Update - strontium citrate

[Raleigh59]

hi

I just had a endo lab appt and had 4 blood tubes drawn for secondary causes. I guess it’s a start.

I now take strontium citrate and 45 mg of K2 mk4 as my two main lines of defense. I read some research in Australia that said to take the strontium citrate by opening the capsule and mixing it into a glass of water on an empty stomach or away from calcium or calcium foods. I am only taking 250 mgs per day bc I read there could be a risk of stroke with too much. I am not going up to the 680 in some studies bc my strontium citrate capsules from Life Entension are 250 mgs each. I like to think that since I am taking the strontium citrate plus k2k4,

Plus gym of 45 minutes per day, 15 minutes weight, 30 minutes elliptical or bike.

Plus some other supplements like vitamin D that this will cover me some for now and I might also try the risedronate /Actonel 5 mgs per day every third day as they do in some other countries .

Any thoughts on Risedronate 5 mgs per day I am considering trying it

[Met00]

I assume you mean you're thinking of trying Risedronate? It's a bisphosphonate, like Alendronic Acid, and I definitely wouldn't take strontium citrate at the same time without checking with a pharmacist. Strontium citrate is very similar to the prescription strontium ranelate, and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't consider prescribing both.

With the strontium citrate, I'm not sure what would be the benefit of opening the capsule. The capsule will be designed to break down in the appropriate part of the digestive system. I take one 340mg capsule strontium citrate daily with a glass of water, either at bedtime (if it's been more than 2 hours since my last food/cup of tea) or when I get up in the night.

As far as exercise is concerned, if you're able to it's recommended to do high impact exercise (eg hopping, jumping, skipping, running) and progressive weight training. Walking is good, but isn't high impact.

[Raleigh59 in reply to Met00]

I know and I can’t do high impact bc of my lower back . I only take 250 mgs of strontium citrate at a time. I just took one. I know the clinical trials say 680 mgs per day of it on an empty stomach . Do you wait to lie down after you take it ?

[Met00 in reply to Raleigh59]

I'm only taking half dose and will find out later in the year whether it's made any difference. I go straight to bed after taking it - there are no requirements to avoid lying down, that's only with bisphosphonates like AA and risedronate.

[Raleigh59 in reply to Met00]

why do you take half dose? Because of the risks of blood clot? My strontium is in 250 mg capsules so I’ve been taking 1 per day.

[Raleigh59 in reply to Met00]

what brand strontium citrate do you use?

[Met00 in reply to Raleigh59]

Best Naturals

[Met00]

I'm not aware of any blood clot risks, but only take half dose because I want to see whether that's sufficient. 2 years ago I was taking quarter dose and my spine score improved but hip slightly worse. However, it was a new machine (I have REMS scans) and I had been focusing exercise on my upper body, so it's difficult to be certain of cause and effect!

[Raleigh59 in reply to Met00]

I’ve read strontium citrate gives blood clot risks. That’s why I won’t take what my bottle says which is 750 mgs per day but maybe the risk is only if you have blood clots or strokes in the family which I do have. Do you like the REM machine. I can get that if I drive 4 hours and pay $200?

[Met00 in reply to Raleigh59]

Yes, I believe REMS is much more reliable than DEXA. I'm in the UK and will have to pay £200 this year for a REMS scan, so not much difference. My nearest clinic, however, is only a 1/2 hour drive away! REMS is more fully automated than DEXA so less open to operator and interpretation errors.

[Raleigh59 in reply to Met00]

my exercise is weights for back like back extension machine and other upper and lower body machines plus elliptical or bike at gym.

I am switching to 340 mgs strontium. I am considering buying strontium boost from Algaecal because it’s natural and without fillers.

[Met00 in reply to Raleigh59]

Algaecal's Strontium boost is very expensive!

[Raleigh59 in reply to Met00]

yes I know but they say theirs is all natural and seems like millions have had success with it . I called algaecal and they said you have to take 2 x the calcium as strontium or else strontium fills in the bones . So if I take 1 capsule strontium , theirs it’s 340 mgs I would need 680 mgs or more calcium that day . Makes sense .

[Met00 in reply to Raleigh59]

The "success" is increased bone density, which is almost guaranteed with strontium supplementation. Strontium is similar to calcium in its structure, but denser, so ends up replacing some of the calcium in your bones, making them denser. That alone doesn't guarantee they're stronger/healthier, although research evidence points to fewer fractures as a result of taking it. Best Naturals is a good brand and much cheaper. Taking just a quarter of the recommended dose, my spine density improved. I'm now taking half dose and am due another bone scan in a couple of months' time, so will see then whether there's been further improvement.

[Raleigh59 in reply to Met00]

some people say the calcium doesn’t go anything at all for the bones unless it’s from food but it’s all the other minerals like boron , magnesium , K2 and K1 which I just read you need to take those other minerals at night and i can’t take those and strontium both at night.

etc that make the bones stronger . And weight lifting , I don’t know if strontium works or not but if my numbers improve and the exaggerated numbers are by 10% as the research states , the .10 is exaggerated if I improve 1.0. I know improvement in the bodies can occur, my vision improved by almost a whole diopter. I didn’t want my eyes to just keep getting worse.

I really did not bluejacket the fosamax which I took a total of 70 mgs over the course of 2 months. . I don’t know what to do because I next got Boniva to try but it’s a 30 day supply in one pill and I don’t want side effects for a month long.

[Met00 in reply to Raleigh59]

I don't know whether you should take strontium if you're taking Fosamax, because it could be like taking two different osteoporosis medications at the same time. Strontium citrate is very similar to the medication (available on prescription in the UK, but not approved in the US) strontium ranelate. I would definitely talk to a pharmacist about it, because you don't want to make yourself ill.

Calcium from supplements does go to the bones, but may also cause kidney stones or heart disease, whereas calcium from diet doesn't have that side effect. It's recommended to only supplement calcium to make up any shortfall in the diet, and taking K2 helps to send it to the bones.

That's awful that you'd need to buy your own Actonel. We're fortunate in the UK to have these medications available from the NHS; many people still have to pay for prescriptions, but it's a lot cheaper than you'd have to pay.

[Raleigh59 in reply to Met00]

I asked my endocrinologist about strontium citrate and fosamax and she said “ we don’t like people to take both because then we don’t know why they improved “

I also talked to my pharmacist who said I can take both strontium citrate and fosamax the same day just not together

To me that means both can help you improve and one does not counteract the other.

I only take half dose of fosamax 15 mgs per week and 1/3 dose of strontium 250 mgs about every other night . I take iron which might or might not matter . I now take a fish bones calcium supplement that I got from Norway and I take a bones and marrow bovine supplement from New Zealand . I take vitamin D , and bone armour which has all the the non calcium essential minerals. I take 45 mgs of mk4 which is japans rx but over the counter here. I eat apricots which I guess is not as good as prunes but have calcium , and I eat Brazil nuts.

I eat salmon with bones now $7 a can at Whole Foods.

I do heavy weight machines 15 minutes of usually 30 or 35 lbs per day and either a cardio machine or yard work each day.

I am hoping that one of these methods works so I at least don’t get worse

I am always looking for what else I should add to my arsenal