Connect
← Return to What supplements help Osteopenia, Osteoporosis?
Discussion
What supplements help Osteopenia, Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis & Bone Health | Last Active: 3 days ago | Replies (150)Comment receiving replies
@criss It sounds as if Lara Pizzorno may have an interest in Algae Cal. Do you know that she does not? Obviously if a person has a stake in it then they are going to recommend it highly.
I am still in the process of figuring out what course I will take. I have a DEXA at the end of the month and then appointments with two endocrinologists about my osteoporosis. I have heard from other sources that Algae Cal is no better than taking the recommended supplements like Calcium, Vitamin D, and possibly K and Boron. I have seen Strontium not recommended.
I am not an expert in this area at all, like all of us, I am just trying to make sure I have the most accurate information which can be difficult because there are those who favor drugs and those who vehemently oppose them. I was prepared to start with something but then it occurred to me that I tend to have negative side-effects very often from drugs. Knowing the potential side-effects of these drugs is pretty frightening.
I have this habit of not really looking into side-effects so then when one presents itself I am perplexed not knowing what could be causing whatever my problem is. That happened recently when I complained to a friend about my legs aching badly. She immediately asked me if I was on a statin which I had started a couple of months previous to that. Sure enough, that was what was causing the problem. I explain this because I would not want it to be thought that I read the side-effects and then immediately imagine that I have them.
JK
Replies to "@criss It sounds as if Lara Pizzorno may have an interest in Algae Cal. Do you..."
Yes, I also considered Dr. Pizzorno's connection with AlgaeCal.. Her 30+ years of work with bone health and other age related issues seem to explain her support. The more information we have the better able we are to make good decisions for our own situation. Of course we have to do our research and not just accept everything we hear. Consider that the traditional medical community gets kickbacks from big Pharma, and most doctors have not been trained in natural medicine, but to prescribe meds.
Best wishes to you!
The number one reason that people discontinue statins is muscle cramping, usually starting in the legs. I tried all of them and on one occasion almost called 911. One episode was so severe that a friend visiting at the time was afraid that it would tear a tendon. My cardiologist said that that's the biggest downside of statins and its not clear what they do that triggers the cramping but her husband had the same experience.
As for bisphosponates, I hope people do read up about the very well-known side effects, including the not-common osteonecrosis of the jaw, aka dead bone jaw, wherein bone cannot heal due to lack of blood circulation to the area so a simple tooth extraction can become a medical crisis. I know someone dealing with it and it's scary. There probably is a safe period of time for taking bisphosphonates before risking osteonecrosis but my PCP and endocrinologist say they're not sure of that. It might be that some people have a body chemistry or genetic make-up that predispose them to it. And science doesn't yet know why these drugs work so differently on jaw and skull bone but a speculation is that it's due to the heavier blood supply to that area.
The site for the Federal registry of adverse side effects of drugs, FAERS, is listed below for negative side effects reported after a drug is approved. Prolia has over 117,000 adverse effects, over 60,000 in one 2-year period and has only been on the market for a little over 10 years. It is not a bisphosphonate but is also known to have caused osteonecrosis so will need to update its list of side effects. These protocols can take a long, long time so sometimes FAERS is the only early warning to buyers if a particular complaint gets a large number of reports. There are no long-term, longitudinal studies for newly-developed drugs either.
fis.fda.gov
When site opens, click on FDA reporting system and, when that opens, type name of drug in search board. It may take a minute to open to that drugs adverse effect reports.
Connect
I have wondered the same thing about AlgaeCal as well as any others. I just wish I knew what is the best thing to take. There are so many conflicting answers.