1. < Osteoporosis & Bone Health

Has anyone improved bone density without meds?

Posted by naomid @naomid, Mar 21, 2023

I have a very problematic dental history and will continue to need additional root canals and implants. I also have Sjogren's Syndrome and want to avoid any drugs that cause rheumatic symptoms. Other issues in my health history make all of the meds risky for me. That said, I work out almost daily, lift weights, maintain a healthy diet, take all the recommended supplements, and get most of my calcium nutritionally. My endocrinologist wants me to take an infusion/injectable drug. I dread the side-effects, yet I'm afraid of fracturing, which hasn't happened over the many years I have had osteoporosis. That said, my numbers are getting worse (-3.2 spine, -3.1 hip). I need to do something more than I've been doing, and am at a loss. I need hope and solutions I can be at peace with. Thanks for any comments or suggestions!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.

Mentor
Chris Trout, Volunteer Mentor | @artscaping | Mar 29, 2023
In reply to @cloud60 "Are you glad you did Tymlos over Forteo ?" + (show)
@cloud60

Are you glad you did Tymlos over Forteo ?

Jump to this post

Hi there, I don't know if glad is the right word. There were two issues. First....the refrigerator issues seemed easier with Tymlos and I was traveling more at that time. Second, I was able to afford the co-pay even if barely.

May you be content and at peace.
Chris

REPLY
pmcgrady626 | @pmcgrady626 | Mar 29, 2023
In reply to @artscaping "Good evening @jlelley, Welcome to Connect. My name is Chris and I am a mentor for..." + (show)
@artscaping

Good evening @jlelley, Welcome to Connect. My name is Chris and I am a mentor for Connect. As you can tell already, Connect is about sharing. We can learn so much from each other. And yet, because everyone is quite different, nothing seems to work positively for everyone. Your question is about injections. Do you find them difficult to handle? I was very frightened when I started Tymlos. However, within a few days, I felt like a "nurse in training" to myself. I had no side effects and no injection issues. The needle is extremely thin and it only takes a few seconds.

Wait a minute though....you do not have to do injections. There are other options like oral tablets. For example, now that I am done with 2 years of Tymlos, I tried a twice-a-year injection and it was just too much for me. So....my new Mayo Clinic endocrinologist recognized that fact and prescribed a once-a-week tablet. So far, so good. We'll see the scan results in a year or so.

Who is helping you with your medical decisions? Do you have a "shared decision-making" relationship? I am a strong advocate for finding the best "health partners" who listen, accept, and understand that you are a living, breathing human being who just happens to be a patient.

Please let me know if this is the essence of your question. If not, please clarify for me.

May you have happiness and the causes of happiness.
Chris

Jump to this post

The doctor you just described is hard to fine. I keep searching. It was actually my dentist that counseled me about exercise for my bone health. I needed an implant. Thats why we were discussing my osteopenia.

REPLY
candy209 | @candy209 | Mar 29, 2023
In reply to @cloud60 "Are you glad you did Tymlos over Forteo ?" + (show)
@cloud60

Are you glad you did Tymlos over Forteo ?

Jump to this post

Hello Chris,
Thank you for all your support and shared knowledge here on connect. I just read your post about finding a good healthcare relationship. I am struggling with that now. My doc prescribed tymlos for me to start soon and told me to follow up with her in four months. When I called to make the follow up appt the soonest they had was six months from now. Make me very nervous. I feel like I am on my own with this. I wonder how most docs handle follow up after starting
a new med like Tymlos.
Thank you again,
Candy

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Chris Trout, Volunteer Mentor | @artscaping | Mar 30, 2023
In reply to @candy209 "Hello Chris, Thank you for all your support and shared knowledge here on connect. I just..." + (show)
@candy209

Hello Chris,
Thank you for all your support and shared knowledge here on connect. I just read your post about finding a good healthcare relationship. I am struggling with that now. My doc prescribed tymlos for me to start soon and told me to follow up with her in four months. When I called to make the follow up appt the soonest they had was six months from now. Make me very nervous. I feel like I am on my own with this. I wonder how most docs handle follow up after starting
a new med like Tymlos.
Thank you again,
Candy

Jump to this post

Wow.. Candy.....that's a tough one. I see that quite a few folks on Connect have to wait months for follow-up appointments. And surgeries.........you can have all the pre-surgery work done and then have to wait what seems like forever for the actual surgical procedure. Yikes!!!! I am now 81 years old. Waiting for the next appointment can be very disconcerting.

At Mayo Clinic you have a "health team". There will always be a qualified practitioner to jump in and help you. I also use the messaging option on the portal when I need a more immediate response. It works quite well even when you are connected to multiple health institutions as long as they are using the same software, e.g. Epic.

Regarding a new start-up medication like Tymlos.....the portal option would be the best way to get immediate attention so that you don't have to be lost in never, never land.

Great to hear from you this evening. Have a lovely sleep.
Chris

REPLY
1 reply
melia7 | @melia7 | Mar 31, 2023
In reply to @naomid "Melia, Thank you so much for this information. Thank my heart sends yours the same good..." + (show)
@naomid

Melia, Thank you so much for this information. Thank my heart sends yours the same good wishes! Can you tell. me which specific collagen peptides you are taking?

Jump to this post

Hello Naomid,
I am taking locally produced Spanish collagen Ana Maria Lajusticia, which is in powder, and a daily dose of it 7,5 g contains 5,2 g of collagen, 227 mg of magnesium, 24 mg of vitamin C. I think that one can take any other type of collagen, but it is important that it is hydrolyzed (better assimilation) and probably better of animal origin. I just started, but a year before I took it for my arthrosis pains and it helped me. Collagen plays an important role in bone function, and it is not by chance one of the blood markers for osteoporosis and bone turnover is called procollagen type 1N terminal peptid (P1NP). It is discussed as well by Dr. McCormick. He suggests that this test should be taken after 3 months to see if your medicine works for you. Take care!

REPLY
ckramer57 | @ckramer57 | Mar 31, 2023

Yes!
My t-scores got worse at every two-year scan since 2010 until 2022 when my lumbar spine improved in a statistically significant way: from -2.5 to -1.9! This is because I have gotten on board with Dr. Susan Brown's Better Bones Program, which is available as a several-day seminar online. I participated in the seminar in January of 2022 and had my Dexa scan in November of the same year. After only 11 months on the Better Bones Program, (albeit, just doing the Program as best I could, not perfectly), I achieved the above improvement! I have secondary osteoporosis due to taking estrogen suppressants to deter breast cancer recurrence and my bone quality is poor as a result. I suffered two fractures in 2018 due to this. Anyhow, I highly recommend looking up the Better Bones Program and Dr. Susan Brown online. You can sign up for her course: "The 6 steps of the Better Bones, Better Body Program" and take it either online, or in person (she offers it at different times during the year and different locations around the country). The six parts are: 1. Assessment of Bone Strength, 2. Development of an Alkaline Diet, 3. Individualized Nutritional Supplementation, 4. Enhance Digestion and Detoxification,5. Exercise into Bone Health, and 6. Stress and Worry Reduction. It costs about $3-400, and it is about 3-4 days of information - worth every penny!!
It sounds like you're already doing a lot right for your bones, but Dr. Brown's vast knowledge of improving bone health without meds will tie it all together for you. I too, have an upcoming tooth implant. At my initial consultation, the oral surgeon said he wished more people knew about the Better Bones Program, as bone meds can interfere with the ability of bone to "seat" the implant. Good luck! and let me know if and when you complete Dr. Brown's Program. It's also a fantastically supportive community!

REPLY
3 replies
leeosteo | @leeosteo | Mar 31, 2023
In reply to @ckramer57 "Yes! My t-scores got worse at every two-year scan since 2010 until 2022 when my lumbar..." + (show)
@ckramer57

Yes!
My t-scores got worse at every two-year scan since 2010 until 2022 when my lumbar spine improved in a statistically significant way: from -2.5 to -1.9! This is because I have gotten on board with Dr. Susan Brown's Better Bones Program, which is available as a several-day seminar online. I participated in the seminar in January of 2022 and had my Dexa scan in November of the same year. After only 11 months on the Better Bones Program, (albeit, just doing the Program as best I could, not perfectly), I achieved the above improvement! I have secondary osteoporosis due to taking estrogen suppressants to deter breast cancer recurrence and my bone quality is poor as a result. I suffered two fractures in 2018 due to this. Anyhow, I highly recommend looking up the Better Bones Program and Dr. Susan Brown online. You can sign up for her course: "The 6 steps of the Better Bones, Better Body Program" and take it either online, or in person (she offers it at different times during the year and different locations around the country). The six parts are: 1. Assessment of Bone Strength, 2. Development of an Alkaline Diet, 3. Individualized Nutritional Supplementation, 4. Enhance Digestion and Detoxification,5. Exercise into Bone Health, and 6. Stress and Worry Reduction. It costs about $3-400, and it is about 3-4 days of information - worth every penny!!
It sounds like you're already doing a lot right for your bones, but Dr. Brown's vast knowledge of improving bone health without meds will tie it all together for you. I too, have an upcoming tooth implant. At my initial consultation, the oral surgeon said he wished more people knew about the Better Bones Program, as bone meds can interfere with the ability of bone to "seat" the implant. Good luck! and let me know if and when you complete Dr. Brown's Program. It's also a fantastically supportive community!

Jump to this post

ckramer57, Is Dr Susan Brown's program a step-by-step guide? What does the program include e.g., 1-1 consultation, testing fees, etc.?

REPLY
1 reply
melia7 | @melia7 | Apr 1, 2023
In reply to @ckramer57 "Yes! My t-scores got worse at every two-year scan since 2010 until 2022 when my lumbar..." + (show)
@ckramer57

Yes!
My t-scores got worse at every two-year scan since 2010 until 2022 when my lumbar spine improved in a statistically significant way: from -2.5 to -1.9! This is because I have gotten on board with Dr. Susan Brown's Better Bones Program, which is available as a several-day seminar online. I participated in the seminar in January of 2022 and had my Dexa scan in November of the same year. After only 11 months on the Better Bones Program, (albeit, just doing the Program as best I could, not perfectly), I achieved the above improvement! I have secondary osteoporosis due to taking estrogen suppressants to deter breast cancer recurrence and my bone quality is poor as a result. I suffered two fractures in 2018 due to this. Anyhow, I highly recommend looking up the Better Bones Program and Dr. Susan Brown online. You can sign up for her course: "The 6 steps of the Better Bones, Better Body Program" and take it either online, or in person (she offers it at different times during the year and different locations around the country). The six parts are: 1. Assessment of Bone Strength, 2. Development of an Alkaline Diet, 3. Individualized Nutritional Supplementation, 4. Enhance Digestion and Detoxification,5. Exercise into Bone Health, and 6. Stress and Worry Reduction. It costs about $3-400, and it is about 3-4 days of information - worth every penny!!
It sounds like you're already doing a lot right for your bones, but Dr. Brown's vast knowledge of improving bone health without meds will tie it all together for you. I too, have an upcoming tooth implant. At my initial consultation, the oral surgeon said he wished more people knew about the Better Bones Program, as bone meds can interfere with the ability of bone to "seat" the implant. Good luck! and let me know if and when you complete Dr. Brown's Program. It's also a fantastically supportive community!

Jump to this post

Thanks for this information. Very interesting! I have one question. Did you stop taking estrogen suppressants in the 2022? Could it be then a combined action of this fact and the Better Bones Program?

REPLY
2 replies
yogini54 | @yogini54 | Apr 1, 2023
In reply to @ckramer57 "Yes! My t-scores got worse at every two-year scan since 2010 until 2022 when my lumbar..." + (show)
@ckramer57

Yes!
My t-scores got worse at every two-year scan since 2010 until 2022 when my lumbar spine improved in a statistically significant way: from -2.5 to -1.9! This is because I have gotten on board with Dr. Susan Brown's Better Bones Program, which is available as a several-day seminar online. I participated in the seminar in January of 2022 and had my Dexa scan in November of the same year. After only 11 months on the Better Bones Program, (albeit, just doing the Program as best I could, not perfectly), I achieved the above improvement! I have secondary osteoporosis due to taking estrogen suppressants to deter breast cancer recurrence and my bone quality is poor as a result. I suffered two fractures in 2018 due to this. Anyhow, I highly recommend looking up the Better Bones Program and Dr. Susan Brown online. You can sign up for her course: "The 6 steps of the Better Bones, Better Body Program" and take it either online, or in person (she offers it at different times during the year and different locations around the country). The six parts are: 1. Assessment of Bone Strength, 2. Development of an Alkaline Diet, 3. Individualized Nutritional Supplementation, 4. Enhance Digestion and Detoxification,5. Exercise into Bone Health, and 6. Stress and Worry Reduction. It costs about $3-400, and it is about 3-4 days of information - worth every penny!!
It sounds like you're already doing a lot right for your bones, but Dr. Brown's vast knowledge of improving bone health without meds will tie it all together for you. I too, have an upcoming tooth implant. At my initial consultation, the oral surgeon said he wished more people knew about the Better Bones Program, as bone meds can interfere with the ability of bone to "seat" the implant. Good luck! and let me know if and when you complete Dr. Brown's Program. It's also a fantastically supportive community!

Jump to this post

I have been reading about Dr. Susan Brown’s program. She says to take bone density scan results with a grain of salt (no pun intended!) due to various factors i.e. different machines and technicians, body placement on scanning tables, skeletal size/body weight, etc.. So, that leaves me wondering how to diagnose osteoporosis (other than experiencing fractures without direct trauma), as well as knowing if it is getting progressively worse, improving, or remaining static. Any insight regarding this would be appreciated.

REPLY
1 reply
irinig | @irinig | Apr 2, 2023
In reply to @melia7 "Thanks for this information. Very interesting! I have one question. Did you stop taking estrogen suppressants..." + (show)
@melia7

Thanks for this information. Very interesting! I have one question. Did you stop taking estrogen suppressants in the 2022? Could it be then a combined action of this fact and the Better Bones Program?

Jump to this post

In Covid I was handed an osteoporosis & no longer osteopenia diagnosis. The doctor who didn’t even see me, since we were in Covid, recommended an IV drip at a hospital which I gratefully did do…a year later my osteoporosis had indeed improved somewhat…I now lift weights (not heavy) and try to posture correct. Gratefully Marianne

REPLY
3 replies
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.