Treating Osteoporosis: What works for you?

I am 85 with severe osteorposis. I was on Fosamax for 8 years, having regular bone scans every two years during that time. Every bone scan showed that I had lost more bone density. My doctor took me off Fosamax, after the 8 years, because of reports of broken femor bones on some women who had been on the drug for more than 5 years. He would have approved of my having an injection drug (Forteo or Prolia) but, after I spent hours investigating these drugs, decided that I would not take any drug for osteoporosis. I increased my calcium intake and started doing more weight-bearing exercising including walking. I had therapy - not for the bones, but to strengthen the muscles around the bones. I have had 2 bone scans in the 5 years since I stopped Fosamax and the scans have shown no new bone loss, i.e., my bones are stable.I feel great and feel that I have made the right decision to forego osteoporosis drugs. They might work for some people but I question whether the benefits are worth the risks for many women. PS - a friend of my daughter-in-law who was on Prolia had gum deterioration and lost many teeth, resulting a year off the job. Maybe these drugs work for some people, but in my opinion it's like Russian Roulette and I personally am not going to take a chance on any of them. My motto is: diet and exercise! It works and is good for a person 's whole body, including the bones. I just wish more doctors would be pushing this instead of prescription drugs.

I had my last of 3 Reclast infusions in 2015.The infusions themselves are not a problem—just 15 minutes each. I had no obvious side effects. However, I had a dental implant placed in 2012, and waited 6 months before starting Reclast in early 2013. This past July the implant failed and eventually just fell out. My dentist is sure the Reclast was the cause. I am hesitant to start Prolia now, even though it is not a bisphosphonate.
@arthritichands

Hi there anyone else had a zoledronic acid infusion??

@dolan, gaitfaith again. Yes it it the CVS brand of Miralax that I use also. But it tends to make the stool very soft. But my friend brought me a box of . Nabisco Good Thins "the OAT one, Sweet oat and flax" crackers. And if I take a SMALL handful of them it tends to dry out the stool without making me constipated. They are addicting they are so good, but a small handful works great. I no longer drive or have a car so I get them online. Can't tell you how many of the 1 inch squares to take as they are pretty broken up with shipping, but I get them on line thru Walmart. The bar code for them is: 0 - 44000 04545 - 6 I get multiple boxes at a time. I dread the day they stop carrying them or even making them. There are MANY varieties within the line, but it seems only the flax ones do this job! The sweet potato ones might do the job also, but I found no others that work that way. I also hope they don't change the formula for them.

Hi. I have had the same and found that a mixture of slippery elm powder mixed with prune juice does the job for both complaints. i.e. it solidifies the diarrhea and helps lubricate the constipation and the same time the prune juice gets it going. It also protects the lining of the stomach and bowel. You have to paly around with how much of prune juice v slippery elm powder but I use a tablespoon of the latater.

@dolan, I have constipation most of the time, and diarrhea the rest. The only thing that works for me is a dose of Miralax, or the various store brands of same. the store brands are much less expensive, and do the same work.

@dolan, gailfaith again...... I have the same problem, but taking a daily dose of CVS' s PUREALAX works for me. And if I forget that any evening, the prunes DON't seem to overcome the missed dose either Glad they work for some people. !

Not a repeat....I am laughing with you only because I have literally TRIED most everything for constipation with the iron and calcium I need (my body doesn't store iron)...My doctor doesn't approve of laxatives....nor do I but I go from this to that and never find anything that works long term. I am doing stool softener with gentle laxative now. Tried dried figs (prunes, black licorice, oil, probiotic....don't do a thing for me)

@dolan, gailfaith here again. I think I fell asleep before I posted a previous reply, so if this is a close duplicate, please forgive. Thank you for sending me exactly the info I was hoping for. I will be waiting and praying to hear the Dec results. of your Dexa scan. I was waiting earlier this year for my results as I had heard that eating 5-10 prunes a day, seems might help osteoporosis. I had only eaten it for a few months, and it didn't seem to do any good, but I haven't given up hope and will continue until my next scan before I give up. However, every time mention that I am eating prunes for my bones, my physical therapist starts to laugh......and I surely know what he is thinking, But I DO ONLY eat them for my bones! So any other benefits are a bonus. December and Christmas are coming fast, so I will be looking forward to hear some good results from you.

My 1st fracture was my T9 vertebrae in my back. I was playing volleyball and raised my arms above my head. I didn't jump, fall...nothing. I was 35. After going to PT from July 4th(date of incident) to Sept 10th(date of diagnosis of fracture)...I was given a DEXA scan. My numbers were -4.7 for hip and -3.8 for spine. PRE-menopausal too. My clavicle was from grabbing the phone quickly as to not wake my husband who had had surgery. It was 3am. My ribs were random coughing, sneezing..and lastly my pelvis was falling (fainting). Between those times I had been on meds for the osteoporosis and then diagnosed with System Mastocytosis in 2003. Because I had 35% extra mast cells in marrow(by bone marrow biopsy) they are not as strong as they should be for age etc. I was on a 'drug holiday' at the time of the pelvis fractures because I had started so young on meds the doctor thought I needed a break(pardon the pun). I then was put on Prolia. Hopefully in Dec I will have the DEXA to tell me what that has done for me the last 3 years. My endocrinologist suggested I may go back to Forteo as it worked very very well for me.