Treating Osteoporosis: What works for you?

@windyshores Computer problems but can respond now.I take Bone Strength it has 3mg Strontium,3mg Boron calcium 90 mg D3@VitK2 I take 4pills daily 2a.m.,2p.m. my last dexascan was better but Drput me on Relast ,I take this in Dec.

Theraputic dose for strontium is 680mg. That tiny amount is misleading. How much D3 and K2? Calcium is low too but maybe you get it in diet.

@windyshores I get K2is 120 mg along with D3plus I take an extra D3

The current recommended daily calcium for women is something like 1000 mg/day, higher for women over, I believe, age 70. (In which case the general consensus is 1200 mg/day.) Does the Bone Strength have enough calcium or are you relying on diet for that?

The formula that I take has 1300 mg/calcium from algae but I don't take the recommended 4 capsules a day. I figure 3 is enough and, as I get more calcium from foods, I may cut back more. The reason is that I read a few studies that suggest calcium from supplements might build up in the arteries but calcium from whole foods doesn't seem to. I figure the K2 protects against that, as does my female cardiologist who takes the same supplement, but food sources are still preferred. And a recent echocardiogram showed everything seems fine. (And surprised my PCP as I have high-ish cholesterol and can't tolerate statins. After reading the echo and calcium score results, he stopped lobbying for statins. Doctors know a lot but the human body remains an enigma, lol.)

I hope you can too and have confidence that, if there is a path that accomplishes that, you will find it! How much longer can you take Tymlos?

I had duodenal erosion some years back, which healed fine. But it was why I didn't take Fosamax for osteopenia. Then researched more and read what you noted, that current thinking is to not start drugs for osteopenia anyway.

I'm still curious that 2 DEXA scans, 6 years apart, had almost the exact same bone density numbers except the lumbar spine actually improved. Yet the T-score numbers got somewhat worse. That makes zero sense unless the FRAXL algorithm puts me at higher risk only because I'm 6 years old and is presuming imbalance and/or a fall risk. Neither the endocrinologist nor PCP could explain that oddity.

On the other hand I have read comments on this blog from people who have fractured with osteopenia not osteoporosis. In my own case, I chose to do nothing until about 5 years after my osteoporosis diagnosis. 67 and no fractures yet (well there was an ankle long long time ago..tripped going down stairs).
All that FRAXL algorithm stuff unfamiliar to me.
I do worry about falling. I need hip surgery in a very arthritic hip. Falling not an option;)

I have 6 more months free. My doc is going to do a DEXA after a year, and said if I made enough progress he would "save a year for later." But now there is also Evenity. I'll let you know!

ps the math does not add up because I started in June and went to the ER mid-June then stopped Tymlos and got rid of 2 1/2 months supply. Then decided to try again with the slow ramp up. Radius will not replace the boxes I discarded (they would not accept returns) and they are counted in the 18 months I get for free.

Some studies I read note a significant percentage of serious fractures in women with osteopenia. But the study speculated that they were younger and more active women in general since the percentage of compression fractures was higher among women with osteoporosis. So the latter group likely was more risk-averse in general. I mean one can fracture a bone at any age if damaged in sports activity or other common cause. But I think there few absolutes with any of this stuff.

One study I read, and I wish I'd saved it, questioned whether bone density should be such a singular, significant risk when it tells little about overall bone health. The doctors who wrote it noted cases of very strong and resilient bone of, nonetheless, lower density. The suggestion was that some bodies develop stronger though less dense bone. As if bone, in cases of patients with low density, developed a kind of lightweight carbon steel bone as a result. I wouldn't count on it but the human body is still an enigma so who knows what science will know in 50 years?

@windyshores Hi, are you talking about June 2021 till now? When will your year be up to know if you have made enough progress to change meds? Then maybe start Evenity. Have any idea how much in progress will be enough? When you started back slowly, did only use the pen for 30 days then start a new one with some leftover to throw or use up that pen till gone. Still wondering whether to give up Tymlos or try again slowly since 6 clicks were fine and no side effects. Or maybe the Endo and Cardo Drs. should make the decision for me as to which path I follow. Very unsure at this point which road to follow. But having input from those that have been there really does help. Hope all is well and please keep me up to date with new information as it comes. KLH