My Experience on Evenity for Treating Osteoporosis

Hi again. Just wanted to tell you a watched a Margie Bissinger YouTube video from I guess last spring and was really impressed. Said to my boyfriend maybe I should go see her ( I only live a couple of hours away). He of course doesn’t trust anything on internet. I don’t know why I think she could help me more than the Bone Coach thing.

Anyway thanks for leading me to that video.

Thanks. Just seeing your comment. You know the worst thing w/ having to worry about breast cancer recurrence too? In the back of your mind you know you shouldn't be having much dairy, but for the osteoporosis you HAVE to have dairy (at least, if your me, my stomach just could not take getting all my calcium, even via AlgaeCal which I've found is the easiest to take if I stop at 2 a day).

Thanks again. So glad I found this site.

Many cannot have dairy due to an intolerance or allergy (or preference). You really don't have to have dairy as your calcium source. Dark leafy greens have calcium with collards being one of the highest sources. Collards are also low in oxylates so less of an issue than say spinach which is high in calcium but not as bioavailable due to high oxylates. Heat inactivates some of the oxylates so cooking is best. Kale, bok choy, broccoli, canned salmon and sardines with bones, white beans, sesame, tofu (only the ones coagulated with calcium, not magnesium), almonds, figs and a little less so, oranges all have calcium. Gerolsteiner makes a carbonated plain mineral water which has 130 mg calcium in a 12 oz serving. One of the highest sources of non-dairy calcium i have found is black tahini. It takes a little more thought and effort to put together a diet low in dairy and high in calcium but it's really doable. If you are going to include dairy, best to use organic, fermented dairy like kefir or an A2 yogurt both of which have beneficial probiotics and are more highly digestible.

You can calculate your daily calcium on cronometer.com, a free website. It's terrific. Just plug in what you ate and you can see if you hit your target. If not, you can take only the supplementation you need to fill in the gap. Tums is not really a great supplement to use as it contains calcium carbonate which is not a very absorbable form of calcium (it is derived from rock). Calcium citrate is gentler on the stomach and more absorbable and does not need to be taken with food.

I am not able to eat enough of the foods mentioned above. I use both calcium citrate and Tums (carbonate) and my levels are checked a lot.

Most of us who don't eat dairy end up needing to supplement some. But Tums is just not the best form of supplement to take. Aside from it containing calcium carbonate which is probably the least absorbable form and needs to be taken with food (as citrate can be consumed any time), it is filled with artificial colorings and flavorings. Many of those colorings are derived from petroleum and some are suspected carcinogens. Many are banned in Europe but not by our FDA. Mineral oil is also derived from petroleum. Corn starch is geneticially modified and can cause blood sugar spikes, maybe not in the small quantity that the tablet contains but if you take it regularly, who knows, it's just not a healthy thing to consume. I think when we approach osteoporosis or any other illness, or just in our quest to promote health and maintain a healthy body, it's not a bad idea to consume the cleanest, healthiest foods and products out there.

For a deeper dive, here's a great analysis of studies conducted on food colorings/dyes from the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
https://www.cspinet.org/sites/default/files/attachment/food-dyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdf

I need Tums for GERD, I take it at night. My regimen is working. My calcium levels are tested frequently and I have had a 20% gain on Tymlos.

I'm really glad it is helping you and that you have had such terrific gains. It's really wonderful. Taking Tums for GERD is something that some people need and find effective but I don't think it's something that should be recommended if someone does not need it for that reason and is looking for a good calcium supplement. There are just better calcium sources and supplement options available.

@teb it is well known that calcium citrate is absorbed more effectively but carbonate isn't useless. And Tums is better than taking Prilosec, which can actually contribute to osteoporosis.

Thank you so much! I started my treatment with Evenity today. Saying prayers for both of us for big gains and positive outcomes!

true, not useless, the lease expensive option and certainly better than prilosec. Carbonate has more elemental calcium than citrate but less absorbed. Some on the forum may not know that when asking about calcium supplementation. I'm not arguing with you about taking it for GERD, just saying that it's not the best option to recommend specifically as a calcium supplement. (as an aside, I used to have GERD and by using diet and herbs, I know longer have it)