I have been convinced by 4 doctors and 2 pharmacists that bisphosphonates at least keeps you from getting worse though maybe it doesn’t make you improved.
I was given 7 total fosamax tablets and I take 5 mgs per day for now which equals 35 mgs per week which is the lowest dose. I can break the 10 mgs in half so it’s a total of a 14 day supply.
Though I don’t like the risks I also think not taking medicine for a progressive disease is a question when we don’t know if working out at the gym and the supplements are enough for everyone with severe osteoporosis.
The side effects are not as bad as braking bones.
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Raleigh59
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I think it’s great that you’re being proactive and doing what you personally need to do. It’s really a personal choice. Also, I think you are correct in not knowing if supplements and going to the gym are enough. It’s a personal choice for all of us so I think it’s great and there will be no regrets for you. Take care and stay positive.
Amen to that. They think they know, yes you have to have calcium & d but without the others k2, etc they don't get to the bone where it's needed in fact high d can cause osteoporosis. But it's not in their main stream treatment guidelines so ???
As Carolenaa said, it's a personal choice to go for bisphosphonate tab or not. But I would suggest you to take a step back and know the actual cause of Osteoporosis . You could get help from your doctors as well.
Please let us know the blood tests that were prescribed by your GP.
Does it mean that your present condition, osteoporosis is non-reversible? Osteoporosis might not be necessarily related to the conditions you mentioned. Its the minerals like Ca, Mg, etc from the food you have taken has failed to reach the destination (bones) and the available minerals in the bones have been leeched for some other purpose by your body. This is nothing to do with genetics in my opinion.
I had severe back pain 2 years ago. DEXA scan showed my condition as Osteopenia with Z score of minus 2.4. With proper supplements intake and regular walk, my Z score improved to minus 1.0. My back pain is almost gone now.
In my opinion it is worth taking proper supplements to ensure that all the minerals reach your bones. Please consult with your doctor once.
1) Stopped pasteurized milk completely. I switched to raw milk.
2) Added two spoons of unsweetened whey protein whenever I had
3) Ca 1000 mg ( have 2 times in a day, 500 mg each as our body absorbs maximum of 400 mg in one shot)
4) Mg 500 mg ( have 2 times in a day, 250 mg each You can take even more as RDA is 520 mg for a 40+ male). The usual ratio of Ca:Mg is 2:1. I take plant based calcium, magnesium combination(I get in online shops here in India).
5) Chelated Boron supplements (max of 6 mg))
5) Vitamin D3 5000 IU (have 2 times in a day, 2500 IU each). This is critical in absorbing the calcium into your intestine. Switched to daily dosage of around 5000 IU (you need figure this limit your after doing blood tests)
6) K2-MK7 220 mcg ( Per vitamink2.com.au, Vitamin K2 has been shown to effectively decrease the bone resorption process. The process was significant after 3 years of treatment with nutritional dosage (180 mcg) of vitamin K2 – MK-7)
Its preferable to have Organic or Plant-based supplements.
I did not stop my daily walk of around 45 minutes.
I agree that proper supplementation is vital...doctors know little about what to take, when, combined with what, in what form. The Endo I was sent to never asked me about diet, and when told to eat my greens...I asked her what about oxalates binding to the minerals??? How to adjust dosage of mineral supplements? I was actually testing her, as I am allergic to most "greens", they stay in my stomach about 20 minutes! She had zero clue what I was talking about. In my expansive research, and finding my first root cause...it was a parathyroid tumor, so always have your Vit D, PTH, blood calcium checked several times, never once, as the body is so good at regulating calcium. Lessons learned: if your blood calcium is over 10.0...pay attention if you are over 40 yo. Then check your Vit D levels, making sure they aren't 90>...as that can throw off the calcium. PTH rising above 50 needs checking as well. Another root cause can be more hormone issues...particularly thyroid hormones. More for those on T4 only replacements, but the body has tight controls on those too, and most labs are not going to pick up issues that cause bone loss. Checking sex hormones is another area. Digestion issues, do you have leaky gut? SIBO? Motility? In studying this since 2016 I have found this to be a very complex process, and not a simple issue of eating "bone healthy" foods and getting enough weight bearing exercises...which are a piece of it.
it’s very hard to get an objective opinion regarding medication since both doctors and pharmacists are tied in with big pharma. I discovered that the synthroid I’ve been taking for 30 years could have possibly attributed to the severe osteoporosis along with early menopause and a slim stature. I’ve opted not to take meds but to take vitamins and minerals instead. Vitamin K2 is important.
Maybe you want to do a QCT, which provides feedback about your bone quality, DEXA only measures bone density. If you are skinny and have light bones, DEXA can return false results.
QCT stands for quantitative computed tomography, which is a medical imaging technique that can be used to measure bone density. QCT can be used to assess bone mineral density and bone strength, and it has been used in the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis.QCT differs from traditional dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in that it measures the volumetric bone density of the bone, rather than just the areal bone density. This means that QCT can provide a more accurate assessment of bone density and strength in individuals with degenerative changes or other conditions that may alter the shape of the bone.In terms of osteoporosis, QCT can help diagnose the condition and monitor its progression. QCT scans can also help identify individuals at higher risk of osteoporotic fractures and help guide treatment decisions.
I'm in the US. I just googled QCT got nothing related to bone health. I'll keep trying. If we do have such testing I doubt it is covered by any medical insurance here. Like everything else here, humans are mere resources for corporate welfare. Having a -4.5 t score & multiple PAINFUL vertebral fractures, with my posture now in kephosis, I'm so thoroughly exhausted and distressed, & disgusted. I've gone to pain management, had 3 Kyphoplasty's, saw two rheumatologist's, & a spine surgeon. The consensus is thati my spine is too weak to hold the screws necessary in corrective surgery. Hence opioids or micro morphine drop implant to ease pain and lest I forget, bone medications which I do not want to even try. So utterly in pain & overwhelmed , I'm fending for myself.
I’m so sorry to hear, it must be really very hard for you - can only send a big hug! I‘m afraid that QCT will not help in your specific situation. Just for your info here the link to QCT. americanbonehealth.org/bone...
It’s interesting to note, that QCT isn’t supported so much in the US. In Europe it’s much more popular and it’s used to double check DEXA results.
I wish you finding a good doctor who can help you to manage pain and progression. Are you under Prolia medication?
Thank you! I am praying that I find some doctor that will understand what has happened to my body and will know definitively what to do. A doctor that will show commitment and follow through with a team. It seems as of I’m fantasizing at this point. I had thought I could be fixed. I’ve become disillusioned. To your question, I am not on Prolia, or any other medication.
Hello 😊 like you I am on the skinny side with small bones & have an autoimmune condition. I am 63 .
I am in the UK and am just about to finish a 2 year course of Teriparatide ( forteo) . My spine score has improved from -4.2 & is now -3.7 which I am happy with . I have had one wrist fracture before taking the medication.
I have now been advised to take AA weekly but am not keen to do this because of side effects, and def do not want a yearly infusion .
Can I please ask which weight bearing exercises you do ? Do you have a personal trainer ? I have always been worried in case i damage my spine - are there any that we should avoid ?
Would you also be able to let me know which supplements you take ?
I just realized you were asking another member the questions 🙂
Sure - but honestly you’ve made a lot more definitive progress than I have and I actually have a dr appt to see if I should do forteo. You did the daily shots? I would like to be able to message you privately about that .
I joined planet fitness which is $10 per month and no contract. I was scared . My spine number is -4.7. I started out with elliptical and like 5 minutes. 2 months later now I do 30 minutes and I am on level 2. I have a trainer who is free there. He told me to start with the back extension machine with the lowest weight setting of 5 repetitions at 10 lbs. two months later I do 24 repetitions at 20 lbs. I have 4 other machines too that I can’t remember the names of but I use every machine that helps your back and each machine shows a body picture of what body part the machine helps.
I also do yard and housework like once a week.
Again I do not have proven results like you do but:
For supplements I now do :
Organic multivitamin from Kirkland
Amazon elements organic whole food calcium and magnesium
I'm happy for you because I know you've done quite a bit of research and am worried about future fractures. I'm rooting for you and hoping that you get good results and that your decision works for you. Please keep us updated and don't look back on your decision now. Move forward with it and see where it takes you. Every body is different and we all have to live with the consequences of our decisions.
yes but since I wrote that, you've seen like you've been struggling with the meds and how to take them. I hope things are getting better for you with this.
hello, I do not like the idea of taking Fosamax but I’ve weighed the pros and cons and from the dexascan results it seems to be ‘working’. Although, maybe the weight training would have done the same, but I will never know. As far as side effects, I’ve had none thus far. (Once/week dose). I know not everyone can or wants to do strength training but it has had positive effects on me in general.
yes I agree if you don’t have side effects that’s excellent . I just am going to finish this batch of fosamax and possibly try actonel or 35 mgs fosamax
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My calcium level appears low within bone profile blood tests. Are these an accurate representation I wonder?
Fosamax side effects 
Just Diagnosed Osteoporosis - Saying Hello 
