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

@lashu as you may know, @artscaping is referring to the medication journey she and I share. We did Tymlos to build bone and then she did/ I am about to do a bisphosphonate to "lock in" our gains.

The pill that @artscaping mentions is, therefore, a follow-up not the primary initial medication.

Reclast is a bisphosphonate that is infused. (@artscaping did you do Reclast or Prolia?). I am going to have a test dose that is 20% of the usual amount to see how I handle it. My docs are nervous because of some other health issues. If I cannot handle it I will do what @artscaping did: switch to alendronate (Fosamax) or other bisphosphonate pill. (Chris did you do alendronate?) I have GERD so that may be hard.

Our endocrinologists know that it is better to start with a bone builder and then "lock in" gains with bisphosphonates. But insurance likes it the other way around. Unfortunately, as my docs have said, and studies have shown, the bone builders are more effective if taken first!

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Good evening @windyshores and @lashu, Great to hear from you and be able to share health experiences for the benefit of others.

So after the two years with Tymlos, my endocrinologist at the time told me Prolia was the only follow-up. After a year of frightening jaw pain, I requested a consultation at the Mayo Clinic. His recommendation was Alendronate......and a weekly dosage with some "rules" about taking it. The weekly arrangement prevents me from having way too much medication in my body at any given time. The half-life was too long.

I sure do agree with our endocrinologists......build the bone and then "lock it in" so that it is protected. I sure wish the medical insurance folks didn't try to run the show.

May you both, @windyshores and @lashu, be safe, protected, and free of inner and outer harm.
Chris

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@artscaping

Good evening @windyshores and @lashu, Great to hear from you and be able to share health experiences for the benefit of others.

So after the two years with Tymlos, my endocrinologist at the time told me Prolia was the only follow-up. After a year of frightening jaw pain, I requested a consultation at the Mayo Clinic. His recommendation was Alendronate......and a weekly dosage with some "rules" about taking it. The weekly arrangement prevents me from having way too much medication in my body at any given time. The half-life was too long.

I sure do agree with our endocrinologists......build the bone and then "lock it in" so that it is protected. I sure wish the medical insurance folks didn't try to run the show.

May you both, @windyshores and @lashu, be safe, protected, and free of inner and outer harm.
Chris

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Chris, thank you, first of all, for your kind wishes and for your medical experiences. Did you find any of the medical prescriptions satisfactory? Or was jaw pain necessary as a part of any medicine? The preventative to prohibit "too much medication" in your body at any given time. Too much medication: what is included in this?
My scheduled beginning for Evenity is October 4, so I still have time to decide.

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@artscaping

Good evening @windyshores and @lashu, Great to hear from you and be able to share health experiences for the benefit of others.

So after the two years with Tymlos, my endocrinologist at the time told me Prolia was the only follow-up. After a year of frightening jaw pain, I requested a consultation at the Mayo Clinic. His recommendation was Alendronate......and a weekly dosage with some "rules" about taking it. The weekly arrangement prevents me from having way too much medication in my body at any given time. The half-life was too long.

I sure do agree with our endocrinologists......build the bone and then "lock it in" so that it is protected. I sure wish the medical insurance folks didn't try to run the show.

May you both, @windyshores and @lashu, be safe, protected, and free of inner and outer harm.
Chris

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Hi again Chris, Re-reading your words tonight, I will ask my endocrinologist if I can try Alendronate. I hope he will not feel too impatient with me, he spend some time on the second appointment with trying to convince me that Evenity was best and that nothing would go wrong. I will also ask him what he would use at the end of the year of Evenity, and if that is safe for me (he felt some were prohibitive because I'd had a soft tissue sarcoma twice in the past) now. Thank you, again, for your sharing. It really helps me, I keep returning to your words here.

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@lashu

Chris, thank you, first of all, for your kind wishes and for your medical experiences. Did you find any of the medical prescriptions satisfactory? Or was jaw pain necessary as a part of any medicine? The preventative to prohibit "too much medication" in your body at any given time. Too much medication: what is included in this?
My scheduled beginning for Evenity is October 4, so I still have time to decide.

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Good evening @lashu Let's see if I can clear things up a bit.

1. Jaw pain. The two times I had that were when I was on Prolia after the 2 years of Tymlos and in the very beginning when I was given Boniva is a bisphosphonate. The jaw pain was worse with the Boniva. That is why I was approved to go on Tymlos. With the Prolia, I kept a dated chart and presented it to my Mayo endocrinologist.

2. The choice of Alendronate was basically to lock down the bone density improvement after two years of Tymlos. So even though it is a bisphosphonate, I tolerate Alendronate 70mg because I take a small dose every Monday morning......and not a large injection twice a year like Prolia.

I do understand why it is better to build bone first and then "lock it down". And I am happy with the current program.

May you be healthy and whole!
Chris

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An easy way to improve bone is to jump up and down 10-20 times on a hard surface every day (modify how hard you jump depending on what stage of osteoporosis you have. I read a study that they tried this on people with advanced osteoporosis and within a few months they had improved bone density. Obviously, be careful, and hold onto something when you do it so you don't fall. It's sort of a quick version of walking every day, as the pounding tells your body to add bone mass. Also, be sure to take all the right minerals and vitamin K regularly.

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@again

An easy way to improve bone is to jump up and down 10-20 times on a hard surface every day (modify how hard you jump depending on what stage of osteoporosis you have. I read a study that they tried this on people with advanced osteoporosis and within a few months they had improved bone density. Obviously, be careful, and hold onto something when you do it so you don't fall. It's sort of a quick version of walking every day, as the pounding tells your body to add bone mass. Also, be sure to take all the right minerals and vitamin K regularly.

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Can any medical professional at Mayo confirm improvement of bone mass from daily jumping using ax small, indoor trampoline? Thank you

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@elanatree

Can any medical professional at Mayo confirm improvement of bone mass from daily jumping using ax small, indoor trampoline? Thank you

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Below is a link to a YouTube video by Margaret Martin discussing rebounders and stomping.

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I would never jump up and down. My spine gets jarred just stepping off a curb! If your osteoporosis is not severe and you don't yet have fractures, it might be safe but I would be cautious!

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omg if you find the answer let me know (tho I have been remiss in logging in, I think this is my first time this month)

same w me for the dental, can't foresee I life where I don't have a dental appt fixing something (or refixing something) EG last oct I had a bone graft in lower left after one doctor wanted to just pull what he thought was a 'fractured' root canal, the other guy couldn't find the fracture, left tooth, put in graft but now I wonder was 1st guy right because a little pain- so if it's another pull then implant, what would I do if I were on Evenity - which DR wanted me to do LAST YEAR.

Do I sympathize with you - because it's me.

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My dexascan shows osteoarthritis and osteopenia, but Because of my history of breast cancer, and jaw problems I’ve opted to try collagen peptides until next dexascan. My GP is on board with this for the time being. Anyone have comments using this supplement?

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