1. < Osteoporosis & Bone Health
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Weight lifting - bone scans improved in one year!

Posted by vga @vga, Apr 21 6:47pm

I'm a 62-year-old woman, average weight, healthy eater, and a runner. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis last year with my first bone scan. I tried one dose of oral Fosamax--it made me terribly sick--so I stopped immediately. I researched alternatives, adding Vitamin K2 and D to my supplements, and started weight lifting with heavy weights 5-6 times a week. I researched specific osteroporosis weight lifting programs, but couldn't find a coach nearby. So, I just started using youtube videos and lifting heavy weights. I just had a repeat bone scan that showed improvement in all my numbers--moving osteoporosis to osteopenia for some locations. My worst area is my L3--this improved by 30%! In one year! Very excited to share this. I hope that sharing my results might encourage others to try weight lifing.

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

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pattwc | @pattwc | Apr 25 9:14am
In reply to @debraran "@pattwc WTG in doing your homework and going forward! I also was a runner and now..." + (show)
Profile picture for debraran @debraran

@pattwc WTG in doing your homework and going forward! I also was a runner and now walker in past, Pilates instead of yoga and still say that helped any lower back pain go away years ago.
I take calcium with Vit K2 and Vit D and had collagen with fortibone also.
I also have breast cancer in family, sister and mom (both did well) and recently read collagen could make dense breasts worse for scans. I get ultrasound also but want to talk to my doctor about it. I fell down a rabbit hole of conflicting articles and don't want to make it harder for them to read scans. If my PCP says it's okay, I'll continue.
I'm familiar with Brick House but not Lisa Wittstein. I didn't find her on a quick search but I'll look again. Fitness with PJ I will do on occasion for variety. Exercises end up being close to the same but it's what's weight you use. PJ will show modifications as others do also

Jump to this post

Ooops. The name should be Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein. Sorry for the misleading
info and thank you for your reply. All the best on this journey. And also
thank you for the info on collagen and dense breast tissue. I have no
family members who have or had breast cancer but many of us have dense
breast tissue.

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1 reply
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pbradley1954 | @pbradley1954 | Apr 25 10:18am

Really happy to hear! I also was told I had to go on medication--that weight lifting and diet wouldn't help. All doctors ever want to do is give you a pill!

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debraran | @debraran | Apr 26 5:17am
In reply to @pbradley1954 "Really happy to hear! I also was told I had to go on medication--that weight lifting..." + (show)
Profile picture for pbradley1954 @pbradley1954

Really happy to hear! I also was told I had to go on medication--that weight lifting and diet wouldn't help. All doctors ever want to do is give you a pill!

Jump to this post

@pbradley1954
I think it's just easier but it scares me when on a FB group, I'll see women saying in osteopenia they want to put them on meds. I'm like "get another opinion".
I know working in medical office, I've asked why doctor's besides laziness push BP meds or other things without giving the patient time to see if diet or exercise changes will help. (it can many times) They said a patient history of non-compliance, weight never changes, etc make them feel it's healthier to have the patient take a med with silent diseases. What if the person keeps eating fried foods and BP increases more, type of thing.
I feel if you know yourself, try anything before getting on a med cycle. It's hard for doctor's to take you off many meds and bone meds can be dangerous if stopped quickly. My doctor said it's a cycle she didn't want me to start unless we exhausted everything and I was far from that.

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debraran | @debraran | Apr 26 5:21am
In reply to @pattwc "Ooops. The name should be Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein. Sorry for the misleading info and thank you..." + (show)
Profile picture for pattwc @pattwc

Ooops. The name should be Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein. Sorry for the misleading
info and thank you for your reply. All the best on this journey. And also
thank you for the info on collagen and dense breast tissue. I have no
family members who have or had breast cancer but many of us have dense
breast tissue.

Jump to this post

@pattwc Thanks, that happens ; ) Yes I never knew years ago I had dense breasts until they made it a law to tell women. I'm like "why in the world would they think we shouldn't know if it effects scans?" Many women of course called doctor's wanting additional tests done and they should have. I get ultrasound and some get other scans.

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dvargo | @dvargo | Apr 26 6:12am
In reply to @debraran "@pattwc WTG in doing your homework and going forward! I also was a runner and now..." + (show)
Profile picture for debraran @debraran

@pattwc WTG in doing your homework and going forward! I also was a runner and now walker in past, Pilates instead of yoga and still say that helped any lower back pain go away years ago.
I take calcium with Vit K2 and Vit D and had collagen with fortibone also.
I also have breast cancer in family, sister and mom (both did well) and recently read collagen could make dense breasts worse for scans. I get ultrasound also but want to talk to my doctor about it. I fell down a rabbit hole of conflicting articles and don't want to make it harder for them to read scans. If my PCP says it's okay, I'll continue.
I'm familiar with Brick House but not Lisa Wittstein. I didn't find her on a quick search but I'll look again. Fitness with PJ I will do on occasion for variety. Exercises end up being close to the same but it's what's weight you use. PJ will show modifications as others do also

Jump to this post

@debraran I hired a trainer, started HRT 3 years ago and improved my score in one year. 5% improvement. Went from osteoporosis to osteopenia.

REPLY
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inanina | @inanina | Apr 26 8:15am

Hi, just getting started on this journey. I am taking once a month Boniva and daily calcium, plus strength training. Thinking about adding some of the vitamins mentioned as well as have read about.

Question- Do you take the calcium, K2 and vitamin D all together and daily?

REPLY
2 replies
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kfhoz | @kfhoz | Apr 26 10:22am
In reply to @inanina "Hi, just getting started on this journey. I am taking once a month Boniva and daily..." + (show)
Profile picture for inanina @inanina

Hi, just getting started on this journey. I am taking once a month Boniva and daily calcium, plus strength training. Thinking about adding some of the vitamins mentioned as well as have read about.

Question- Do you take the calcium, K2 and vitamin D all together and daily?

Jump to this post

@inanina There are several discussions about supplements/vitamins with really good information. You might want to have a look at this one:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/trying-to-choose-supplements-carefully/

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1 reply
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vga | @vga | Apr 26 7:21pm
In reply to @inanina "Hi, just getting started on this journey. I am taking once a month Boniva and daily..." + (show)
Profile picture for inanina @inanina

Hi, just getting started on this journey. I am taking once a month Boniva and daily calcium, plus strength training. Thinking about adding some of the vitamins mentioned as well as have read about.

Question- Do you take the calcium, K2 and vitamin D all together and daily?

Jump to this post

@inanina I have very early atherosclerosis, another issue that started after menopause despite a healthy lifestyle. I used to take calcium, but because scans found a plaque in my carotid artery during my last physical, I don't take calcium supplements anymore, and instead, I get my calcium through diet and take K2 and Vitamin D through supplements. Here are a couple of references.
https://www.atherosclerosis-journal.com/article/S0021-9150(20)30024-1/abstract https://www.tctmd.com/news/calcium-supplements-not-dietary-calcium-linked-higher-long-term-risk-atherosclerosis-mesa.

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tillymack | @tillymack | Apr 26 8:05pm
In reply to @vga "@inanina I have very early atherosclerosis, another issue that started after menopause despite a healthy lifestyle...." + (show)
Profile picture for vga @vga

@inanina I have very early atherosclerosis, another issue that started after menopause despite a healthy lifestyle. I used to take calcium, but because scans found a plaque in my carotid artery during my last physical, I don't take calcium supplements anymore, and instead, I get my calcium through diet and take K2 and Vitamin D through supplements. Here are a couple of references.
https://www.atherosclerosis-journal.com/article/S0021-9150(20)30024-1/abstract https://www.tctmd.com/news/calcium-supplements-not-dietary-calcium-linked-higher-long-term-risk-atherosclerosis-mesa.

Jump to this post

@vga
Were you previously taking calcium with D? Could you share your dose of calcium with accompanying D? I'm considering my supplements now that I've improved my diet. Thank you!

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