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!

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@windyshores

You can take Reclast after Evenity and maybe take breaks. Prolia cannot be stopped without bone loss and fracture risk so people go on Reclast after that anyway.

It's Keith McCormick. His consultations are $300 but his books are online and very helpful. He wrote "The Whole Body Approach to Osteoporosis" and "Great Bones."

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Good to know he does consultations as well. I am on Fosamax after 11 months of Evenity. After 11 months the adverse reactions were just too much. I could barely move from joint and muscle pain so switched to Fosamax for however long. Not sure yet.

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@timely

I have looked at those.

If you have arthritis in both knees, these are hard to do.

Can not get on floor to do floor exercises which are most of these 12 as can not get on floor and get up.

Do not know if doing them on a bed would be useful as a bed is soft and exercises are supposed to be weight bearing and put pressure on bones....

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I agree with you about the 12 poses not being for everyone. What I’ve done is adapt the poses for chair use as much as possible. Somewhere I’ve read (don’t ask where but it was from a trusted site because that’s all I read, ie Mayo, Harvard, Cleveland Clinic) that holding the pose for 40 seconds is what makes it effective. So thats what I do. It’s the muscle contraction that is sending the message to the bone to rebuild, put simply. Have you tried isometric exercise? I dont do weight lifting because of arthritis in my hands and wrist.

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@timely

I have looked at those.

If you have arthritis in both knees, these are hard to do.

Can not get on floor to do floor exercises which are most of these 12 as can not get on floor and get up.

Do not know if doing them on a bed would be useful as a bed is soft and exercises are supposed to be weight bearing and put pressure on bones....

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If you look for Dr Fishmans YouTube videos, he shows several alternatives to each exercise, based on skill and flexibility etc. if you go SLOW you may improve. I have been doing them for months and can now get up and down from the floor easily but it took months and consistency. I was terrified at how inflexible I had gotten and the fear of not being able to get up from a fall or even a chair was haunting me. Now I’m alternating with weights and my strength is increasing SLOWLY. Believe me, the pitiful starting was demoralizing A LOT!… but I only have me to blame if I don’t try… so here we are!
Do research snd don’t cross off things from your list too quickly. You may find you CAN—even just a little!! It might take time, but so what?! It is all better than NOTHING, which is unacceptable.
Blessings…

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@timely

I have looked at those.

If you have arthritis in both knees, these are hard to do.

Can not get on floor to do floor exercises which are most of these 12 as can not get on floor and get up.

Do not know if doing them on a bed would be useful as a bed is soft and exercises are supposed to be weight bearing and put pressure on bones....

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Have you found any videos that have you do some poses on a chair? Better a few on a chair than none at all??????

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@sirene

Has anyone gone to Osteostrong to build bones? We have one here and I am considering going.

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What is Osteostron and where do I find info on this?

Thank you.

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@windyshores

Tymlos has a patient assistance program. I got mine for free (18 months). You call Together with Tymlos and they help you connect to Radius Assist.

OR, you could take Fosamax once and if it doesn't agree with you, insurance might cover Tymlos then. Some will after you try another med first.

I think this needs to change. Now that there is a generic Forteo, that may be easier to get as a first med (I don't know if this is true) but that pen dose is not adjustable to my knowledge. Someone can correct me if that is not true.

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I’ve just started on the generic Forteo called Sondelbay. Extreme tiredness first week, doc said to stop for 3 days then every second day injection and see how I get on. Dose is not adjustable.

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I have found a medicine Osteopor (a complex of osein and hydroxyapatite) that is used in some European countries for osteoporosis, and bones fractures. May be it can be of additional help, I shall explore it further. But may be somebody in this forum used it.

https://cima.aemps.es/cima/dochtml/p/59439/Prospecto_59439.html
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@maxamillian

I’ve just started on the generic Forteo called Sondelbay. Extreme tiredness first week, doc said to stop for 3 days then every second day injection and see how I get on. Dose is not adjustable.

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@maxamillian I could not tolerate Forteo but have done Tymlos for 20 months because the dose is adjustable. Hope you can stay on Forteo but if you can't Tymlos is a possibility. Fatigue is a side effect for a lot of us regardless of which one we take!

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😯 you’re lucky to have that close to you. I’d “jump” all over that!!! I’m preaching to my 20 something year old granddaughters to do preventative things now to prevent them
from having to deal osteoporosis.

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