Looking for alternative way to strengthen bone mass.

Eve - I have been on strontium citrate for over two years.........no density scan yet but went into my diagnosis with osteopenia.  I work out at the gym 3 times a week, and have not had any side effects from the strontium.  It is my understanding that it does not matter that strontium is compounded with citrate to deliver it as opposed to strontium ranelate (protocol in Europe).  Hope you find a good alternative for you.

Eve, just to piggyback on thenewme's comment about allergic reactions... Once you've had one (if that's what you've had), future ones can be much worse.  It sounds like you're done with Fosamax, but if you suspect it was an allergic reaction, it would be a good idea to find out what the main aggrevating component in Fosamax is, so that you can be sure to avoid it in future drugs and even foods, if it's a food derivative (i.e. shellfish, nuts or whatever).       Deanna

Eve, I don't know anything about Omeprazole, but here's something I just pulled up on Fosomax that sure sounds like what happened to you:

"A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), dizziness, trouble breathing." 

I would definitely ask your doctor or pharmacist to identify any possible links between the two drugs, especially since there may be others out there you'll also want to avoid.     Deanna 

I can't take vitamin K due to being on a blood thinner for atrial fibrillation. Reading all the posts, I'm now wondering if the Fosamax caused the atrial fibrillation?  It started around the same time (3 years ago) that I began the Fosamax, but my OB/GYN never mentioned it was a side effect. And my cardiologist, who knows which drugs I take, didn't bat an eye.  Of course nobody seems to know what causes Afibs anyway, but the doc told me it is common in people over 60 whose electrical systems don't work as well anymore.

I know I get afibs from stress, when dehydrated and when eating fatty and/or spicy foods.

I'm thinking I might have to give up Fosamax - I already had one broken hip and a broken wrist, but again - not one of the doctors said Fosamax was the culprit for the breaks.  

 Also I have been having jaw pain so have not taken Fosamax for the past 3 weeks. The jaw pain is completely gone. 

Eve, Thanks for initiating this topic. What tough decisions we have to make. Many of us prefer a natural approach to care but face the reality of a disease that can be oh-so-frightening! I have had breast ca three times, the last mets to chest wall, and I have felt that I needed to make choices that I would not have made otherwise (eg chemo, hormonal therapy). Anyway, I have had osteopenia since my late thirties, after my first diagnosis and chemopause. I started calcium, magnesium, Vit D; improved my already good nutritious diet; increased my exercise. I still saw a slow progression of bone loss. I also tried bisphosphonates and had a terrible reaction (as in I could not lift myself out of bed and had to miss days of work). My MD started me on Evista, which I tolerated well.



After my second diagnosis, I was started on Arimidex, which I could not tolerate and discontinued. I had one and only one Zometa infusion. If I had not been so sick and incapacitated I would have gone to the local ER. My MO said I had an allergic reaction to it and should not ever take it again. I think I lost about 10 days of my life. He then started me back on Evista, since bone loss continued. After mets to chest wall, he stopped the Evista and started Tamoxifen. With my last dexa scan I showed improvement in my lumbar spine but loss in my hip. My MO recommended Prolia. My research to date has made me apprehensive about this medication, and I have not agreed to start it. I am still using supplements, I exercise, I eat well. I started a topic about Prolia in the bone health section to get others' input about that med. I, too, am very sensitive to meds, and I worry about the potential negative effects of Prolia. I looked for info about Strontium and did not find much that was helpful to me. If someone else has info on Strontium, please share.



Please don't feel defensive about the use of pain meds. Those of us who have very difficult pain situations and use pain meds responsibly are very different from those who are using pain meds irresponsibly and who develop addiction and drug seeking behaviors. Finally, please know that all decisions are very personal and that I don't mean to imply that you shouldn't try a med because someone else (like me) had a bad experience with it. Keep up your hard work of getting all the info that you can in order to make the best decision for you, and let us know what you learn of new options and what you decide to do. I wish you the best!

Eve, so sorry to hear you were given fosomax, sorrier to hear you had a bad reaction, and even more sorry that your dr didn't call you back. 

I took some detailed notes when bone health was covered by Annmarie Colbin during my time in nutrition school.  Most of our calcium resides in the bones, and our blood needs just 1%.  The blood supply of calcium makes certain that our ph is balanced, that our heart beats, nerves fire, enzyme systems working.  If blood calcium dips, parathyroid hormones kick in to pull some reserves from our bones.  

Drugs like fosomax prevent the release of calcium from the bones.  That might sound like a good thing on the surface, but it's not.  If your heart needs more calcium in the blood to beat properly, it's a big problem if that calcium is locked into the bones by fosomax.  This kind of situation can lead to atrial fibrillation.  Plus, too much calcium in the bones can make them so brittle that they will shatter.  

The best way to strengthen bones is exercise, espeically walking and carrying things.  New bone can be built at any age.  

evebarry, I forgot to mention to you that you might be able to get your insurance to cover several visits to a Physical Therapist in order to develop a specialized weight bearing exercise program.  Several years ago I did that and found it very helpful. I attach a great deal of value to the benefits of exercise, but I do want to remind others that some of us struggle with debilitating fatigue, moderate to severe pain, or other challenges that prevent us from working out as much as we would like to get the maximum bone health benefit. I exercise as much as I can, but I still look for other ways to support bone health.

Make sure you know just what your blood levels are for Vitamin D and Calcium so

you can supplement as needed...but go high on the Vitamin D levels the" normal range"

seems low to many doctors..

This is fascinating Althea! I am going to mention this to my cardiologist when I see him next week.

I think I originally got osteoporois years ago because a test showed my calcium was in the high range of normal and the internist I was going to said to watch it (but didn't say why, and I didn't ask unfortunately) So I forgot about it. Didn't have any blood tests for a few years because I was running 45 miles a week, doing marathons, etc. feeling great in other words. Then I had some dizziness, tests were run, including blood tests and it showed my blood calcium was too high. More tests, a scan and then a parathyroidectomy. All because I didn't listen to the original doctor! I blame myself completely. Then a bone density test 3 years ago showed I had the bones of an 85 year old (I was in my early 70s) and I've been on Fosamax ever since.  There has been slight improvement, but they can't test the hip I broke because it has 3 pins in it, the other hip still shows "danger of fracture" but the spine is a little better. I do take calcium with D and jog every day. Since the jaw pain (although my dentist didn't think it was caused by the Fosamax but why did the pain stop when I quit the Fosamax?  I have now been off it for a month

So much conflicting info...sigh...

My Dr. is adamant that running does not build bone strength. She says that only weight bearing exercise will build/maintain bones...such as weight bearing machines at the health club (the hip ciser, etc.) 

I guess the only way to feel confident is to exercise and maintain good vit D3 levels. I try to keep mine between 65 & 70.

Lago.. There were a handful of studies that pointed to PPIs... Proton pump inhibitors such as prilosec that caused bone thinning. My family's gastro has several of my family members on PPIs and also insists that they take calcium with it. While the evidence is there that PPIs interfere with calcium absorption, there haven't been studies about adding calcium. . But nonetheless... They're all taking their calcium. They also eat Sunsweet 'Ones.'. I'd love to see more evidence.

Lago- great information on the plum/prunes. I eat a lot of both, so that's good news for me. Love the small dried plums by Sunsweet. I keep them in my pantry all the time!

There you go, that could be a reason why it's not weight bearing!! 

Shush!!! I'm tiny because I LMBO so often! LOL

And most of the time I LMBO because of so much conflicting info! LOL