Improve bone density and strength without medication?
Any luck improving bone density and strength without medication? It seems the medications only mildly help ... and they only help some patients; some studies show the slight improvement in density does not mean quality bone was built. I'm not comfortable with moving forward with the treatments just because "that's what we give patients with osteoporosis". There seems to be no room for education or discussion, or research into actual results or other options.
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.
thank you for your insight.
helps a lot.
curious about the GY's.
am 75 now and would like to do less GY's because of that and the osteoporosis but don't know what to ask the radiologist.
did you do chemo also?
Thanks @teb. I hope you enjoy the upcoming holidays. I bought a Marodyne as a gift to my bones, so hopefully that combined with all the other stuff you mentioned will be enough to maintain until I can get my tests and see a specialist 😊
I’ve been following the comments about osteoporosis for a few weeks. I recently found out I have osteoporosis and am 70 years old Endocrinologist, primary care doctor recommended Actonel and rheumatologist recommended Prolia but said Actonel is ok fir me also. . I haven’t read anything here about Actonel. I know of the jaw bone dangers and really don’t want to take it, but does anyone have experience with this medication?
Thanks
@szf10 if your bone density is severely low, I hope you can take one of the bone builders: Forteo, Tymlos or Evenity. My docs don't use Prolia because it is so hard to get off of it. If you do Actonel I think people take it for 5 years, so then what? Many of us are using a bone builder first and then "locking in" gains with a bisphosphonate like Reclast (Actonel is also a bisphosphonate). I have been told that doing a bisphosphonate first will render bone builders less effective if I needed them in the future, and that the proper sequence is bone builder then bisphosphonate.
If your bone density loss is mild and your DEXA score is not too bad, you might be able to do Actonel.
I also wanted to go on Forteo but cannot because of radiation. I am going to try Evenity. My Dr said people have good results. I haven't been able to build bone natural ways. It is scary to go on Evenity but osteoporosis is scary too.
I have another question for everyone. Have you heard that once you start Prolia you can never stop because the fact that your bones will have a drastic setback?
@koleke you can stop Prolia by going on Reclast or another bisphosphonate, but preferably Reclast because it is an infusion and more potent.
However, this is tricky in terms of timing which needs to be individualized using blood tests, according to Keith McCormick's excellent new book "Great Bones." You might be able to get it at a library and it is available online.
Prolia and Reclast are both antiresorptives so if used for too long, there are some risks of jaw necrosis and atypical femur fracture.
Antiresorptives affect the effectiveness of bone builders like Forteo, Tymlos and Evenity so it is better, I have been told and read, to start with a bone builder first.
My docs don't use Prolia because of the risks of going off, or even missing a dose, for some people anyway. But if I were 85 I would consider it and stay on until the end of my life!!
This issue has been discussed many times in various discussion groups. Suggest you use the "Search Function" at the top of the page and review those postings. There is a wealth of info.
If you have a more particular concern and it is not addressed in these various discussions, a more specific question can then be framed.
Two endocrinologists told me that. They said there are four osteoporosis meds you can’t ever go off of, and that’s one of them.
Dr. Doug Lucas has some excellent information on his YouTube channel