I have a DEXA scan score of -5.7, but I REFUSE to take any of these drugs. I talked to a bunch of women who had very negative side effects to bisphosphonate drugs. I tried Fosamax - but had too many side effects. I thought about Prolia - but you get a shot and it lasts six months? Does that mean if it doesn't agree with my body - I will have side effects for six months. I told the doctor I had to find another path. Instead of discussing my options, she walked out of the exam room. So I began doing serious research. The bisphosphonate drugs work by not allowing the dead bone to leave your body as it usually does - in your urine. It keeps the old bone where it is, and when you get a DEXA scan, your bones look like you have had bone growth. It's just that old dead bone sitting there. When you stop taking the drug, you pee out all that "bone growth." In the meantime, you are lucky if you didn't have any side effects. Some of those side effects are very dangerous - osteonecrosis comes to mind. I talked to two women who had to have their jaws rebuilt. I turned instead to nutrition. Vitamins D3 and K2 (mk4 mk7) are the answer. A nutritionist has posted an excellent article about vitamin K2 - it's called The Ultimate Vitamin K2 Resource and his name is Chris Masterjohn. You can do a search for it. I will post a link here but it might be removed by moderators. Basically, vitamin K2 (mk4 mk7) sends all the calcium to your bones - not to your kidneys and not to your arteries. This is a big deal. And D3 is necessary for bone growth. I also take some calcium because I cannot eat enough, and I take a bit of potassium. I added 3 mg of boron in the morning and again at night - and ALL my arthritis symptoms are GONE - it's like magic. This is a small dose of boron, and you have to be careful with boron. Of course, you must run all of his by your doctor. Don't be surprised if your doctor doesn't know much about vitamin K2. My doctors know a little bit about vitamin K - but nothing about K2 (mk4 mk7). The mk4 and mk7 are the type of K2 that helps humans. It is very specific. I think vitamin K2 and vitamin D3 deficiencies may be the culprit for people with osteoporosis. If you take calcium, subtract the amount you eat every day. There are trackers you can download on your phone - you just tell it what you ate and it figures out your calcium intake for you. Also, both calcium and magnesium are minerals. The total amount your body can absorb is 500-600 mg TOTAL for both. So if your calcium is 1000 mg, break it in half and take it then take the other half at least four hours later... and if it has magnesium in it - you have to add that into the equation. The best way is to eat your vitamins. But you cannot really eat enough K2 and D3. I am in a support group with other women who won't take those drugs. Many of them are seeing real success with their DEXA scans. Some of them have walked their osteoporosis back to osteopenia and some are getting even better than that. I will be getting a DEXA scan in a couple of months - and I will share my results. I was fracturing in 2018 - thank goodness that has stopped. Another thing about vitamin D3. Research has proven that vitamin D3 reduces the number of falls in the elderly by more than 50%. You can Google that and see the medical journal articles to prove that. So it is good for bone growth and it reduces falls in the elderly! If you can afford to see a nutritionist, do so! If not, there are support groups out there that will cheer you on and give you more to read than you can handle. Here is the website for the vitamin K2 ultimate resource - if the moderator takes it down - just do a search. This guy has a book coming out - and I have preordered it. He has great information. Good luck to all of us! https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/blog/2016/12/09/the-ultimate-vitamin-k2-resource