← Return to Osteoporosis treatment or strontium citrate?

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@colleenyoung

Hi @judiruss, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You ask a great question about whether supplements can be used in conjunction with prescribed medicines. I can understand your wanting to give your bones the best chance. However, it is important to know what works, what may have negative interactions, etc. So I went on a search for evidence-based articles.

Strontium comes in several forms: strontium citrate, strontium chloride, strontium ranelate, etc. None have been approved in the U.S. The forms of strontium available over-the-counter in the U.S. or on the Internet are usually strontium citrate or strontium chloride. These forms are different from the ranelate compound and there have been no studies showing that they are safe or effective. Strontium ranelate was authorized in the European Union in 2014 to treat severe osteoporosis, but was approval was withdrawn in 2017 and is no longer be recommended to treat osteoporosis because of data demonstrating serious negative side effects. This article explains in greater detail.
- Why Strontium Is Not Advised for Bone Health https://americanbonehealth.org/medications-bone-health/why-strontium-is-not-advised-for-bone-health/

With all the treatment options out there, Mayo Clinic researchers set out to do a comparative analysis. "There are too many drugs that are used for osteoporosis," says M. Hassan Murad, M.D., an internal medicine doctor and a clinical epidemiologist in the Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery. "We wanted to compare them so that patients and physicians can make informed decisions." The studies they reviewed, conducted around the world, tested one or more of the following interventions: various bisphosphonates, teriparatide, selective estrogen receptor modulators, denosumab, abaloparatide, romosozumab, estrogen with or without progesterone, calcitonin, lasofoxifene, strontium ranelate, tibolone, PTH 1-84, calcium, or vitamin D. You can read more about their findings here:
- Finding what works best to stop osteoporosis in its tracks https://advancingthescience.mayo.edu/2019/06/17/finding-what-works-best-to-stop-osteoporosis-in-its-tracks/

Judi, are you currently taking Forte? or Prolia?

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Replies to "Hi @judiruss, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You ask a great question about whether supplements can..."

In reply to the comment that there are no studies showing strontium to be safe or effective. Here are two studies with comparisions from the excellent blog by BoneLady. It is probably best to be very careful when using absolutes in terms of no, never, none.
http://strontiumforbones.blogspot.com/2017/02/mots-and-comb-study-comparison.html

I have been taking SC. For about a year but I am about to start Prolia. Just wondering if they are safe taken together opened up my chances of success