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Drugs or exercise and vitamins?
Osteoporosis & Bone Health | Last Active: Aug 30 1:35pm | Replies (90)Comment receiving replies
My spinal score on the first DEXA was a -1.9. I have an appt with an endocrinologist coming up the fist part of June. I said I didn’t want to take anything but they are adamant that I should. I have not had any fractures. I want to do it naturally but also don’t want my scores getting worse for fear I’m not doing enough or things aren’t absorbing like they should. I just want to be sure I am doing the right things for myself. Thank you for your input. It eases my mind somewhat.
Replies to "My spinal score on the first DEXA was a -1.9. I have an appt with an..."
That is not too bad a DEXA score...I've had a score worse than that since my 30s. I've stayed active, done weights, and still scores got worse over time. I hate how they give you guilt trips and fear monger. I wish they'd help people seeking non drug options.
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if your dexa results are -1.9 you do not have osteoporosis so I wonder why they are pushing you so hard to take something. I can understand your reluctance. Perhaps you can do some bone blood marker tests to see if you are currently losing bone. If you are not, you *might*be able to maintain with increased weight bearing exercise, lifting weights, diet and supplements. It takes a lot of attention but it's worth it the effort. You can also consider HRT depending on your age and risk factors. That would help you preserve your density. Yes, it is a pharmaceutical but it is a replacement for what we lose in menopause and the estrogen will help to preserve your bone mass in a more natural way than the drug options. I am on it now but wish I had started in my 50s as I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in now.
For those that decide to try the natural route, I would suggest retaking the dexa in a year along with testing your bone markers to see if you are stabilized. I was adamant about not taking drugs and doing it naturally as that's the way I live my life. I did everything "right" from tracking all of my nutrients, 7 prunes daily, a daily 1 hour hill walk in a weighted vest, lifting weights, 1.5 hour dance class 2x a week, hundreds of core reps for strength and stability. I even stood all day when at my computer so my weight bearing was a constant. In the 2 years of doing everything in my power to keep my bones strong, I lost a lot of my spine, going from -2.9 to -3.2. At that point, I realized there was literally nothing I could do to stop this bone loss but to use a pharmaceutical. On Forteo I gained back some of the lost bone but not all of it. It is easy to lose bone but hard to gain it back. Test early so that you can make the important decisions on whether it is necessary to consider pharmaceuticals to avoid further loss that you may have a hard time regaining.