How do you halt the progress of osteoporosis?

Listen to your Dr. This avoidance is doing more harm than good

My xray in 2017 and 2020 showed no arthritis and then right after 2020 xray the next day I had MRI and it was then doctor said yes there is a moderate arthritis on my right hip and mild case on the left hip. So I guess unless it is very severe xay won't show.
How long have you been on Prolia? Did you try other osteo medicine before Prolia? I did 6-7 years of Actonel but though it helped all numbers to be the same or better since 14 years ago it did not help with the femur neck. Though I found out about my osteo problem in 2006 and femur neck was -3.3 then , now it is -3.7 and my doctor said Actonel doesn't help femur neck and I need to have Prolia. He did say that with Porlia i can except to improve .1 each year so this means after 10 years my number would be -2.7 and that is given if it does work and that I do not have side effects..
As I told Mary, I am currently back on Actonel and do squats and exercise everyday. I also put a heating pad on my hip bone to bring blood circulation there since there are only 2 very tiny blood veins going into that area so I decided to help the medicine to get into femur neck and I will soak in hot tub every week as well.
You said you had osteo when you were in mid 40's. I think I am in the same boat because when I was 55 the number was -3.3 so that means in my 40s I was most likely in trouble already.
Thanks for sharing 'positive thinking' about life.

Hello @akh and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thank you for joining the discussion and sharing what you have found to be a better replacement for you, personally.

Can I ask what you were looking for when you found Connect?

My issue is spinal arthritis that has progressed to bladder and bowel problems. My orthopedic surgeon suggested fusing T10 to S1. I’m searching for an alternative suggestion.

I would really like to halt the progress of bone loss. I am 79 and have had many bone density test over the years, Each time there is more bone loss. I took Fosamax for over 8 years with no results and Boniva for 3 years or so, also with no results. I had not had a test for 2 years and I really worked during that time. Lifting weights ,walking, Getting on the ionic free motion machine at the gym. (trainer said it was recommended). Taking gobs of Calcium (plant based), D,K, Magnesium etc. And it was even lower this time too. I really am afraid to take anymore Meds. because of the side effects. I am really way down on the scale. Does anyone have any recommendations? NM

I have osteopenia and was contemplating taking anastrozole so had a consultation with an endocrinologist about how to protect against osteoporosis since that drug triggers faster bone loss because it prevents the production of estrogen in the body. The endocrinologist described the basic choices are bisphosphonates, the SERM Evista and Prolia, a monoclonal antibody approach. They all have downside issues. Some have a greater likelihood of triggering the (albeit not common) osteoporosis of the jaw. But what also got my attention was his saying that these drugs don't 'fill in lost density' as much as they make the remaining bone harder. But also brittle. I also read the reviews on askapatient and decided to do everything I can to slow down further bone loss as the rate of loss seems to be moderate. And I'm not taking the anastrozole either. My PCP did stress the points that others here have made about diet and weight-bearing exercise. And also suggested gentle yoga or Tai chi to maintain good balancing skills and prevent falls. I hope it works as I find the osteoporosis treatments worrisome.

Hi @callalloo I have osteoporosis which caught me unaware. From what I've read, it's not advisable to treat osteopenia with osteoporosis drugs. You can look into supplementation, weight bearing, strength training exercises and possible use of a whole body vibration exercise machine to keep osteoporosis at bay. Carol Michaels andf Sara Meeks are good resources for that. . American Bone Health is another resource you may want to check out. Take heart. I think that by taking steps now, you can prevent further bone loss.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4440196/
Hi @lebanon100, above is a link to a paper which reviewed studies of vibration machines on women with osteoporosis. If the link doesn't work, google, "Whole-body vibration exercise in post menopausal osteoporosis" and you will be able to access the article.
After reading this paper, I decided to purchase one. There is a large selection of these machines on Amazon - I chose the Eilison Bolt, which is a smaller machine, easier for me to handle, works on carpet, with a yoga mat under it, and has a five year warranty. I took a few weeks to work up to the programs Eilison claims increase bone density. There is also a more expensive machine, developed in conjunction witrh NASA to help the astronauts increase their bone density upon their return to earth. That one is called the Marodyne. You can Google it. Last time I checked, it cost about $1600.00. I did make some inquiries, but never saw any replies from the company so I bought the BOLT., which cost about $150.00. I wish you the best.