For those who ask if bone can be regained without pharmaceuticals – you may be interested in this. I am 73 and was diagnosed with osteoporosis more than a decade ago. My bone density tests have shown continual decline. My doctor urged me to take Prolia but I declined. I researched strontium citrate, read studies on it - and decided to try it.
I have been taking 680 mg strontium citrate (the recommended dose), along with Vit D, Vit K, Bone Basics (from AOR) i.e. includes calcium, magnesium and other minerals - for the past 16 months; combined with walking and some other exercise (I walk an average of 3-4 kilometers 5-6 days a week). Four months after starting strontium, I had a bone density scan and the report found that my bone density was identical to the previous year - there had been no bone loss. This was encouraging - since I have had bone loss every year for the past decade. My rheumatologist said ‘whatever you are doing – keep doing it!’ She had not previously recommended strontium but when I told her I was taking it she said – it works – it’s just slower than pharmaceuticals. And she ordered a follow-up bone density scan in one year.
I have been taking strontium citrate as well as Vit D, Vit K, Bone Basics (from AOR) i.e. includes calcium, magnesium and other minerals - for the past year and 4 months. Four months after starting this - I had a bone density scan and the DXA report was identical to the previous year - there had been no bone loss. This was encouraging - since I have had bone loss every text for the past decade or more.
I just received the results of my last bone density test - this will be 16 months after I started Strontium citrate - and one year since my last test. The results: "Change from most recent previous study of 2023: Bone density has increased in the lumbar spine and hip." Specifically
2024 results: Left femoral neck BMD = 0.691 g/cm2. Tscore = -2.5. Left total hip BMD = 0.752 g/cm2. Tscore = -2.0.
2023 results: Left femoral neck BMD = 0.670 g/cm2. Tscore = -2.6. Left total hip BMD = 0.692 g/cm2. Tscore = -2.5.
I am very encouraged by these results. I hope to see more improvement over time. Everyone is different of course. I have no heart problems. I have low blood pressure. I have some problem with high cholesterol and reflux, both of which I control with diet and supplements. I am only one case – but there are also double blind studies that point to the effectiveness of strontium citrate in building bone.
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Frida22
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Yes, I think these personal accounts are very important - it shows there are alternatives to medication. I read your story and see there are many parallels with my experience. also use Nordic polls for walking. I've had 3 fractures - at 50 (right wrist), 60 (left ankle) and 63 (left wrist) - I have been fracture free for 10 years now. The Nordic polls really help with balance even on uneven gravel terrain - I have a lot more confidence with them.
I took calcium and Vit D for years and suffered continual bone loss. I only learned about strontium, and vit K2-7 16 months ago - and incorporating this into my diet seems to have made all the difference along with more walking. I now take Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2-7 and fish oil along with calcium, magnesium (3 Brazil nuts contain a daily dose of magnesium) and a multi vitamin as well as strontium citrate. I also drink a shake with ground sesame and flax seed, protein powder and blueberries every day.
At the moment I'm nursing a broken left wrist. Tripped on sidewalk and slammed down very hard on concrete. Of course they tell me it was a fragility fracture, although I dispute that. I put out my arms to break my fall because when a similar thing happened about twenty years ago I thought I shouldn't do that. I didn't break any bones that time, but I broke two teeth and my glasses had three deep gouges across one lens, so of course this time the arms went out! I have since been told that one can learn how to fall to avoid injury, but so far do not have the benefit of this knowledge.
I've been taking a low dose of strontium citrate for 3 years (1/4 dose for 1 year followed by 1/2 dose for 2 years). During that time my spine density improved significantly, while hip stayed the same. I've now reduced back to 1/4 dose and will see if that maintains density. Like you, I have no known heart problems and low blood pressure, so no concerns about taking strontium.
Can you explain what you mean by a 1/4 dose? I thought they come in pills… I just started following the combs regiment…was on prolia 10 years with so many problems just did one infusion of reclast… I am done with medicine
Thank you☺️ years ago, i put faith and respect into the medical profession. I’m so annoyed and upset that I was on prolia… I didn’t have problems in the beginning and during the last few shots my issues started and I didn’t connected to prolia.. more annoyed at myself not fully reading into it as time went on…then I had no choice but to go on reclast to stop the rebound… I been trying to read and catch up and as much as I can I’m very grateful for this site and two on Facebook that I joined…(one is with prolia & the other is with reclast)… basically everyone post their experiences with these drugs & give support for each other
That’s great to hear Frida22. I hadn’t appreciated the improvement could be so rapid. Can you please share which strontium citrate and how much you take.
Congratulations - this is outstanding results. There are risks however and it is good you are under the watchful care of a physician. There is a good article here: drlisacarroll.com.au/wp-con...
A 7-Year Longitudinal Trial of the Safety and Efficacy ... . Sorry this NIH AlgaeCal study link didn't copy properly. Thank you so much for posting this interview with Keith McCormick and Margaret Martin. After reading Keith McCormick's book "Great Bones" I am unsure about strontium, but have certainly thought about it after reading about the BMD DXA results. I am confused about this NIH study on AlgaeCal which is independent and not a company study. They do report a 1% annual increase of BMD but as Keith McCormick says, this is density and not quality.
with regard to the bone strength - (this study is with regard to strontium renalate)
A review of the latest insights into the mechanism of action of strontium in bone
Daniella Marxa,b, Alireza Rahimnejad Yazdib,c, Marcello Papinia,c, Mark Towlera,b,c,⁎
a Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ryerson University, Toronto M5B 2K3, Ontario, Canada
b Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto M5B 1W8, Ontario, Canada
c Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ryerson University, Toronto M5B 2K3, Ontario, Canada
"3.2.1. Bone strength
Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for SrRan have shown that it significantly reduces fracture risk in post-menopausal women. Microarchitecture is an important aspect of bone strength and increased fracture risk in patients with osteoporosis is associated with trabecular thinning and increased cortical porosity (Osterhoff et al., 2016). Enhanced bone microarchitecture has been reported after SrRan treatment in postmenopausal women, possibly explaining reduced fracture risk.
One study analyzed unpaired biopsies from SOTI, TROPOS and STRATOS clinical trials (n = 41) using μ-CT imaging to assess microstructure, and determined that SrRan treatment significantly increased cortical thickness (18%) and trabecular number (14%) compared to the placebo group (Arlot et al., 2007). In a more recent study, SrRan treatment was shown to increase cortical thickness (6.3%), trabecular number (3.6%) and decrease trabecular spacing (3.0%) from baseline, determined using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) (Rizzoli et al., 2012). Compromised architecture during the pathogenesis of osteoporosis is associated with bone remodelling; loss of bone occurs since bone formation is not equal to bone resorption. However, bone strength also depends on the intrinsic material quality of bone, which has also been shown to be improved in response to Sr treatment. In postmenopausal women, Sr has been shown to increase failure load by 2.1% (p < 0.005) from baseline, determined using HR-pQCT and FE analysis. In this study, no change in predicted failure load or cortical thickness was observed for patients receiving alendronate treatment, a potent anti-resorption drug (Rizzoli et al., 2012).
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/268... What do you make of this study on AlgaeCal (not Ranelate) from 2016. From what I understand now about non Ranelate Strontium, the annual BMD increases found in this study may have been false density?
I don't know what you mean by 'false density' ...? If you mean the higher molecular weight of strontium compared to calcium - that is not a 'false' reading - it only means that the results must be re calibrated to account for the higher weight of strontium compared to calcium - that is my understanding.
This video helped me understand how strontium builds bone density but not bone quality, and also the dangers of using it. Great presentation. Thank you so much. I take an algae calcium supplement (not Algae Cal) with Vit. D, K, Magnesium and Strontium. I now want to stop taking it because of the Strontium.
Wow! That's great. I prefer not to take the medications for osteoporosis. I have just been taking vitamin k2-m7 and calcium citrate. Did you have any GI discomfort side effects from taking this? And did it make your reflux worse? I have read that Strontium and calcium are chemically similar and can compete for absorption in the intestines. I know you said you also took calcium, but were your calcium blood levels okay on the stronium?
Taking strontium has not made my reflux worse. Actually, my reflux is much better - virtually gone - but that I attribute to: raising the head of my bed, not eating for at least 2 hrs before bed, and drinking Licorice root tea, and a I take supplement called Gastro Mend.
It's recommended to not take calcium at the same time as strontium. I take a small amount of calcium supplement and try to get most calcium through my diet (calcium fortified almond milk for example). I take strontium 2 hours after eating in the evening before bed - with is recommended. My blood work is normal.
Without going too deeply into the problematic nature of strontium citrate (I've written about that before), I want to push back on "pharmaceuticals."
The whole post is about pharmacueticals..."strontium citrate as well as Vit D, Vit K, Bone Basics (from AOR) i.e. includes calcium, magnesium and other minerals."
Those are all pharmaceutical products. They come from "small pharma" rather than "large pharma." But it is still pharma.
And frankly I find "small pharma" much scarier than "large pharma." Small pharma has less oversight, fewer testing requirements, fewer reporting requirements. But their motivation is much the same as large pharma -- profit.
Thank you Frida! I’m currently debating what to do for borderline osteopenia:osteoporosis after a wrist fracture. Do you have more confidence in certain “big pharma” drugs over others? They all terrify me but I sure don’t want another fracture.
Honestly I am skeptical about all osteoporosis drugs. Most work by disrupting the body's natural bone remodelling and impede the shedding of old bone - and then there is the issue of a number of concerning side effects. I am also skeptical of non prescription supplements and the internet. I'm a retired academic - before I decided on trying strontium I looked at the available research on health sciences academic sites. The larger studies are all on strontium ranelate - but there are some smaller double blind studies on strontium - including on post menopausal women. I would be happier if there was more research, but what I read lead me to that conclusion that given a choice between Prolia or an oral bisphosphonate - I would try strontium. I cannot recommend anything. I am not a specialist or a dr. I think we are all being let down by the medical profession; and left with inadequately researched and/or scary options. Without taking any drugs or supplements what is essential is: weight bearing exercise, a good diet, try to get needed minerals through your diet, and use supplements as needed... Vit K2-7, Vit D, calcium, magnesium, omega 3. If I had osteopenia - I would do that before taking strontium. I am 73 and have osteoporosis - and despite walking 3-4 kilometres a day, a large garden, mat work and taking supplements - I just kept loosing more bone, and suffered 3 fractures - and that is why I researched and decided to try strontium.
We share lots in common; I too am a (semi-) retired academic, around the same age, and very physically active. I also plunge into the research and about to read Great Bones that arrived yesterday. I so agree that we are being let down by the medical profession. I get very nervous when I've done more research on these drugs than the traditional docs suggesting them! My integrative medicine doc at UCSF (the best) did lots of research on strontium renalate (which she highly recommended) but it's not available in the US. She also was concerned about the possible false positive results on DEXA scans and encouraged me to find a place that can adjust for that. Good luck!
I have also read about strontium and false positive results, I do take a Calcium supplement that contains Strontium, both my drs. are aware of the testing issues but once aware they can take measures to correct the effects on the test. Something to be aware of.
my understanding is that calcium and strontium should not be taken at the same time. It is best to take strontium just before bed - I take some calcium supplements in the morning. And yes, test results need to be adjusted if taking strontium.
Honestly I am skeptical about all osteoporosis drugs. I am also skeptical of non prescription supplements and taking any advice from the internet. I'm a retired academic - before I decided on trying strontium I looked at the available research on health sciences academic sites on osteoporosis treatment options including strontium. The larger studies as you know, are all on strontium ranelate - but there are some smaller double blind studies on strontium citrate - including on post menopausal women. I would be happier if there was more research, but what I read lead me to that conclusion that given a choice between Prolia or an oral bisphosphonate - I would try strontium. Of course exercise is best - and I walk 3-4 kilometres a day, do mat work, and keep a large garden - but my bone loss has continued relentlessly despite that.
yes - and if exercise alone had worked for me I'd be very happy to not take strontium. I walk 3-4 kilometres a day, keep a large garden, swim, do mat work - but my bone loss has continued relentlessly for a decade - until this turnaround since taking strontium.
I've heard that strontium replaces calcium in the bones. And that since strontium has a higher density than calcium, bones appear denser on DEXA scans--but the bone quality is not necessarily better. Please correct me if I have that wrong or if it depends on the form of strontium. I'm curious if anyone taking a form of strontium has seen bone quality improvement on either a REMS or DEXA with TBS software scan.
My spine bone density and strength has improved since taking a half dose strontium citrate, hip density stayed the same, hip strength worsened slightly! If it's the strontium that's responsible, then research on strontium ranelate (prescription medication) is likely to also be relevant to strontium citrate. That research shows that strontium reduces fracture risk as well as increasing bone density.
Did you have results on an equal DXA scan or REMS? Curious because as osteo2021 stated, it displaces calcium in the bones but since its atomic weight is 2x calcium, it may appear denser in a DXA. REMS would not have the same error of margin I believe since it is not xray but ultrasound. That said, Fx and bone strength IS the goal. What helps get us there without drugs and manageable risk is valuable information.
I had 2 REMS scans, 2 years apart. My understanding is that, although strontium replaces some of the calcium in the bones, it also attracts additional calcium. They don't know exactly how much difference this makes to the bone density, but I've read that you should halve any improvement to get a better idea. As you say, though, it's improved bone strength that's important, rather than bone density.
Yes the atomic weight of Strontium is heavier - that does not mean the DXA scan is meaningless - the DXA has to be interpreted to account for Strontium. There are studies on strontium that also find less risk of fracture and greater bone strength.
There are studies that indicate that strontium also contributes to bone strength and a lower risk of fracture in post menopausal women. See: A review of the latest insights into the mechanism of action of strontium in bone Daniella Marxa,b, Alireza Rahimnejad Yazdib,c, Marcello Papinia,c, Mark Towlera,b,c, 2020.
Combination of Micronutrients for Bone (COMB) Study: Bone Density after Micronutrient Intervention
Article in Journal of Environmental and Public Health · January 2012
DOI: 10.1155/2012/354151 · Source: PubMed
"Since strontium is a metal in the same group of periodic elements as calcium, it has been recognized that strontium in high concentrations may displace and replace calcium in bone by heteroionic exchange [54], a phenomenon which has elicited disparaging regard for strontium therapy among some bone specialists. Rather than an increased BMD, however, this physiochemical process in the presence of excessive strontium ultimately results in decreased bone calcium content [55], dissolution of mineralized bone [56], disruption of bone architecture [57], and lower BMD [58].
This phenomenon only appears to be the consequence of disproportionately high doses of strontium intake, not regular supplemental levels at low dose. At low supplemental doses of strontium, in fact, there is evidence of an increase in both the bone formation rate and the trabecular bone density related to a strontium-induced stimulation of osteoblastic activity [58]. Furthermore, at low doses, strontium is not associated with any mineralization defect or any increase in the number of active bone-resorbing cells [59, 60]. In addition, it has recently been found that the mechanism of strontium benefit may also involve a calcium preservation effect as the rate of calcium release was almost halved after strontium treatment was assessed in recent research on teeth [61]. Finally, strontium supplementation, unlike use of calcium supplementation, shows ability to recalcify osteopenic areas in pathological bone conditions characterized by accelerated bone loss and extensive demineralization [58, 62].
[54] A. G. Mattar and B. A. Diefel, “Bone tracers: radionucleotide imaging and related techniques,” in Skeletal Research: An Experimental Approach, D. J. Simmons andA. S.Kustrin, Eds., pp. 455–486, Academic Press, New York, NY, USA, 1979.
[55] A. R. Johnson, “The influence of strontium on characteristic factors of bone,” Calcified Tissue Research, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 215–221, 1973.
[56] J. Christoffersen, M. R. Christoffersen, N. Kolthoff, and O. B¨arenholdt, “Effects of strontium ions on growth and dissolution of hydroxyapatite and on bone mineral detection,” Bone, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 47–54, 1997.
[57] E. Eisenberg, “The biological metabolism of strontium,” in Biological Mineralization, I. Zipkin, Ed., pp. 435–442, John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY, USA, 1973.
[58] W. E. Cabrera, I. Schrooten, M. E. De Broe, and P. C. D’Haese, “Strontium and bone,” Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, vol. 14, no. 5, pp. 661–668, 1999.
[59] M. D. Grynpas and P. J. Marie, “Effects of low doses of strontium on bone quality and quantity in rats,” Bone, vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 313–319, 1990.
[60] P. J.Marie, M. T. Garba, M.Hott, and L.Miravet, “Effect of low doses of stable strontium on bonemetabolismin rats,” Mineral and Electrolyte Metabolism, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 5–13, 1985.
[61] M. Riyat and D. C. Sharma, “An experimental study of the effect of strontium pre-treatment on calcium release from carious and non-carious teeth,” Biological Trace Element
Research, vol. 133, no. 3, pp. 251–254, 2010. [62] S. C. Skoryna, “Metabolic aspects of the pharmacologic uses of trace elements in human subjects with specific references to stable strontium,” in Trace Substances in Environmental Health-XVIII, pp. 3–23.
Just my two cents, with these qualifiers first:1) I'm still fairly new to all things osteoporosis (diagnosed Jan. 2023).
2) I see often people talking about bone density versus bone quality or strength, and I'm not sure I understand the difference. As best I can glean from discussions, DEXA measures density, not stength. Is strength the outside of the bone? So, maybe it's honeycomb inside but somehow has a hard shell, so that's "better" than merely filling up the holes? But how "strength" is determined is still not clear to me.
3) I see also often people talking about antiresorptives, specifically, also increasing bone density but not necessarily bone strength because it's just old bone that normally would be "resorbed".
4) I too went back and forth on strontium citrate. Some were like, "It's misleading! It's not bone!" And I suppose the density gained by an antiresorptive IS bone...but I wonder how much difference it makes at "that point"? If the bone you're hanging on to is potentially more brittle, does it really offer more benefit than a non-bone mineral/substance filling up the holes?
5) I don't know.
But here's what I decided:
a) I'm too young to start on a regimen of "big pharmaceuticals" that could be withheld from me at some point for any whimsical reason. (I've slipped through the cracks with doctors too many times, our insurance wouldn't cover the one drug I was willing to take, doctors can't agree which drug would be best for me (which makes me nervous--hardly less confusing talking to live doctors than combing the internet,) and I've been known to be in the 1% that actually has the adverse event in other areas of my life; take a drug for 2-3 decades, your chances of something pretty catastrophic increase quite a bit.)
b) I need to do something, though. My quality of life absolutely has been impacted by the effects of osteoporosis. My t-scores (spine) were off the charts, and my feeling was, "Well, that explains a lot," not "There's no way that could be right--I feel fine!"
So, after going back and forth, taking strontium citrate for maybe 4 months in 2023, quitting after reading posts on these forums, seeing significant improvement in my spine score in 2024 but actually feeling ashamed because I DID take strontium, then being told there was no way I could have improved that much (or at all,) because the DEXA isn't calibrated to read scores as bad as mine, I decided to hell with it. I'm evidently not going to "know" if I'm improving on the drugs either, then, and some people say strontium DOES provoke bone growth, too, and at least at smaller doses, is unlikely to be harmful, and I can use all the density I can get. So I started taking it again.
For what it's worth, I've had no ill effects from it that I can see/feel. I had a REMS scan a month ago. ..of course it was so different from the DEXA it's impossible to trust IT either but it's still possible I HAVE had significant improvement since January 2024, too. (In January 2024, my spine was -3.9. In January 2023 it was -4.6. REMS in May 2024 had my spine at -2 4. Again, no way that's accurate, but...it could potentially be in the higher -3's?) In 2022-2023, I *felt* fragile. To be fair, I've been consistent with strength training and weight bearing beyond what I ever dreamed of doing, especially "farmer's carry" which still is like, "What are you DOING?" every time I go to pick those weights up...just seems like it would be terrible for you even if your bones are fine, yet here I am, carrying 44 pounds in each hand (I weigh 130) for 100 steps, and...I'm fine. Would I have been fine a year ago? Is it all simply strength or are my bones stronger too? Mind you, I fractured L1 while holding 2 pound weights and crossing my arms slowly across my body in early 2023. To be sure, I knew I shouldn't twist, but I wanted to "see". I saw and now, I don't twist...not intentionally, anyway. But I have a feeling I COULD do that with 2 pound weights now without fear.
I'm still in way too much pain. It's annoying. But when I think back to last year and the year before, and how much I'm doing now versus how much I was doing then...there's almost no comparison. I'm much, much better this year. Again, that could partly be strength, more muscle to support my poor weak bones. But it's probably also that my bones are stronger.
All to say, if strontium contributed to this, I don't care if it's helping me make bone or just filling up spaces, giving me a false DEXA. It's still doing something that's benefitting me. And it's cheap, easy to get, and I control it.
Win-win.
(P.S. I also have had PVCs. (Another reason I didn't want to take drugs that are known to induce "heart palpitations".) A LOT of them. Like, 29% burden at last monitoring event. Supposedly benign in terms of their impact on my heart, but not benign with respect to my quality of life. I could've seen an electrophysiologist, probably would've been offered an ablation (as I was 8 years ago,) that might or might not actually stop them and could actually harm me. (Beta blockers would blunt the effect but not stop them.) But someone here on Health Unlocked (heart branch) said "Google taurine and PVCs." so, I did. Who knew that there have been studies on taurine's effect on PVCs, PACs and "pauses"? Apparently no doctors I'd ever seen. You'd THINK if something simple like taurine could help, and they know their interventions are iffy at best, they'd at least suggest it. But no. Suffice it to say, after 3 weeks on taurine (and L-arginine, just in case,) the PVCs that had been my constant companion every single day for the last 16 years stopped. The accompanying chest pain went away completely within another week, and the "shortness if breath" that came with ineffective pumping has also pretty much disappeared. If nothing else could convince me that doctors either don't know or are disincentivized to tell you about the easy fixes (apparently taurine is well known to have a calming effect, apparently that's why they put it in energy drinks--to help offset the likely overstimulation of however much caffeine,) this did it. Just because they don't recommend it doesn't mean it won't work. Bonus, taurine is supposed to also help stimulate bone growth.)
There are studies that indicate that strontium contributes to both bone density and to strength - and to a lower risk of fracture in post menopausal women. There is also debate about those studies. There really is a need for more research. But given the limits of what is known - I, like you, in deciding between a drug that impacts the body's natural bone remodelling and a mineral that enters the bone - decided on strontium.
Your results are very encouraging. I wasn't aware Stontium should NOT be taken with calcium. I trust the supplement manufacturer that makes my calcium so I'm a bit frustrated with this information. thank you again for your post.
When you have had your DEXA exams have you notified them that you are taking strontium? Strontium is heavier than calcium and will make your bone density look better than it is. If the technician knows that you’re taking strontium, they do an adjustment in the way that the scores are analyzed.
Yes of course, both the technician and doctor know I am on strontium, the dose and for how long - even with calculating for the weight of strontium - the results are an increase of bone density.
YES! It's possible! and it's possible to get off the drugs and start to build just in this way. Are you doing any weight bearing exercise? For those results you must be. I'm so happy to hear this...I'm on the same path. taking the AlgaeCal Plus and the Strontium citrate. Have been on since Feb 2024. I'm doing weight bearing 3 times per week and my bones feel stronger already. I'm also doing Physical therapy. My T Score is 3. Thanks for sharing
I walk 3-4 kilometres most days - and have a large garden. I occasionally do free weights and some pilates 2-3 x a week. I also swim regularly, although that is not weight bearing is keeps me flexible and I'm sure it's good for my back and arm muscles.
my supplement has it all. I requested my primary check levels and she didn’t understand why but ordered the labs.. thank God the levels of all were unremarkable.. this along with weight baring exercises.. won’t know the affect it has on my bone density till next year due to insurance.. have you looked into a Quantitative CT? This will show the inside of your bone. A Dexa only scans the outside.. I’ve been to 6 drs and the only think they spew out are med after med! I’m my best advocate for me.. meds? Not now..it’s a lifetime commitment with so many side effects.. now a retired nurse I am appalled at a first time visit with Drs and they are spewing 5-6 meds. I’m like you don’t even know my body. How can you do this? Anyways sending hugs
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