Not asking for medical advice, just commiseration.
So, who else has bones like bread sticks? What are you doing about it? What medication(s) do you take? Do you take any supplements like calcium or vitamin D? Have you changed your diet? Do you exercise? Most importantly, have you been rechecked and is there any improvement?
I was diagnosed 3 months ago. I take generic Boniva and though there were side effects the first month (nausea, aches, suddenly feeling about 92 years old) they have pretty much disappeared. I started running (C25K), stay off rickety ladders, skittish horses and roller-skates, but I haven’t changed my diet, added supplements or done much of anything else. You?
Who knew? I’ve been walking for about 4 years and thought I should do more, but according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation you’re quite right. Thank you, and :(. So much for my kickin’ 35 minutes a day.
Have you read up on the possible adverse effects of all those bisphosphonate drugs like Fosamax (and I think Boniva too) that can happen to people from time to time?
The case that happens sometimes is osteonecrosis, in which living bone tissue dies, and for some reason happens in the jaw bones. Apparently it’s rare, but bad news if it happens.
A doctor once prescribed Fosamax for me. He didn’t consult with me or discuss the benefits/dangers or anything. Just got my lab (bone scan) results one day, wrote up a prescription and sent it to the pharmacy, and sent me an e-mail telling me. I found the information about it on-line, and decided not to risk taking any of that.
A couple years later, a different doctor suggested that I take Vitamin D and Calcium supplements. This doctor actually took the trouble to do blood tests to check my levels of these things, which the first doctor never did.
Not as rare as once thought. It’s one of the many reasons I’ve decided against ever using such drugs to combat the bone loss I now have and inevitable (sooner or later) osteoporosis I will suffer due to the paralysis (and extreme atrophy) in my lower body.
I took Fosamax for about a year after the diagnosis. I stopped taking it when I lost my medical coverage. This was before the generic became available, and the scrip was about $100 for the 4 weekly doses. At that time, the bone density scan said I was at high risk for fracture.
Then I fell and broke a hip, or the hip broke and I fell, who knows. By that time, the generic had become available, and I took Fosamax for about five years. No side effects. About two years into the therapy, the bone scan result was “slight improvement”.
The result may have been better, but I misunderstood the reason they tell you not to drink anything for a full hour after taking the pill. I thought it was to protect against Fosamax reflux (it’s hard on the esophagus if it doesn’t stay down), and since I had no issue with swallowing, I’d go ahead and drink my coffee right after taking the pill. Yeah, stupid. The hour wait is also for maximum effect.
Anyway, after five years on the therapy, I’ve stopped taking it and am relying on a daily vitamin with extra calcium and a calcium supplement (Citracal with D). My doctor also prescribed a megadose of vitamin D. This was a couple years ago and I haven’t been back to the doc, so I don’t know if that was a one-time thing or if I should be doing that on a regular basis. (I’m overdue for a physical.)
Anyway, the recommended period for taking Fosamax is five to seven years, then stop.
I haven’t broken any more bones but I worry about it, a lot. Breaking a hip can change your life. I’m very nervous about walking on snow and ice, and my cell phone is always with me.
I understand weight training is highly recommended as a way to reduce bone loss and decrease the possibility of fractures. WebMD has some good information on it, and I have heard a load of anecdotal information. Certainly worth looking into.
I’ve been borderline for a few years now and have had measurable improvement with weight bearing exercise alone. I’ve been doing a fair amount of dead lifting to help strengthen my back and my number are back in the normal range.
My mother took an experimental medication where she had to inject herself every day for 18 months. When she finished with that, her doctor wanted her to go back on fosamax but she refused because of the jaw death risk (which her doctor said was minimal) and the reflux. She hated it. Now she takes the medication that is administered by drip once per year and her bone scans have shown drastic improvement. I can find out the name if you’re interested.
How do I avoid Osteoporosis. I am not weight-lifting until I am full-grown (we believe in that myth that it stunts height because I am really short, only 62 inches); I am also a vegetarian. I heard that people like me are at a higher risk for this disease. I am also not a very exercising, athletic guy. In fact, very much the opposite.
First of all, what is this disease? Secondly, what can I do to avoid getting it?
I am the poster child for osteoporosis. Light completion, small boned, thin all my life and, well, …not the most swan-like posture in the world. So, while I wasn’t surprised by the diagnosis, the options – especially in light of the article cited by Ambivalid – are confusing and kind of scary. I think I’ll see what my dentist has to say about the jawbone death thing (:eek:), stick with the Boniva for the time being and see what kind of results I get when I have my bone density rechecked.
Broke a rib at age 50 just bending over. Took Fosamax for 7 or 8 years. Bone scans show significant improvement. Just doing calcium supplements and vitamin D supplements now. Otherwise healthy giant male at 6’4, 295 lbs.