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A lot of people (mostly women) just don't seem to understand that taking some supplements and doing some exercise is enough to improve a Dexa score of -3.5 or lower. I really think the word needs to get out there that supplements aren't going to treat severe osteoporosis. People (even myself) waste time "trying" these various supplements for 2 years; meanwhile, they are getting worse.
People don't realize that there are underlying causes of osteoporosis. It's not just a matter of hormones or a matter of not enough calcium or not enough exercise. Most of us who have severe osteoporosis were taking calcium and exercising for YEARS prior to our diagnoses. I was a marathon runner. I lifted weights since my 20s. I've always eaten lots of dairy, soy, and other calcium-rich foods.
I regret not taking a proactive approach when my Dexa score was in the mild osteoporosis range. I thought I could "do it on my own" with supplements. Wrong. Now I'm in the "severe" range. I'm hopeful Evenity will help me.
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@followheart87 you sound like me. I also did nothing when I was at -2.5. I was physically active doing all the right things thinking that I could improve my DEXA and years later ended up with -4.6. I took Evenity and it went to -3.4 then on to Prolia for one year my score didn’t move that much -3.2 and now I’m on Reclast. My next DEXA is at the end of the month. These scores are from my spine. My hips always stays the same at -1.3.
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@followheart87 Thanks for articulating this issue. Supplements and exercise are not going to work for anyone in the "severe osteoporosis" category. A T-score of -3.0 or less means one has already lost 25-35% of their skeletal mass. Someone here said that she does not want to see an endocrinologist because all they do is tell her to take medications. Well, yes, that is because at this point nothing else is going to work. Now someone may live for 10 years with "severe osteoporosis" and not fracture (if they are lucky), but wait till that person turns 80. Bone loss is only partially reversible, and the earlier it is treated the more reversible gains one will see.
For every person with this potentially debilitating condition who believes they can do it themselves with supplements and exercise, I hope these posts also reach many other people who are able to think clearly about what will truly minimize the chance of the experiencing a fracture, and then living with chronic pain and disability.
Some facts to ponder: (1) taking an anabolic decreases fractures by 80%+.
(2) taking a traditional bisphosphonate (like reclast) decreases fracture risk by 30-50%, even though it does not increase bmd much, it improves bone quality.
(3) serious side-effects (from bisphosphonates), like femur fracture and jaw necrosis, can be almost eliminated by cycling on/off these drugs
Good luck to everyone here who is struggling with this preventable condition.