62 yo diagnosed with lumbar spine osteoporosis

@hdeff my Dr uses FarmaKeio which is patented bioidentical hormone replacement pellet. My dosage is 3mg Estradiol and 175 mg testosterone. But that base is determined by blood tests and where your levels are currently at. My testosterone level was almost non existent at testing. I will do another test next month and see where I am then.

@nellybones Did your nurse practitioner tell you the meds decrease quality of your bones?

Reclast is a bisphosphonate medication. After reading about the severe side effects some people have experienced with it, if I were going to take a bisphosphonate, I would take an oral form first and see how I reacted to it. But, in the long rung, studies show that bisphosphonates don't offer much benefit in preventing fractures. They retain old bone and slow growth of new bone, so maybe the BMD you are gaining is not strong? Here are a couple of articles on bisphosphonates that might be of interest to you.
https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(24)00101-3/fulltext
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/04/popular-osteoporosis-drugs-come-with-mounting-concerns/index.htm
Bones change very slowly, so take time to research so you are comfortable with your decision. In the meantime, check out Brick House Bones in Facebook by Dr Lisa Moore, a PT specializing in osteoporosis. She has free exercise videos and information, although drugs are not discussed. The Better Bones website also has great information. Here is one of their articles: https://betterbones.com/bone-drugs/anabolic-treatment/

Brickhouse Bones is a great source for exercises. She also has guest that address food, medication etc

@dvargo Can you give more information on your thoughts on this? Is this because drugs such as bisphosphonates retain old bone and also slow the growth of new bone?

I would not choose Reclast as my first option for medication. If you want to build bone density, you need Evenity, Tymlos, or Forteo.

I didn't have a fracture until... well, until I had a fracture. Until that point, I felt fine. Don't go by your history.

Unless the natural approach includes lots of specific weight training, it probably won't help, and your T-score will likely be worse in a year's time. Tymlos and Forteo are probably the meds that are least likely to provoke a reaction, but unfortunately nobody knows until they try. Also, they require daily self-injections for 18-24 months.

@daisy17 google do bone drugs degrade the quality of your bones.

@dvargo I did but only found articles about bisphosphonates.

@daisy17 FROM AI:Yes, certain bone drugs can degrade bone quality by increasing the presence of microscopic cracks, even as they improve bone density. Research indicates that long-term use of bisphosphonates (such as alendronate and zoledronic acid) suppresses bone turnover to the extent that it leads to the accumulation of microdamage, potentially making bones more fragile and prone to rare atypical fractures despite higher bone mineral density.