Fosamax side effects

[Painterinpg]

Fosamax was useless. I continued to deteriorate. Waiting to get on Forteo as my osteoporosis is severe. Being on thyroid medication also seems to be a waste despite dose and brand not getting better. The doctor claims no other issues. I'm fed up., I didn't have any other side affect s such as gastric.

[Met00]

Have you had your calcium and parathyroid (different from thyroid) levels checked? Not all doctors check this, but hyperparathyroidism can cause bone loss (because too much calcium stays in the blood instead of going to the bones) and prevent medication from working.

[Painterinpg in reply to Met00]

Yes. All ok. A 24 hr urine shows calcium in urine. Dr said it's the kidneys getting rid of excess. I guess its from what I eat as blood level calcium. Is w/in normal range. Something somewhere is off. Doc is endocrinologist, so the plaque says....

[Met00 in reply to Painterinpg]

Do you take Vit K2? It helps send calcium to the bones.

[Tomatolover in reply to Met00]

How much K2 is recommended?

[Met00 in reply to Tomatolover]

There isn't a recommended dose in most countries, but Australia has set it at 90-180mcg K2-MK7 daily, or 45mg of K2-MK4. (NB 45mg is 45,000mcg, if you're comparing with K2-MK7).

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Painterinpg]

‘Something is off somewhere’

I know that feeling. I rang my GP back in June and begged for an X-ray if my sacrum - told her it felt like I’d been whacked across that area with an iron bar, my sacrum felt like it was split in two, pains down to through my buttocks etc, etc. Answer was basically no.

When I got so desperate in July because of the pain and the fact I could barely walk, I took myself to the emergency room. Didn’t get x-rayed but the GP at the hospital thought I had sacroiliitis and prescribed physical therapy (16 week waiting list!) and painkillers which helped.

Saw a private physical therapist a couple of weeks ago who referred me for a private MRI - I had three areas done in all - and guess what? It wasn’t sacroiliitis which to me was a fairly good guess - turns out that I have a sacral insufficiency fracture! (Amongst other nasties in that area)

So if you think something is off somewhere - you are probably correct. I wish you the strength and probably the $$$ to keep going.

[Painterinpg in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

No doubt. Thank you for sharing

[Feeling_fra in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

I also was diagnosed with a sacroilliac joint insufficiency fracture. My numbers were not that bad in the hip - -3.0. I had been treating with supplements, exercise, and a small amount of weight lifting prior to this. I got scared and had an injection of prolia in February. Now very concerned with continuing with that My latest scan - my back has improved to -1.7, hip at -2.8, I think it is too early for this to hav e been the result of one injection of prolia. Wondering what you have done since the insufficiency fracture (agreed, very painful and debilitating.)

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Feeling_fra]

Hi, I’ve not done anything yet.

I’m due to speak to my physical therapist on Friday and see what he recommends.

I’d like to know how much of what is wrong is due to osteoporosis and how much is maybe congenital. Years ago when I had a scan for a herniated disc the consultant told me that there was evidence of very old fractures on my lower back. He said (he thought) they came from when children arched their backs when they were starting to learn to walk, so I’d like to know where they fit in now. If at all.

I’d like to treat the insufficiency fracture conservatively which is what my therapist is planning on.

My hip was the best of my T readings when I had my DEXA scan back in January 2020. It was -2.1, the femoral neck was -2.7 and the lumbar spine was -3.

I had four months on alendronic acid and felt so absolutely dreadful and ill that I stopped taking it but I don’t know what to do now.

I can’t decide whether to try a different bisphosphonates or to carry on with supplements and weight bearing exercise.

I don’t think (but I’m no expert on all of this) that you can stop taking Prolia without taking another drug in its place so check it out before you decide to stop.

[Feeling_fra in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thanks for your reply. I do think that this is genetic for me - my paternal grandmother broke her hip at 56. I have always had what I consider "lightweight" bones. I float better than anyone I know!

My mother recalls that when I was little the Dr. advised that i be given cod liver oil for a vitamin D deficiency. But that was never maintained.

I went to physical therapy after the fracture, which was helpful. My fracture happened last August, and I could not walk more than a block for several months. It was not diagnosed till December. I still have twinges of pain, but it is mostly better. The physical therapist helped me with posture issues, which I think had led to the pressure on the sacroilliac. She also is a a yoga instructor and helped me to do a better job with a few postures. I am building up my weight lifting repetitions (using just 10 lb weights) and hope that is helping. Also working to improve my balance.

I see my bone doctor next month and will discuss prolia then. I went on the prolia because I had tried actonel in 2018 and after a couple of doses, I just wasn't willing to have the stomach and gerd issues. I was so worried when I learned that my back pain was a fracture that I jumped right into prolia. But now feel less certain about it. Never heard of anyone else with this type of fracture. Have you?

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Feeling_fra]

No, I knew about them and I don’t think they are that common but not uncommon either. I read that they are common in the armed forces - they carry huge weights in their rucksacks / backpack. The sort of thing that is so heavy that two guys hold the backpack until the person gets it on then they let go!

I saw my rheumatologist today - gave her the three MRI reports and she said a couple of times that she can’t believe I don’t have agonising backache with the lumbar problems. She also couldn’t believe that I kept the pain at bay just with paracetamol. Unfortunately I forgot to take them on during the day on Saturday and on Sunday morning so the pain has come back again at the moment. Once I’ve taken them regularly for a few days the effect will build up again - I hope.

The rheumatologist really wants me to have infusions of some sort but I felt so dreadful with the alendronic acid I’m scared to try again. I think I know in my heart I’ll have to though.

Do you stand when you are using your weights? I don’t think I could stand and hold weights at the moment. I think standing for too long (as well as forgetting my painkillers) on Saturday was what set my back off again. I can sit ok. I’d like to get back to using weights though.

I laughed when I read that you float better than anyone you know. I’m like you I had extra orange juice and cod liver oil as a baby / toddler. I also had sun ray to try and close the soft spot on my head. I guess my bones weren’t great even then and this is the end result ☹️

[Feeling_fra in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Regarding lifting weights - I had my fracture in August 2020 and did not start lifting weights again till February or March. And they are small weights - max I use is 10 lbs. I was unable to walk much more than a block for over 2 months, still have twinges of pain, but it does not stop me from doing anything at this time. I have to be careful not to go crazy when in my garden.

[Mark_ABH in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Hi Fruitandnutcase, keep in mind that osteoporosis is very congenital.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Mark_ABH]

You’re right Mark and it is congenital and I know my mother’s sister had it.

I was just wondering if, as well as that the problems in my lower back could have been there for a very long time - from when I was a baby, back then as well as cod liver oil and vitamin D that I think all post war babies in the U.K. were probably given, I had to have sun ray treatment to try and close the soft spot.

I’d also say my face is quite flat and the distance between my eyes and ears is very short too so I’m wondering if as well as having osteoporosis there could be a long standing problem with my bones.

I also landed on my bottom when my feet went out from under me when I was wearing roller boots and I landed hard on concrete surface that was in the early 80s and I’d say that was the start of my back problems. Unfortunately I did nothing about it at the time which was probably not very bright.

I realise though that it’s probably highly unlikely and that everything is most likely to be down to osteoporosis and it’s way to late to do anything about it all now. I’m just curious.

[HeronNS in reply to Painterinpg]

You need to follow this up. Extra calcium in the blood, caused by the parathyroid malfunction, is filtered through the kidneys so of course it will show up in urine. Please get it confirmed that it isn't parathyroid causing this elevated calcium because if parathyroid is removing too much cacium no medication or supplement is going to help restore bone density. Once a parathyroid problem is diagnosed and treated the calcium levels return to normal and bones also start to regain their density!