Osteoporosis and Frax score?

@lamay I have only done Tymlos and am trying to decide on follow-up with Reclast or Evenity. My kidney function is not great so Reclast is a concern, but my doc was already planning a 20% dose due to my med sensitivities. Many on this forum are following Tymlos or Forteo with Evenity so I am getting a second opinion and also met with Dr. McCormick.

Morning timely~
I'm glad that you're seeking out info from others in situations similar to your own. There is so much info out there to assimilate and find useful.
I also have severe osteo and am not taking meds for it..but doing a lot of other more 'natural' things that vibrate with my personality and knowledge. I have a vibration plate and use it at the lowest speed. It's also good for shaking up cans of paint! I also have bad knees and can't do any of the squat types of exercises. I fear now though that I have weak muscles in my legs because I stay away from things that exacerbate my knee pain. I'm going to look into going to a gym with all the great equipment to try out. I know that there are treadmills with hand rails..so this would work well for you. I now wear a little pedometer so I can keep track of my steps and mileage..it keeps me moving! I walk with walking sticks, which takes a lot off of my knees as well as being an aide..giving me support when I walk. I'm working up to more challenging walks to gain more strength in my upper leg muscles...and arms as I use the sticks like I would an elliptical.
Since I have compression frax's in T-8,9,10....standing up as straight as I can also helps. I also have a far-infrared belt that I use when my upper back pain gets too much to deal with..that really feels good and I can avoid taking any meds for the pain that way.
We have to be wise about our weakened bones and take care not to make things worse, of course. Getting out in the sunshine and walking boosts my day ...I can't wait to go out each day and 'work it'...some days I pay for this..but all in all...at 79+, I'm happy with what I'm doing.
The medications for osteo scare the crap out of me...too many contraindications for me to wrap my head around it. Peace of mind is of utmost importance now..as well as not causing more harm. Now..if I get an odd jaw pain..I don't automatically wonder if this could be the osteo medications??? I take a lot of natural supplements and feel better for taking responsibility for my health picture. I wish you the best...do what feels right for you.

I would love to have your scores! I'm up into the -3's...but working on lowering that %. I'm glad you're seeking out more info on this. Starting the osteo drugs is a difficult decision to make and one that can cause other damage down the road..unintentional for sure..but damage just the same. I prefer to do more ameliorative things..like walking and stretching and taking supplements that add to my aging gracefully...by keeping moving and cognizant of my situation helps me to stay active and as healthy as I can be ..with peace of mind...
I wish you the very best!

@windyshores
I see, I didn't know receiving a lower dose of an osteo med was even an option, thanks for mentioning that. I read there's a greater chance of afib with Reclast, or possibly all the biphosphonates, that's a concern for me, but I realize it's all about balancing risks. Thanks for your thoughts and sharing your experiences.

tetris, what are you T scores and which med will you or are you taking?

bunky44, may I ask what your T scores are?

Hi @lamay, The Marodyne LIV (Low Intensity Vibration) Platform Exerciser was developed in conjunction with NASA to assist astronauts with bone density issues. There have been some posts about it in different discussions here and some Connect members have purchased the machines (they're pricey). Margaret Martin has posted an indepth interview with the doctor who developed it which you can find by Googling. There's also a link to it here somewhere.
I also do Dr. Fishman's 12 Poses everyday, either Series I or Series II. TBS is the Trabecular Bone Score. Bone has an outside layer, measured by the DEXA, bone quantity, and inside it is the trabecular bone, bone quality, the microarchitecture of the bone. Dr. Fishman gave a lecture last week and stated that TBS will replace DEXA as a predictor of fracture.
There is also another doctor posting about bone health, a retired orthopedic surgeon, Doug Lucas and he talks about the importance of protein (preferably animal protein) in building bone. (I don't eat nearly enough). He said one glass of milk a day added to the diet for those who can tolerate it reduces the risk of fracture by 5%. I just started getting his posts on YouTube.

I have also been told by docs that the femoral neck score is not a reliable one.

It sounds like you're doing a lot of great things to support your bone health, making positive changes and taking the bull by it's horns. Your scores are not that bad so if you haven't done all of those things in the past, they could possibly help now. That said, it's very difficult to gain bone once in menopause but maybe you could potentially stabilize. You could test in a year (don't go longer than that) to see if what you are doing is working and if not, go on medication at that time. It's a bit of a gamble as you could get worse. I made that gamble and lost but it doesn't mean everyone would have the same experience. If I were in your shoes, I would do all the things you are doing and I would go on HRT which would likely maintain the density you have. If you are in that 10 year window of menopause, it is likely safe at a low dose trans-dermal. That is provided you do not have prior breast cancer or heart disease or a family predisposition. I am on HRT post Forteo. I chose that to be my follow up medication even though I was a few years outside the 10 year window of time they deem safe. Nothing is completely safe, all meds have risk, and I selected this as my best option with what I saw as least risk. I only wish I had gone on it at the beginning of menopause as I don't think I would have gotten to a point where I had osteoporosis at all. The pendulum is swinging back to accept hormone use for menopause symptoms and bone maintenance after it had come to light that the research that virtually eliminated it's use years ago was highly flawed and the results presented in a skewed way creating a bit of unfounded hysteria..

It's great to walk outside if you can. You can get a pair of hiking poles to help with balance and uneven surfaces. I hike rocky hills with them and I wouldn't go without them. In addition, it offers a bit more of an aerobic workout as you are using your arms as well. I kind of pound them with each step so that I get a bit of vibration in my body as a result. Costco sells a two-pair set seasonally very inexpensively. They are decent quality and collapse for traveling so I take them everywhere.

If you are having absorption issues I wonder if you've given up gluten. That might be helpful for your digestion. And I hope you're stuffing in the best quality, nutrient dense food you can get your hands on cause all of those supportive nutrients (along with calcium mostly from food) can help!

Hi leeosteo~
Sorry I can't be more specific right now...I haven't had a new DEXA in about 2 years now. But..the last one I had..a year after I was so bad...with -3.7 in my spine and -3.2 in my femur....I had gained bone density..to where I had improved my scores by a lot. I got to -3.2 in my spine and -2.7 in my femur. I take Bone-up religiously..as well as strontium...and a multi collagen peptide...as well as walking more and using my vibration plate. I have much less mid back pains and hip pain now. I'll get another DEXA this year...but I know it does take a while to re-gain bone once lost. Hope this helps you.

@lamay the link to afib was disproven for Reclast. I have paroxysmal afib and my endo didn't want to do Reclast all during my anti-estrogen treatment for breast cancer, so without any estrogen at all, my bones got worse. He assures me it is now known to be safe.