I was diagnosed this last June and would love input from others as I refused the medication Fosamax but decided to improve my situation naturally through healthy eating, exercises and supplements. Changed from Calcium carbonate to citrate, added K2 for better calcium absorption. Seeing a physical therapist for exercises. Any feedback will be appreciated!
I am 78 widow, do line dancing 2 times a week, tai chi video each morning plus exercises PT recommended, keep active with gardening, housekeeping.
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bbmine44
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Hi bbmine44, sounds like you’re already doing all the right things! Hopefully someone will come along shortly that has even more experience, but I was diagnosed with -3.9 at my spine and -2.7 at hips 2-1/2 years ago. It coincided with my polymyalgia diagnosis, which would put me on steroids for an unknown time. The dr panicked (or did what they do) and immediately prescribed daily shots of Forteo. I found in the fine print that you begin losing a significant portion of the new bone in the second year of taking Forteo anyway and drugs are required the rest of my life to maintain some half of what’s left. That when I said no to Forteo. Had my follow-up scan last month and my spine has improved. My take-away from researching is that there is little that can be done to build back good bone (some drugs build back weak bones that are not very helpful). Fracture is the real risk. I recently read a study that stated you can live a long life with fragile bones. It’s when you fall that you’re in trouble. So Tai Chi, general exercise, eating healthy, and dancing are all the things that will help you stay balanced. Another interesting tidbit is if you are a small person (some say less than 125lbs), the scans are much harder to read and will vary depending on how the dr interprets. All the best on your journey.
can you share the link of that article/research on living with weak bones. My scores are similar to yours and I don't take meds either. I haven't read the article you reference, but would be interested in doing so.
We might have seen the same article—I read an article in the BJM that basically said the biggest difference between who fractures isn’t who has osteoporosis, it’s who falls. I’m 53 and don’t have any balance issues but I do balancing exercises everyday to make sure it stays that way.
You are correct that a person who falls frequently is more at risk of broken bones than a person who does not fall, even if the person who doesn't fall has more overall risk factors. More fractures occur in people whose T-scores are in the low bone density/osteopenia range than in the osteoporosis range.
Naturally, I couldn't find the specific article I quoted from earlier. More recent studies have begun to suggest prior fractures (even early in life) may be a more significant indicator of future fractures. One study found: "However, in recent years there has been greater focus on clinical risk factors for fracture besides bone density; while risk of fracture in the individual does have an inverse relationship with BMD, the fact that there are a greater number of individuals with low bone mass or osteopenia (T-score of –1 to –2.5 SD below normal) than with osteoporosis in the population means that the absolute number of fragility fractures is higher in the group with osteopenia.5,6 This has led to the development of a number of tools to predict future fracture risk more accurately.”ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl....
I really like this article, which is more recent, and covers all of the major topics quite well. Medical interventions/drugs are covered near the end and specifically address age-related considerations. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...
Of course, I wouldn’t want to minimize the possibility of a spontaneous compression fracture that could occur without a fall. Generally, localized pain on movement or to the touch precedes these fractures. There’s such a diversity of research and, of course, not everyone will agree on everything, but I hope all of this helps somehow.
Thank you for sharing this! Regarding the first link, American Bone Health teaches that bone density (as expressed by T-score from DXA) is only one factor in your risk of breaking a bone. The American Bone Health Fracture Risk Calculator™ is one of the tools that article mentions. It is scientifically validated to estimate your risk of breaking a bone in the next 10 years based on your responses to a list of questions. Try it here: americanbonehealth.org/calc...
I have been on fosamax for almost 4 years. I took it reluctantly after insuffered rebound bone loss that was quite significant after stopping prolia due to unrelenting joint pain. I have had no real issues with fosamax although it is somewhat of a nuisance due to the strict regimen of taking the medicine. I did slot of research on the osteonecrosis issue and the atypical fracture issue. It seems up to 4 to 5 years is reasonably safe. I do not intend to continue it past 4 years as the turnover suppression stays in the bone for many many years. I did have some increase in BMD after fosamax but I think it had more to do with starting calcium citrate. I think all the emphasis on BMD can be overblown. bone quality is equal or more important than mass and that is not measured.
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