Does the anxiety or fear of this prognosis ever get better?

I can totally relate. When my borderline osteoporosis turned more severe, I knew I had to take action. After eight months of agonizing research and worry about the options, I settled on teriparatide (Forteo, Osnuvo, etc). I just finished my two years of daily injections and I’m super happy with the results, which I also partially attribute to gradually progressing to heavy weightlifting 2-4 times per week.

As expected with teriparatide, my spine (trabecular bone) gained the most, with the hip (cortical bone) gaining slightly. All my bones are of better quality (improved architecture), even my wrists … which declined slightly but apparently not significantly.

I’m 67 years old, active and fit, 20 years post menopausal. Here are my scores pre teriparatide and a couple days before finishing two years later. Yesterday was my last dose. This Tuesday I’m getting a “Reclast” infusion to lock-in my gains. I’m not thrilled to be doing this drug, but in my mind I have no choice. I’m not prepared to try BHRT yet. Maybe after this drug sequence I’ll feel better about being able to maintain with heavy weightlifting and nutrition/supplementation, perhaps with an added boost of BHRT? I’m hoping no more drugs are in my future, but I accept I may need to …. so I can stay active and fit;)

L1-4 +22% -3.3 to -2.0
Femoral neck +8% -2.7 to -2.4
Total hip +2% -2.2 to -2.1

I’ll let you know how my body handles the infusion next week.

I just joined the group a few minutes ago and I'm 67. Don't even know where to start. I'm just wondering why I see people referring to it as a disease. Doesn't it just mean our bones are aging? I have a list of all the plant based foods that are high in calcium. Is it possible to avoid drugs? I'm so nervous about side effects and don't even know what kind of doctor to see. A rheumatologist? I have no idea.

I've refused the osteoporosis medications for 20 years, ever since I was "diagnosed" with osteopenia on my first DEXA. My second DEXA showed stability in the T-scores, but the endocrinologist STILL pushed the meds. Be apprised that virtually all endocrinologists will push meds--you could consult with 100 and find no difference among them. And they'll insist that serious side effects are "extremely rare"--a claim that the thousands of anecdotal patient reports to the contrary, on support sites such as this, call into question. My own belief, from reading over the last two decades and following patients' firsthand reports, is that this "disease" is being overhyped and that meds to "treat" it are being prescribed indiscriminately, to the detriment of many. I don't think I can post a link in this forum, but one article you may find of interest can be found on the website of npr.org--it's entitled "How a bone disease grew to fit the prescription." It details the arbitrariness behind the DEXA system, which is currently used as the sole determinant of who falls within the "needs treatment" category. As for the "1 out of 2 women will get a fracture" statistic: also be aware that there's a recent trend for doctors to designate virtually ALL fractures, including those that were unquestionably considered traumatic--e.g., slip-and-fall wrist fractures sustained on ice--as "fragility fractures," thus enabling the expansion of women who "need treatment." The "1 out of 2" does not mean those fractures were all major, e.g, hip fractures, and it's dishonest if those who cite that statistic are implying otherwise.

I just joined the group a few minutes ago and I'm 67. Don't even know where to start. I'm just wondering why I see people referring to it as a disease. Doesn't it just mean our bones are aging? I have a list of all the plant based foods that are high in calcium. Is it possible to avoid drugs? I'm so nervous about side effects and don't even know what kind of doctor to see. A rheumatologist? I have no idea.

I've refused the osteoporosis medications for 20 years, ever since I was "diagnosed" with osteopenia on my first DEXA. My second DEXA showed stability in the T-scores, but the endocrinologist STILL pushed the meds. Be apprised that virtually all endocrinologists will push meds--you could consult with 100 and find no difference among them. And they'll insist that serious side effects are "extremely rare"--a claim that the thousands of anecdotal patient reports to the contrary, on support sites such as this, call into question. My own belief, from reading over the last two decades and following patients' firsthand reports, is that this "disease" is being overhyped and that meds to "treat" it are being prescribed indiscriminately, to the detriment of many. I don't think I can post a link in this forum, but one article you may find of interest can be found on the website of npr.org--it's entitled "How a bone disease grew to fit the prescription." It details the arbitrariness behind the DEXA system, which is currently used as the sole determinant of who falls within the "needs treatment" category. As for the "1 out of 2 women will get a fracture" statistic: also be aware that there's a recent trend for doctors to designate virtually ALL fractures, including those that were unquestionably considered traumatic--e.g., slip-and-fall wrist fractures sustained on ice--as "fragility fractures," thus enabling the expansion of women who "need treatment." The "1 out of 2" does not mean those fractures were all major, e.g, hip fractures, and it's dishonest if those who cite that statistic are implying otherwise.

@otherside I agree with you. Doctors prescribing Fosamax will say it offers a 50% fracture reduction. What that means as an "absolute risk" is that if 100 women with severe bone loss take Fosamax for three years, instead of two people getting a hip fracture -- only one person will get a fracture, a 50% improvement. So, to prevent one hip fracture, 98 women take the drug with no fracture benefit.

From AI Assist: "Bisphosphonates are estimated to prevent 1 hip fracture for every 100 women treated over three years. However, they are more effective at reducing vertebral fractures, with a higher prevention rate."

Consumer reports article: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/04/popular-osteoporosis-drugs-come-with-mounting-concerns/index.htm

@daisy17 I have always heard from Dr. Greger that Fosamax is the cause of bone fractures. And that calcium pills cause heart attacks in women.