Osteoporosis meds: How do they work?

Posted by grandmabubblestwin @grandmabubblestwin, Nov 11, 2016

I've been reading about osteoporosis and this is what I've seen so far: An individual builds bone until about age 30 then they begin to lose bone. Osteo meds do not help you build bone, they may actually prevent the natural bone building process but they do help you retain the bone you have but can make bone brittle. Correct?

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This isn't exactly osteoporosis related - but I've seen people post about difficulty taking capsules or large tablets. Try this: roll your capsules and pills around in some olive oil before you take them - and they will slide down your throat so easily. It's almost like magic. I just swallowed a gigantic calcium pill at midnight and it almost swallowed its own self! It just went down - that is always a nightmare for me to get down. Try it.

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@parrotqueen

This isn't exactly osteoporosis related - but I've seen people post about difficulty taking capsules or large tablets. Try this: roll your capsules and pills around in some olive oil before you take them - and they will slide down your throat so easily. It's almost like magic. I just swallowed a gigantic calcium pill at midnight and it almost swallowed its own self! It just went down - that is always a nightmare for me to get down. Try it.

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Hi,
Great idea as olive oil activates the salivary glands and is supposed to help dry mouth also.

FL Mary

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@contentandwell

@doverbey in your case it will be checking the effectiveness of your diet though, right? That should be interesting. I wonder if many doctors do it since I’ve not heard of it before.
Are you taking supplements, and which vitamins? I e seen boron recommended but the pharmacy at Mass General Hospital told me that can be toxic at some levels so it’s not something they recommend at all.
JK

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In addition to diet, I am changing my exercise regimen and my supplements, and will factor in all of those when comparing scores. RE exercise: I added a weight vest, bought a trampoline - a cheap one to try before investing, increasing my walking, and using a stair machine. There is an OsteoStrong place opening soon within a reasonable but not convenient driving distance that I will try when it opens). RE supplements: after reading so much advice, I was extremely confused. But the same vitamins kept coming up over and over - calcium, D, magnesium, K, omega-3s, and I can't remember now - but I made a list of these. I then consulted both a nutritionist and a compound pharmacist and between the two, came up with diet changes and supplements to round out the diet that I feel good about. It does not, however, include Boron beyond the 1mg included in my multivitamin. I am going to do more research on that and consider it.

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@parrotqueen

Oh My Aching Back.... I, for one, know that I am more informed than my doctors about osteoporosis as well as my gut, and my doctors tell me this all the time! Almost all the doctors know to do is prescribe bisphosphonates and other "bone building" drugs - but they don't understand how they work. And they really don't know about nutrition. I have been to countless doctors about osteoporosis - endocrinologists, internists, spine surgeons - you name it, I've been there. There IS a lot to learn about nutrition - I have always been a student of how the human body works and nutrition, and I have a graduate degree in psychology and social work. I worked decades with scientists and medical doctors, even the chief of surgery in a big-city teaching hospital. I have made a point to study the bones in our bodies and nutrition, and I also healed my own gut. I read medical journals like most people read romance novels. Five years ago I was dying - literally dying - because of drugs I was prescribed and the horrible side effects they caused me. I still have to take those drugs, but I had to take myself completely off sugar and heal my gut. I begged my doctors to help me and got no help, and this caused me to be house-bound for over three years, suffering in the worst pain. I got so sick I got to the point of considering suicide. At the last minute, I had an epiphany that paid off. I knew what was wrong with my body, and that's when I went off sugar and changed my life. I developed candida overgrowth because of a low-dose steroid I have to take for adrenal insufficiency. My doctors are in awe of me - and now they take notes when I come in. Since going off sugar, the precancerous cells in my gut are gone! This is not the first time I had to figure out what was wrong with my body and turn things around. Doctors have HUGE caseloads - there is NO WAY they can stay on top of all the research being done in multiple systems in the body as well as nutrition. I have posted this website before, but here it is again: http://www.ConsumerLab.com. ConsumerLab tests supplements to be sure they are what they say they are, they open in the body, and they are the strength they say they are. Twice I have found that something I am taking has too much lead in it thanks to ConsumerLab.com. They also post so many medical journal submissions about various vitamins, minerals, and herbs. I have studied the human body for decades, and I have concentrated on osteoporosis almost exclusively for the past two or three years. One thing no doctor will tell you that will help your body tremendously is to stop eating all forms of sugar. Sugar causes inflammation and inflammation causes disease. Sugar is very bad for your bones. Certain nutrients and minerals are necessary for bone growth and these are pretty much undisputed: Calcium, magnesium, potassium, boron, Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2 (mk4 mk7). Probiotics, a good vitamin C (not ascorbic acid), a good multivitamin, B complex, Omega 3 also help. Every time you eat, you are making a choice to either support your body or hurt your body. Of course you should check with your doctor before you change anything. Talk to a nutritionist. A good functional doctor and a good nutritionist will help you a lot. I also take advantage of a great support group on Facebook (the group is called Osteoporosis Natural Remedies). My bookshelf is nearly collapsing under the weight of all the nutrition books and medical books. My pharmacist and doctors have a complete list of everything I am taking. All of this information is out there if you choose to become informed. I realize it is not for everyone. I have very complex medical issues, and my quality of life has been greatly improved since I took over. I run everything by my infectious disease doctor who is the best doctor I have ever found. She knows a lot about supplements and medicines. When I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, a nurse once tried to hang a bag of magnesium for IV - this is death to a person with MG. You need to. become informed. As always, please run everything by your doctor before making changes. I'm not even going to bring up anti-nutrients in this post.

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Question in regard to " that's when I went off sugar and changed my life." Obviously, you are referring to refined sugars and the various sugar additives in foods but are you also considering fruits as sugars? I also don't really understand how carbohydrates factor in as sugar (I've never had to pay attention to carbs so I'm really ignorant) and/or are carbs a factor in your elimination of sugar?

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@parrotqueen

This isn't exactly osteoporosis related - but I've seen people post about difficulty taking capsules or large tablets. Try this: roll your capsules and pills around in some olive oil before you take them - and they will slide down your throat so easily. It's almost like magic. I just swallowed a gigantic calcium pill at midnight and it almost swallowed its own self! It just went down - that is always a nightmare for me to get down. Try it.

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another way is put it in applesauce

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@lioness
Hmm...yum applesauce. Before I heard about olive oil , if I had trouble with a too large a vitamin ( especially the ones not in a capsule) I filled my mouth up with water , squeezed the tablet into my mouth with my head down, and flushed it down my throat. Head down seemed to work better than tilting the head up which is kind of a intuitive way when we take pills. People with gag reflexes sometimes have a hard time.
Wish I could use a square of dark chocolate lol. Right now I swallow 5-6 vitamins daily all at once..some large , some tiny and one that’s not coated.

@jakeduck1 would say that , if I can eat Octopus, I can swallow anything.

FL Mary

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@parrotqueen

This isn't exactly osteoporosis related - but I've seen people post about difficulty taking capsules or large tablets. Try this: roll your capsules and pills around in some olive oil before you take them - and they will slide down your throat so easily. It's almost like magic. I just swallowed a gigantic calcium pill at midnight and it almost swallowed its own self! It just went down - that is always a nightmare for me to get down. Try it.

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I hate swallowing large capsules and remember vividly times they haven't went down right away and feel "stuck" in my throat! Thanks for tip, I will definitely try this.

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@contentandwell
Good morning,
People should get enough boron the body needs in a healthy diet. The problem with supplements is there are people that seem to believe if a little bits good a lot more is better. There have been studies that are showing people are taking far more vitamins and minerals than their bodies need which may cause problems. Boron is helpful in so many body functions and is needed for good bone health as well. Here is a list of some crucial vitamins and minerals and a couple other nutrients for good bone health which is also good for overall health.

Calcium
Magnesium (Mg):
Chromium
Silica
Zinc
Manganese
Copper
Boron
Strontium
Vitamin A
Vitamin B6
Folate (vitamin B-9
Vitamin B12
Vitamins K1 and K2
Potassium
Phosphorus
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Fats
Protein
Good health and happiness,
Jake

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@imallears

@lioness
Hmm...yum applesauce. Before I heard about olive oil , if I had trouble with a too large a vitamin ( especially the ones not in a capsule) I filled my mouth up with water , squeezed the tablet into my mouth with my head down, and flushed it down my throat. Head down seemed to work better than tilting the head up which is kind of a intuitive way when we take pills. People with gag reflexes sometimes have a hard time.
Wish I could use a square of dark chocolate lol. Right now I swallow 5-6 vitamins daily all at once..some large , some tiny and one that’s not coated.

@jakeduck1 would say that , if I can eat Octopus, I can swallow anything.

FL Mary

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@imallears
With the wide variety of food (for the sake of this message we will call it food but I think you know what I’m thinking ) you eat I doubt you’re deficient in any vitamins or minerals or any other nutrients. So, have you consumed any other bazaar concoctions lately that will freak & totally gross me out?
Jake

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@parrotqueen

This isn't exactly osteoporosis related - but I've seen people post about difficulty taking capsules or large tablets. Try this: roll your capsules and pills around in some olive oil before you take them - and they will slide down your throat so easily. It's almost like magic. I just swallowed a gigantic calcium pill at midnight and it almost swallowed its own self! It just went down - that is always a nightmare for me to get down. Try it.

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@parrotqueen
Thank you for the olive oil tip. I take two potassium citrate pills for kidney stones and they are fairly large and uncoated. Although I usually just got them down with my other 16 pills I’m going to try your suggestion.
Thanks again.
Jake

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