I don't know which osteoporosis med you are taking. Is it your first?

Hi. @gravity3
Doing zoledronic acid or reclast is the other name. It was my 3rd

@sue417 I have a diet and supplements (when needed) that I follow. I also take medication (Evenity). I have to drive 4 hours round trip for the Evenity injections but I do this because I've already had a fracture last year. Have you talked with your doctor about supplements?

I have for a number of years the regular Algae Cal Boost ( or something like that) has Calcium and some other nutrients that are appropriate. But I caution you not to use the Strontium. Though with adding that your DEXA’s look better , however , it’s based on the fact that strontium is heavier than calcium and is taken up by your bones. Your values will be better but your bones will not be. simply put.

Totally agree. Stay away from Strontium. Your post puts it clearly, so thank you! I think many of us are obssessed with the T-Score. It's just a number and the cut-offs for osteopenia and osteoporosis were conjured up in the '90s by imperfect humans. Read Lani Simpson's book, "Lani's No-Nonsense Bone Health Guide" for info on this. What matters is your fracture risk, not your T-score. My T-score is -2.5 BUT my FRAX score (fracture risk) is excellent. Google and you'll find a way to calculate that. I have a very good trabecular bone score (TBS, which is, unfortunately, not done by many labs and docs, but luckily I have access to that.) I attribute my high score to rigorous diet and exercise. Turns out, with my TBS (trabecular bone score) my risk of fracture is extremely low. Yet with the -2.5 T-Score all the docs want me on bisphosphonates which don't agree with me. We all need more of the whole picture, not just a T-score.

Strontium is sold as the complement to the Algae Cal , in the products they offer as Osteoporosis nutrients.
And just so you know I took the Strontium for a few years , and yes, my DEXA improved by as much as 6 %, which at the time I thought was wonderful. However , when I got serious about understanding things better, I quit taking it. I know there’s endless testimonials on their site about the wonderful increase in BMD as noted on the DEXA’ following the use of these products. I do still take just the Algae Cal Boost currently . Do your own research and come to your own conclusions.

My nutritionist calls the shots on my diet after looking at my bloodwork. But to generalize, no sugar! And plenty of protein. The only sugar I get is from one or 2 fruits a day. I have a protein shake in the morning, 5 oz. chicken or fish and a ton of veggies for lunch and the same for dinner, but often with a half cup of rice, potatoes or pasta. 2 or 3 slices of bread a day as well. I've been told no wine, but I have a few glasses a week. And limit myself to 1 cup of coffee a day. Supplements: calcium, magnesium, Vit. K2 and D4. You need to look at your bloodwork to know how much to take; my nutritionist adjusts it sometimes as my numbers change. Exercise: I'm a fan of Margaret Martin on melioguide.com. She's a 40-year veteran (PT) for folks with osteoporosis. With exercise, you need to fatigue your muscles. So less is more. She told me if I can do more than 10 reps at a time, I'm not using enough weight. I do squats with weights, dead lifts, bicep and tricep curls and supported rows. There are exercises without weights too-- bridging, planks, side planks, & wall or bench pushups. I do 4 of the above on alternate days. She also recommends 30 min. of cardio on top of the exercises. Something with as much impact as your body can stand. Swimming and cycling don't cut it. Jogging and powerwalking do. Her book is on Amazon. It's a great intro, and if you're overwhelmed by the robustness of the book or the website, you can book an hour with her on Zoom. I did and it was really worth it. I also do Fishman's yoga. Twelve poses a day. Others swear by it; I didn't get great results my first 2 years but I'm still doing it as others say it works....hope this helps.

Hello @sue417, I moved your discussion where you previously met Connect members discussing Algaecal, "Strontium citrate (Algaecal) and fractures" -https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/strontium-citrate-algaecal-and-fractures/.

You may also find the following discussion helpful: "Trying to choose supplements carefully" -https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/trying-to-choose-supplements-carefully

I have been taking it for a few months. My dexa scans were dismal. Really bad. I should be on medication but everytime I got on a med (Prolia, Forteo,..) I had intollerable side effects. Shortly after getting off, I broke bones. Each time, I lost more bone. After getting off Forteo I lost another full 10% on top of already really bad scores. My doctor yells at me and demands I start Tymlos, which I'm told by another doctor is worse. And the yelling doctor tells me it's a life long committment because you can never just stop without starting something new. So far, every new thing is worse than the one before. So I started taking Strontium. I haven't had a bone scan and won't for many months BUT very quickly after starting I noticed my bone pain was gone! And I felt more steady/stable. Don't know why. Everytime I get off for a bit the pain and unsteadiness returns. My main side effects have been sinus problems (headache) and difficulty breathing (huffing and puffing). That came down to a kidney issue because I do have kidney disease, but I'm a rebel. What can I say. To me, it's mostly worth it and I believe it works. We will see. I do feel a lot stronger on it.