Hi @angelas, I'm glad you found this active discussion thread. I moved your previous message about your BMD scan and starting treatments here too.

Did your doctor discuss non-medical approaches to managing osteoporosis at all?

Yes, the internal medicine doctor mentioned increasing Vit D/exercise/increasing calcium but nothing else. She said the only way to build up the bone is through medicine (Forteo) and then to maintain it with a bisphosphonate thereafter. I kinda feel like the doc is treating me like I'm 90. I'm looking to have a second opinion with an Endocrinologist soon. I'm concerned about the length of time I would be on medication as I think typically women are diagnosed and start treatment at a later age. Would really like to hear what others are doing in a similar situation.

Hi @angelas

You are young to have osteopororis. Have you had you blood calcium checked along with parathyroid hormone and vit d levels ? Do they know the cause of your osteoporosis at such a young age ?
I also get copies of my labs . They can look within normal range which can be deceiving as many Dr's do not understand when it comes to parathyroid disease. If calcium is low, pth would be higher, but if calcium is normal, pth should be very low.

I have the same problem.I have been on the "bone pill" for about 3 years, and it's (to make a bad pun) a hard pill to swallow! Taking this on an empty stomach once a week, with a large glass of warm water, leaves me nauseous all morning! How do you cope, if you have finally started this treatment? Thanks for any helpful hints, and I hope you have had a good weekend.<br />
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Have you had your serum calcium checked > Personally I would like find out the cause of osteoporosis at young age , Bone loss at a young age can be due to parathyroid disease and if that is the case PT disease had to be treated first .Not sure if you see the other posts I have posted on this

The parathyroid glands control the levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. These are important minerals that work closely together to build strong bones and teeth.It is important that blood calcium is kept at a precise level to control vital nerve and muscle function and the parathyroid glands secrete parathyroid hormone (PTH) to do this. If the blood calcium level is low, more PTH is produced to raise calcium levels in the blood by reducing the loss of calcium through the kidneys, by increasing calcium absorption from the gut and by causing the release of calcium from the bones

I was on the depo shot which ceased menstruations. Hence the lack of estrogen to prevent the on set :/ but I do think it's odd that they haven't pulled labs. Ordered CA+d without having a baseline. Hmmmm.<br />
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Hi @angelas,
I was diagnosed with osteopenia when I was in my mid-thirty's. After a lot of work ups, including thyroid. The one thing they found was that my kidney's were excreting a large amount of calcium. I did have a kidney stone - calcium oxylate type - prior to this diagnosis. I was put on hydrochorothiazide to help retain more calcium and that seemed to help. I had always been active and became even more so with having physical labor in my job, walking a lot and hiking. I sloughed off on this a bit as I got older, much to my regret. I was taking Boniva for a while, then got lazy. I am now 60 and have had 3 Reclast infusions ( one/year), and am taking Alendronate now to maintain the bone density that I gained. If you can tolerate the medications, I would encourage you to include them in a plan of weight bearing exercise. Taking drugs is always a tough call, especially when we get so much conflicting information about their efficacy and the potential side effects. I also sought second & third opinions to help me make my decision.
If there are better medications out there, I would appreciate hearing about them from others in this thread. Good luck @angelas!

So Happy to read your post. I have a Fiend who is on Reclast has been for 2 years. So you did gain bone density
and have a way to keep what you gained. I will pas this on to her. Now I will hope that Altevia does it for me and
then after my 3 years I can do something to keep it. thanks again blythe

I just pulled out the few records I have, & in 2009-2010 my T-score was<br>-2.6 for my left hip. At that time I was using Miacalcin Nasal Spray as an<br>alternative to Fosamax, etc. I continued using it until 2013 when I<br>started the Reclast infusions. My 2015 bone density was -2.5 in the left<br>hip. My spine bone density was up to -1.4. So, the increase in my left<br>hip was moderate, but headed in the right direction. The increase in my<br>spine BMD was more dramatic. I don't have my previous spinal readings, but<br>my internist was quite pleased with the increase. I will start Prolia in<br>December or January. I hope you & your friend have positive results with<br>your treatments. I have recently increased my vitamin D dose to 4000 I.U.<br>a day. (1000 I.U. in my Calcium Citrate + D tablets plus 3x1000I.U.<br>capsules). If I exercised regularly, I would probably see better results.<br>

What great news @arthritichands. Thanks for sharing it.
I bet @lesleighjarrett would appreciate hearing about your experience with the Miacalcin Nasal Spray in particular. She was inquiring about it on this thread https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/calcitoinin-salmon-nasal-spray-for-osteoporosis/

You must be pleased with the results. And remember regular exercise doesn't have to be of olympic quality. Every little bit helps.
I love this YouTube video from Dr. Mike Evans called "Let's Make our Day Harder" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whPuRLil4c0 It talks about the little things we can do in our daily habits to keep us moving. I especially like his reference to the parking spot further from the door reserved for those of us who want to live a little longer. I hope you like it too.