PCP Suggesting Meds for Osteopenia

Posted by northrancher @northrancher, May 6 11:26am

I'm 73 and I've had stable Osteopenia for about 20 years. Last June, I had a terrible fall, which resulted in an L1 Compression Fracture (20% LOH). Due to that fall, my PCP says I'm now considered as having clinical Osteoporosis and is recommending I take an OP med. Would really like your opinions and thank you, in advance.

Here are my DEXA results from last week:

L2-4
T-score -1.7
Left femoral neck
T-score -0.9
Right femoral neck
T-score -0.9
Left femur
T-score -0.9
Right femur
T-score -0.8
1.6% hip fracture over 10 yrs
14.2% major fracture

CTX 419

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.

jasieu | @jasieu | May 27 12:29pm

My DEXA scan showed osteopenia about 4 years ago. Since then, another DEXA scan showed osteoporosis, so my PCP prescribed alendronate, a biphosphonate. At about the same time, I began to experience dry eye. My research led me to this study in NLM/Pubmed: "Ocular side effects of biphosphonates", a link to which I sent to my PCP. I proposed stopping the alendronate and she agreed, proposing that we try a different bone med, possible an injection, on my next appointment.

https//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2954081

nightsky | @nightsky | May 27 1:10pm

"Drinking alkaline water with a pH around 9 may help improve bone density in the spine for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, especially when combined with standard osteoporosis treatments. The effect appears to be specific to the spine and may be due to reduced calcium loss and improved mineral absorption. However, more research is needed for broader recommendations, and alkaline water should not replace prescribed osteoporosis therapies."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34463073/#:~:text=improves%20spine%20T%2Dscores%20in%20postmenopausal%20women
https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/nutrition/alkaline-water-benefits
https://tahoespringswater.com/blog/alkaline/alkaline-water-for-bone-density/#:~:text=can%20mitigate%20bone%20resorption
https://teslahealthylife.com/alkaline-water-for-osteoporosis-patients.php#:~:text=reduce%20the%20quantity%20of%20calcium%20removed%20from%20the%20body
"Eating 57 grams of Jarlsberg cheese daily has been shown in several clinical studies to increase blood markers associated with bone formation, particularly osteocalcin and vitamin K2. However, while these changes suggest a potential for improved bone health, direct evidence of increased bone density in humans over the short term is not yet available."

Effect Evidence from Studies
Increased vitamin K2 Yes Jarlsberg is rich in vitamin K2
Increased osteocalcin Yes Marker of bone formation
Increased PINP (bone marker) Yes Indicates new bone formation
Direct increase in bone density Not yet proven in short-term studies Longer studies needed to confirm
Unique to Jarlsberg Yes Not seen with Camembert or other cheeses tested

Quoted from Perplexity AI, and it provided sources.

nightsky | @nightsky | May 27 1:12pm

In reply to @hedynevada01 "PH9 water? Why jarlseberg cheese?" + (show)

nightsky | @nightsky | 43 seconds ago
"Drinking alkaline water with a pH around 9 may help improve bone density in the spine for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, especially when combined with standard osteoporosis treatments. The effect appears to be specific to the spine and may be due to reduced calcium loss and improved mineral absorption. However, more research is needed for broader recommendations, and alkaline water should not replace prescribed osteoporosis therapies."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34463073/#:~:text=improves%20spine%20T%2Dscores%20in%20postmenopausal%20women
https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/nutrition/alkaline-water-benefits
https://tahoespringswater.com/blog/alkaline/alkaline-water-for-bone-density/#:~:text=can%20mitigate%20bone%20resorption
https://teslahealthylife.com/alkaline-water-for-osteoporosis-patients.php#:~:text=reduce%20the%20quantity%20of%20calcium%20removed%20from%20the%20body
"Eating 57 grams of Jarlsberg cheese daily has been shown in several clinical studies to increase blood markers associated with bone formation, particularly osteocalcin and vitamin K2. However, while these changes suggest a potential for improved bone health, direct evidence of increased bone density in humans over the short term is not yet available."

Quoted from Perplexity AI, and it provided sources.

I posted this separately and was not able to delete it. :/

shelldct1 | @shelldct1 | May 27 7:32pm

In reply to @nightsky "I'm drinking PH 9 water to help my spine, eating 60-100 grams of prunes and 200..." + (show)

May I ask what your initial T score was? So happy to hear you reversed your T score without meds. It gives me hope. What are some of the things you did?