Improve bone density and strength without medication?

What are your numbers if I can ask. I am 67 years old and just started my second dosing of the pellets and I feel remarkably better as far as well being. I think the next dosing he will go to 100 testosterone. I did 75 this time I have no history of breast cancer in the family. I suffer from osteoarthritis terribly, I am hoping my DEXA is going to improve. My numbers aren’t that horrific. I have been doing the cream bioidentical hormones for the last 20 years before switching to the pellets... I think without doing that I would’ve been in much worse shape.. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you for your suggestion. Unfortunately, I cannot take any calcium supplements (I have tried many brands, different kinds of calcium and in different formats such as liquid, powder, etc.), smallest dose, and all give me very severe headaches and some of them give me heart palpitations. I even tried "Pure Encapsulation" which is 150 mgs of only calcium citrate in one capsule plus a few ingredients to create the capsule. This is the reason I try to eat 1200 mgs of calcium and can never achieve that. I am also lactose intolerant (so i eat lactose free yogurt). And not able to drink any kind of milk. I am hopeless case.

You might want to consider drinking Boost. Each bottle contains almost 400 mg of Calcium and it is, I believe, lactose free.

Thank you for your suggestion, however, Boost is fortified with calcium citrate and it is the calcium that is added to Boost that gives me severe headaches. It is the same thing as taking a calcium supplement.

My numbers are for Lumbar Spine T score -0.1, Right and Left Femoral Neck -2.1 (osteopenia), Left Hip -1.3 (osteopenia). I am going to do vaginal estrogen creme and continue with testosterone subcutaneous pelletts. Along with exercise walking 30minutes 3-4 x a week and swim some laps and do exercises in the water for 1-2 times a week. Also do some light hand held weights at home and meditate 2 times a day.. I take calcium supplement and get about 1200mg of calcium a day in addition to what I eat in my food intake. Osteoprime Forte bone formula is what I use. I plan on going to see another rhuematologist as the last one I went to 2 years ago just seemed to blow me off. I also am trying to get in at Mayo with a doctor that saw me back in 2019 for Spondylothesis and removed a cyst at L5 that was inpinging on a nerve in my spinal cord. There is no breast cancer in my family as I did genetic testing.

From what I have read the estrogen creme I plan on getting from the doctor is low dose and since it is vagina it is not systemic to the rest of the body. I had DCIS which means cancer cells are contained and have not spread and I had stage zero grade 2 which many women who had this often just do a wait and see approach and do have have surgery. I did not require radiation or chemo after the lumpectomy and most of the cancer cells were removed when I had the biopsy done. I was on HRT for over 20 years and have no history of breast cancer in my family has I had genetic testing done. Not much of estrogen creme if used vaginally is absorbed throughout the body and at my age I don't think it matters.

@pduff your numbers are good so maybe the rheumatologist had no treatment for you as yet. My DEXA reports all say that femoral neck is not reliable to measure change, which is interesting.

I was negative on BRCA and many other genetic tests but still got hormonal breast cancer. Just a side note.

Osteoporosis does not cause pain and has no symptoms until fractures. @nme1985 so your pain is mainly osteoarthritis?

@pduff and @violetangel1111 1200mg calcium is a lot for me and might be a lot for everyone if in addition to food calcium. I don't know, Testing would probably establish the level for each individual.

I am allergic to dairy but take just 500-800 mg calcium/day (800 on Tymlos and Evenity). My blood calcium is 9.2- 10.3. One thing I do is balance calcium with magnesium (2 hours apart) and low sodium V-8 for potassium. Some on my afib forum do this to avoid the side effects of calcium alone.

I ran across this site and am writing in desperation and confusion. More than a year ago I was dx with osteoporosis (mild, don't have scores with me). I really wanted to try to deal with it without drugs and still do. I did a fair amount of research and consulted with my PCP (no osteoporosis specialist in my area.) She had a standard protocol, take Fosamax and 1500 mg calcium supplement. That didn't work for me for lots of reasons, so I didn't follow through. About the same time, I was distracted from the osteoporosis because of a dx with AFib and put on Eliquis blood thinner. Several of the supplements and foods that another doc had recommended are not allowed (especially Vit K). One national online group I contacted would not take patients on blood thinners or with certain heart conditions. I also have severe osteoarthritis, lots of pain, and a problem with walking and balance due to a long-ago injury, so having to figure a lot out about weight bearing exercises. (In the meanwhile, many family problems I'm dealing with.) I'm back to ground zero on osteoporosis, know I should be doing something, and just don't know where to start. Any suggestions?

@lindabp Vitamin K is fine with Eliquis, not Coumadin though.

" From Dr. Google "There are no known interactions between Eliquis and Vitamin K12. Eliquis is a new anticoagulation agent that does not interact with vitamin K1. However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist, so it is always best to consult your healthcare provider2. A total of 360 drugs are known to interact with Eliquis2. Vitamin K is in the drug class anticoagulant reversal agents2."

@lindabp I have afib (still declining blood thinner, because my dramatic episodes don't happen often and my CHDS score is 2). I have osteoarthritis and a bunch of other things. I can't imagine a medical practice turning me away!

For mild osteoporosis (still above -3.0?) you could still try some holistic methods. I would too much calcium with afib (I do 800mg tops).

You might want to look at Keith McCormick's books "A Whole Body Approach to Osteoporosis" or more recently and more thoroughly, "Great Bones" available online. He also does consultation in person and by phone for $350 initially.

PCP's tend to start with Fosamax. Many used to prescribe it for osteopenia but that use has decreased, from what I hear. You might want to see an endocrinologist.

I try to remember that doctors don't have liability if they prescribe but do have liability if they don't prescribe. So they tend to prescribe! We can discuss and decline, and wait, if we want. If your scores are very borderline, maybe you can talk to McCormick or other holistic doc.

No need to be desperate on account of osteoporosis! I have had it for 16 years. I have never done any weight lifting, just tai chi, walking and I want to swim for my muscles (won't help bones of course).

But I know that afib is a very difficult problem too and you are dealing with that. Hope you have a cardiologist and maybe a nutritionist would be helpful too. I also rely on pharmacists on interactions: they tend to know more than my docs!