Anyone progress from osteoporosis to osteopenia?

Once osteoporosis damages your bones it’s done and cannot be corrected. Those on the cusp of converting from osteopenia to osteoporosis possibly can convert back with meds, exercise, diet, etc. see below.
https://www.endocrinecenter.com/blog/is-osteoporosis-reversible

@jenatsky the content at that link seems to be contradictory: see excerpt below. Medications can certainly bring the DEXA out of osteoporosis. Bones are more complicated than just density though.

"There’s no cure for osteoporosis. But there is hope....

Is osteoporosis reversible? That’s a complicated question with a complicated answer. Here, our team of expert endocrinologists takes a deeper look at osteoporosis treatments and how they work together with a healthy lifestyle to slow the progression of — and possibly reverse — osteoporosis.

Can you reverse osteoporosis?
Technically, once you have osteoporosis, you have it for life. It’s incurable. However, there are ways to prevent it, ways to slow down its progression, and — if you catch it early enough — ways to counteract it."

I have seen a study before that "if" you have a parathyroid removal, you could rebound from Osteoporosis up the ladder to osteopenia. I had a dexa scan one 1/2 years ago and yes Osteoporosis. However, after I realized my doctor was in the "wait and watch" program (??), I got my own blood check for PTH and Calcium and both were high and both are indicators of a parathyroid problem. The parathyroid is now removed (one year ago) (the Norman Clinic) and the chart shows I have moved from Osteoporosis to Osteopenia level and stable (scan and blood checks). Since the Dexa scans are doctor only and radioactive, I got a REMs scan and it showed that the downward slope stopped. The doctor probably doesn't recognize this test, but do your own research..???
Before chugging away on extra calcium (kidney stones are not fun) be sure to get your PTH and Calcium in your blood checked.....The parathyroid (not the thyroid) controls bone metabolism and the name confuses people.....there are 4 and the size of a pea but powerful. They control building and removing the bone.
structure......

My back went from osteoporosis to osteopenia after 1 year on Evenity.

This is good information. I am curious about your comment “ ways to counteract it”. Any particular ways that are supported by science and reliable research your team recommends? I am looking at all ways I can to tackle this beast that actually help and not most of the nonsense found on social media.

That’s fantastic and everyone’s different and you’re very lucky. Keep up the good work.

@sridge I hope it is clear that "ways to counteract it" is part of the quoted study, not my own words.

In my experience only medications have helped my osteoporosis. If you are looking for info on non-medication approaches, others can chime in or you can pick up Keith McCormick's "Great Bones."

Thank you for your insight and clarification. I have read Keith’s book and it is a valuable resource full of good and well researched information.

Thanks for sharing this. Hadn't heard of this as an option. I wonder sometimes if certain meds are pushed as they bring more income to hospitals like charging a health plan $8000 for each monthly shot of Evenity rather than try this first.

@debbik It depends on how you define osteoporosis and how it's diagnosed. If you are using bone mineral density to determine it then many many people have moved from osteoporosis (-2.5 t-score or worse) to osteopenia and even up to "normal" levels. That's usually with medication. Of course if you were diagnosed because you had fragility fractures you can't undo fractures but you can still improve bone density above -2.5.

Also Belinda Beck and her LIFTMOR and related studies had people go from osteoporosis to osteopenia with heavy exercise alone. They consistently got significant improvement in bone density with their protocol.

As to whether the bone can ever be as strong as it was before bone loss I have not seen an answer to that. It is clear however that you can increase bone density so that the label osteoporosis based on DXA score no longer applies. It's also clear that fractures are reduced. So whether it gets as strong as before is not known but it's very clear if you improve bone density your bones are stronger and less likely to fracture. And of course it feels very good when those numbers improve.

BTW, that brief article (not a study) someone mentioned saying you cannot reverse osteoporosis was pretty much useless, IMO.

I went from severe osteoporosis in my LS with a worse score of -4.1 to a worst score in my LS of -2.1. So that's severe osteoporosis to osteopenia in less than a year. My hips didn't make it though as I've still got a -2.5 in my femoral neck. Hopefully next DXA my FN will be out of the osteoporosis numerical range and be stronger.
That was done with Evenity and I also followed a modified LIFTMOR protocol. With continued good fortune I hope to be more improved over the next couple of years. Fingers crossed.