Improve bone density and strength without medication?

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.

@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.

@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!

Thank you for your reply. It was encouraging. I think because the AFib DX is fairly new and came just a few months after osteoporosis DX I just got overwhelmed when I was getting contradictory info. Right now I am on eliquis and that has fewer restrictions, but they say still no vitamin k and turmeric- it seems everything I read says I need vit k. It is in the bone supplement I take. But I have had some concerning bleeding- I can’t seem to get any advice from doctors. Endocrinologists in this area are very conservative and want you on medication. I already have side effects from just about any other meds I’m on and just don’t want to add another one. I have bad osteoarthritis, much pain, but there is NO pain med I can tolerate. And I’ve had to discontinue several support that were helping with that. I’m going to get that book Good Bones hoping it will give me better understanding. More scared of stroke right now since my mom died from that. At 81, I feel a lot of doctors don’t take you seriously about anything but their specialty. I appreciate your comments.

Vitamin K can cause bleeding. Vitamin K2 the one we like for osteoporosis doesn't cause bleeding, but causes cardiac arrythmia which can contribute to afib.

@gently I have afib (with heart rate close to 200) once or twice a year and take K2. Noone has told me that K2 contributes to afib. Can you share a source?

Vitamin K helps clot your blood. So perhaps that is the reason for the contraindication. With Coumadin, it actually is an antidote for bleeding.

For other blood thinners, perhaps the blood clotting function of K2 also has an effect against anti-coagulation. And anyone with afib is at risk for clots: K2 could conceivably increase that risk.

I have been cautious with it, taking only 45mcg. I am not on a blood thinner.

@gently I have afib (with heart rate close to 200) once or twice a year and take K2. Noone has told me that K2 contributes to afib. Can you share a source?

Vitamin K helps clot your blood. So perhaps that is the reason for the contraindication. With Coumadin, it actually is an antidote for bleeding.

For other blood thinners, perhaps the blood clotting function of K2 also has an effect against anti-coagulation. And anyone with afib is at risk for clots: K2 could conceivably increase that risk.

I have been cautious with it, taking only 45mcg. I am not on a blood thinner.