to this rule usually someone with past diseases that negatively affect bones etc or someone who has already done damage via unwittingly taking the biophonates which can really do damage and I have seen this

Mark_ABH profile image
Mark_ABH in reply toHeronNS

Here is more about the process HeronNS describes, which is called osteogenic loading. I'll add that not all the experts we work with are big believers in this process; however, there are many other reasons you need to do weight-bearing exercise, including improved muscle strength and balance -- these help prevent falls and thus fractures. americanbonehealth.org/exer...

Given your intolerance to exercise, you might be able to find a trainer who specializes in people with limitations and special circumstances. Yoga, tai chi and Pilates might be suitable if you are careful to avoid certain exercises that could increase risk of fracture.

Here is a quick rundown of osteoporosis drugs that are approved in the U.S. in addition to the ones you mentioned: americanbonehealth.org/fda-...

Best of luck! Thanks for sharing your story.

bamabev7 profile image
bamabev7 in reply toMark_ABH

Thanks. I'm currently trying some of Rebekah Rotstein's Buff Bones; I'm just not as consistent as I need to be. I'm just so concerned that I don't wind up like my poor mother; but I really don't want to take the drugs given all the side effects if possible. I can do yoga; I found some modifications. The medical system is stacked against most of us who acquire this disease either genetically or early onset; I couldn't get a bone scan when I first starting asking about it and therefore lost several years of being able to address it before it became full on osteoporosis. I appreciate any help you all can give me. If I were my mom's age I would try the drugs; but I'm too young to have all her issues land on me if I can help it. I just have a lot of challenges to do all the things I need to do.

Mark_ABH profile image
Mark_ABH in reply tobamabev7

Great! Rebekah's program is good stuff, and we hope you can get into a good routine with it. There are definitely a lot of challenges to early diagnosis, and we are working hard to raise awareness among the public and policy makers to improve that.

HI ! so to reply to your question NO do not take the biophonates. My sister took them and not only did her bone get weaker but she developed tumors in her esophogus very painful and sad . a friend of mine lost teeth after taking fosamax and her jaw is weak too so that is my advice to you dont do it

try a natural approach healthy diet concentrate on foods for bone like prunes I heard really do great things then do some weight vest walking try the nyk one it strengthens bone naturally by forcing bone to grow strong.

Good luck!

Met00 profile image
Met00

The other thing you can consider is your diet, including supplements. It's really important to get all the nutrients our bones need, most of which can be obtained through diet, but some of which can be difficult to obtain this way. Calcium, for example, is best through diet, but Vitamin D3 will almost certainly need to be supplemented. The only way to know how much Vit D you need is to get regular blood tests, bearing in mind that higher blood levels of Vit D will enable your body to absorb more calcium. To ensure that the calcium gets directed to your bones (rather than deposited in your arteries or kidneys), take a Vit K2 (MK4 or MK7) supplement, as it's very difficult to get enough of this from diet. Many people also recommend magnesium, boron, Vit C, zinc and silica supplements! Magnesium supplement isn't well tolerated by everyone, but it is possible to increase the amount in your diet (2 squares of 85% dark chocolate, for example, contain a good amount of magnesium). Nuts and seeds are a good source of bone healthy nutrients, and kefir is claimed to be good too.

yogalibrarian profile image
yogalibrarian

Sometimes it takes severl tries to find the right medication for any condition. (Ask anyone who has needed a medication for high blood pressure. You might have to try several different ones to get the one that works well for you.

Remeber, we're talking about your body not anyone else's. Everyone's body is different.

With your array of medical concerns, exercise and over-the-counter supplments may not be enough. Work with a medical professional (usually an endocrinologist or rheumatalogist) who understands osteoporosis and fracture risk.

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