New to the group

[BigPictureGal]

Hi there, I'm touched by how hard some of you are struggling with osteoporosis and it's a little scary to realize I may be facing such problems in the future. At present, I have osteopenia and take calcium pills and Vit. D. I was diagnosed recently, after taking calcium for many years, so that's concerning. I can't stand milk or yogurt, but I eat cheese, and try to have vegetables high in calcium. After reading your posts I think I should start walking more, despite my bad ankle and foot. Thanks for sharing this forum with me.

[Met00]

Having osteoporosis doesn't necessarily mean you'll fracture, as it depends first and foremost on bone strength. As you don't have osteoporosis yet, you're in a good position to keep your bones healthy. The best way to do this is to do high impact exercise (can you hop on your good ankle and foot?) and progressive weight training, combined with a healthy diet and a few supplements. Calcium is only relevant if your intake is too low, which can cause bone loss, but if your intake is sufficient (which it will be for most people), having more calcium won't prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin D blood levels need to be at least 30ng/ml (75nmol/litre in the UK), preferably 40nmg/ml (100nmol/litre), so you need to take sufficient supplement to maintain these levels, which also means regular monitoring. Bones also need magnesium, so make sure you get plenty in your diet, together with supplements if possible (nuts and seeds are a good source of calcium and magnesium). Boron is another one that may be difficult to get sufficient of in the diet (due to modern farming techniques), so 3-6mg supplement daily can be helpful. And make sure you take vitamin K2 - either K2-MK7 (90-180mcg daily) or K2-MK4 (45mg, split over 3 x 15mg doses), which helps send calcium to the bones.

[BigPictureGal in reply to Met00]

Thank you for your suggestions. I'll look into supplements more. Take good care !

[futureforward]

I just want to say hang in there. According the my DEXA, I have osteoporosis only in my forearm. I am lactose intolerant and don't even drink plant-based milk - yuck. Or yogurt! I do eat cheddar cheese but only the fat reduced kind. My doctor said she was OK with me doing a balanced diet and exercise so as to avoid the meds. Any exercise you do is good. You can do chair exercises if walking is too painful. Good luck on your journey.

[BigPictureGal in reply to futureforward]

Thanks very much. I hate milk(s) too and don't like yogurt either if I can taste it. Hooray for cheese! But the cholesterol...sigh. We all need more exercise! Take good care!

[Crawldad]

I would definitely see a specialist hopefully to avoid osteoporosis. Of course I am saying that in hind sight. But if I knew then what I know now I would have been more proactive. Best to you.

[BigPictureGal in reply to Crawldad]

Thanks so much. I'll look into finding an MD, but they're so hard to get to see here! Take good care!