Has anyone had an experience with Reclast ? I wrote a few months ago that I was coming off Alendronate because of esophageal problems. I just had my dexascan, I do not have osteoporosis and the Dr. said that my dexascan showed an improvement over my former one of 2 years ago. I have been off Prednisone now for a week having been on it for 4 years and the last 3 months at 1/2 a milligram a day. I feel great. He says that it shows an improvement because of the alendronate and that now I should have an annual infusion of Reclast instead. I really hesitate to have chemicals in my body for a year when it may not agree with me. It also could have been improved because of my daily intake of calcium and vitamin D, and the lower dosages of prednisone. Any thoughts on this.? Thank you for your help over these 4years and the inspiration to take it slowly from Dorset Lady.
Delia
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DeliaGray
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No experience to offer, I refused the pressure to have AA because I was afraid of the side effects. My DEXA scan was very good as well. Annual infusions of Reclast would be more of the same. I thought that the recommendations were to be on a Biophos. Drug for no more than two years and some doubt about the long term effects had been expressed. Like you, I would want to be done with all that, especially if I felt great. I bet the vit D and Calcium has done a great deal for you, stick with that if it suits you. I also thought it was either or with Alendronic Acid or Calcium.
Well done you for springing free of all this. Run for it!
DeliaGray, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis of the lumbar spine 4 years ago and after much research refused to take any medications. My DEXA was repeated a year later and my results were marginally worse. However I persevered with a vitamin D and calcium preparation including other bone health minerals such as vitamin K2, exercise (not enough) and watched my diet. My latest DEXA 2 years after the second one revealed my results to be the same as/ slightly better than two years ago.
I see an osteoporosis specialist and she did say that bone health shows a sharp decline within the first 5 years after the menopause and then stabilises so I hope that is where I am now.
Thank you Mistydawn I have decided not to have the infusion. In 4 months I will be 80 and I still work full time. I will carry on with my vitamin sand calcium and trust that my bone scans will remain stable.
I love my Home country but the States has given me many opportunities that I would never have had in England and for that I am very grateful. I wish you well.
I am from the village of Moulton outside of Northampton in the Midlands. I moved to California and have lived most of my fifty years here in or just outside of San Francisco. In the 70's I spent a year and a half on the Alaskan Island of Kodiak.However for financial reasons almost 2 years ago I moved to Salt Lake City. It is a beautiful City and much less expensive. I love it here although I didn't know anyone when I moved here a month before my 78th birthday. I have made wonderful friends here and will be throwing a big birthday bash in July to celebrate 80. I have my California friends coming along with some family from England and the many. many friends from here. My work is around the San Francisco area so I fly back once a month for a few days to see my clients. It is cheaper to live here and do that than live there. It is a very very expensive city now.
That all sounds so adventurous and fulfilling. I hope you have a wonderful 80 th. So glad that you are well in time for it. Congratulations. My son in law’s sister lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, little girl and another on the way. Career reasons, they are from Sheffield.
What an inspiration you are. Thank you for sharing all this with us. Encouragement is a powerful drug in itself! Have a wonderful birthday when it comes and all the very best wishes going forward. I have been changed to Risedonrate Sodium after AA gave such indigestion. So much better.
Yes I agree, we all need encouragement. When I was first diagnosed with PMR and GCA in 2014, I had never heard of either but had been suffering for 2 years. Over here GCA is quite rare but becoming more prevalent sadly. I had no energy and had lost a lot of weight before the Dr. discovered what was wrong. I was placed on 80 mg of Prednisone a day. He told me as many U.S. Drs. will, that I would be off it in 18 months. When I went to see my rheumatologist in San Francisco he told me that he had never had a case. I told him that the Brits have research centers and he told me to follow British Drs. advice, I found this blog and did just that. You all have been very helpful especially Dorset lady. Thank you.
I would think of how many diseases are much worse than this. I would think of how some paraplegics and quadraplegics have overcome their despair and done some great and inspiring things. I thought of the many people with severe cancer, and I also have a strong Christian faith. I thought of people in Africa and other countries who have no access to the kind of health access that we have, and I decided to stop whining and get on with the healing.!! Attitude of mind is EVERYTHING.!!
I am very much looking forward to another 20 years if my health holds up. On Wed I have cataract surgery. Another challenge for these latter years. I call them the "Rusty" years, and not the "Golden" years . Each morning when I awake I thank God for another day and the good and bad that it may bring.
My birthday party this year will be very special to me. I have 50 guests. All of them are people in my life who have brought joy into it. I have been considered the "Black Sheep" of my family because I have never conformed. My children do not understand me and neither do I for that matter, but none of that matters. I try to make my own little corner of the world a better place for living, and when I die I say that "I want to outlive my life". That means that I hope someone in the world is having a better life because I once was on this earth.
I am not a conventional Mother. Grandmother or Great Grandmother but I love them all very much and none of that matters either. We are all different and we all have something positive to offer.
This past week I was diagnosed with another Scandinavian disease called Dupuytren's Contracture. It is a disease where the fingesr lock into a semi open position gradually over time. Another Chronic disease for which there is no real cure. It is easy to say "Why me"? but instead I prefer to say, "Wow! 2 weird diseases I must be very special !!!! After all, Ronald Reagan, James Barrie and Margaret Thatcher had it.
In case you are wondering , I have never had much money, but I love Jenny Churchill's saying, " I may be poor but no-one's damn well gonna know it.!!" That is one of my two life mottos. The other is, "I will have fun at all times."
I know this has become an epistle, but I want to encourage all of you who have those down days, as we all do or have had. You will get through this, just have patience and be very good to yourself.
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Periodontal Abscess while on Prednisone 
Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil)
How long should I take Alendronate
Finished pred
Now what?
