Osteoporosis treatments

I have had success with taking vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 and doing weight bearing exercises as well as a little impact exercise (like jogging or rebounding for only 10 minutes a couple days a week).

I suffered a insufficiency sacral fracture after my treatment probably due to my pre-existing osteopenia, 28 days pelvic radiation and steroids. I'll get a dexa in December and we'll decide what to do. My endocrinologist suggested the IV one or the one shot a year because of the reflux problem. I'd been on oral Fosomax, Boniva, etc. years ago because of early menopause (39). They only leave you on them about 3 years. My concern was for the very rare "dead jaw" side effect so you want to have your teeth in tip top shape before you start any of them. Good luck. 

I was also diagnosed with Osteoporosis.   I refused treatment due to the side effects as I was already having other issues with reflux, digestions, etc.    I do take Vit. D3 supplements.

Fayard said:

Thank you very much for your

Thank you very much for your input. Unfortunately, my osteoporosis got worse two years after diagnosis. I decided to take the medication them. I am now thinking that I may be able to stop it for a while, but I have to have a scan first

 

Fayard:

Hope all goes well and you can stop your medication.   

Kathy

Double Whammy said:

I refused

One of the side effects of ER+ breast cancer medications is bone thinning.  I did develop mild osteoporosis and my oncologist was ready to put me on a bisphophonate.  She sent me away with different ones to research and said "pick one".  I couldn't decide and I asked my pcp which one she likes. She looked at my Dexascan and said "not yet".   I switched from Arimidex to Tamoxifen and my scans actually improved.   I'll have another dexa in about 8 months and we'll see what this one shows.   IF I need to take meds, I will.  In the meantime, I've put it off for 5 years now.  I think "they" don't want your bones to thin too much because breast cancer likes to metastasize to bones.  I guess I have been lucky.  I was planning on choosing one of the IV meds because they are administered only once or twice a year.  Acid reflux is a side effect of the oral meds.  That's why you're not supposed to lie down after.  I was also told by someone with an MD (can't remember which doctor it was) that one does not need to be on meds forever.  That may be why your doc wants to look at another dexascan.  You may have improved.  And that's what I was told.

Suzanne

 

New picture? Very nice !!

Fayard said:

Thank you very much for your

Thank you very much for your input! I have been taking vitamin D for a long time now, as well as 500mg of calcium as supplement, and still the osteoporosis got worse

I have been on medication for about 2 1/2 years, going to the gym and eating better.

Magnesium is a mineral that is also one of the 4 cardiac electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and calcium are the others) that impact the electrical conduction regulating your heartbeats. They need to be in balance with each other to avoid inducing arrhythmias so you really need to find out first if you have a deficiency and get some guidance on the dosage and form of magnesium to take for your situation. It's still safer to get what you need from foods that contain magnesium.

Conditions that may deplete magnesium and necessitate supplementation include alcoohol abuse, diabetes, digestive diseases, and taking some medications like cisplatin, proton pump inhibitors and some diuretics. Chemo can actually cause magnesium and potassium levels to rise above normal levels because destroyed cells are releasing their electrolytes into the blood stream.

The upper tolerable limit to avoid magnesium supplement's side effects is 350 mg. That's in addition to what you get from food. Besides the cardiac concerns, they can cause upset stomach, nausea, or diarrhea (anybody take magnesium citrate as a bowel prep before surgery or for a colonoscopy or milk of magnesia for constipation?) If you are taking an antacid that contains magnesium you have to take that into consideration with your supplement dosage and would want your care provider to be aware of that.

Food sources of magnesium are whole grains, nuts, beans, avocado, shellfish, green leafy vegetable, coffee, tea, and dark chocolate . So ladies, when the going gets tough....here's a good excuse to eat some chocolate ;-)!

Kidney disease interferes with electrolyte regulation in the body so electrolyte supplements for people with poorly fuctioning kidneys is dangerous.

Magnesium supplements, depending on which form is used, can also impact or be impacted by other drugs like some anti-diabetes drugs, statins, antibiotics, heart meds used for atrial fibrillation, potassium-sparing diuretics, gabapentin. Being on any of these drugs doesn't necessarily mean you can't take a magnesium supplement if you need it. It may just mean you have to be careful of the timing when you take them in relation to each other or your may need to avoid a particular form of the supplement. 

There's a lot to be aware of for taking this supplement, so get some professional advice before adding it to your regimen.

Tethys41 said:

Magnesium

Well, I sure don't want to butt heads with MAbound again.  What I can tell you is that I keep connected wtih more than 50 ovarian cancer survivors on a separate forum.  We all see a naturopath for our continued maintenance and we are all on magnesium supplementation.  Naturopaths are all for obtaining your essential vitamins and minerals from a natural form, such as diet.  But in some cases, including a cancer diagnosis, that is simlpy not possible.  There is also a link between low magnesium levels and cancer, for what it is worth. One of the after effects of chemo is magnesium deficientcy and we aren't going to get the amounts we need from food alone.  I am not going to tell you how much to take, because everyone is different, but everyone in our group takes more than the limit that has been mentioned.  That upper dosage sounds like something quoted from the conventional medical community.  There are various forms of magnesium, citrate, malate, glycinate, sulfate, chloride.  Some will affect the GI tract, while others will not.  Some are more absorbable than others.  Many in the group I am in actually rely on magnesium citrate to regulate their bowel function.  My oncology nutritionist has indicated that topical is better absorved than oral forms.   This is one reason I strongly feel that having an ND on your medical team is such a valuable asset.  Conventional medicine has a very different perspective when it comes to supplemental vitamins and minerals and often what conventional doctors label as too much or risky, is much less than what naturopath's recommend.  Remember, conventional doctors are educated in using chemicals to address symptoms.  Naturopaths are educated in how the body works and addressing conditions at their root cause.

"We all see a naturopath" and "Strongly feel that having an ND on your medical team is such a valuable asset" is in sync what I tend to get up on my soapbox about whenever supplements get mentioned in these threads. One needs knowledgable guidance taking supplements even though they are available over the counter.

Not everyone has access to good ND's however and it's not fair to paint all convential MD's or DO's with the same brush of ignorance or prejudice regarding supplements or alternative medicines.

The main thrust is that we are all individuals that have different issues and medications that we are dealing with and one-size-fits all advice such as you-need-to-take-magnesium-with-vitamin-D while true can get some into trouble if they resort to self prescribing. Taking supplements is not that simplistic. I think this bears repeating over and over that using them is not without risk to some.  

I'm afraid I'll probably keep irritating you by repeating myself on this point ad nauseum, but I don't see that as butting heads with you. I'm hoping that instead I'm adding food-for-thought about what's been shared. I believe our newer members need to hear these caveats for their own well being. You seem to think I'm strongly anti-alternative medicine, but I actually feel there's great value in complimentary medicine and still like to read your posts. 

MAbound said:

Not Butting Heads at all

"We all see a naturopath" and "Strongly feel that having an ND on your medical team is such a valuable asset" is in sync what I tend to get up on my soapbox about whenever supplements get mentioned in these threads. One needs knowledgable guidance taking supplements even though they are available over the counter.

Not everyone has access to good ND's however and it's not fair to paint all convential MD's or DO's with the same brush of ignorance or prejudice regarding supplements or alternative medicines.

The main thrust is that we are all individuals that have different issues and medications that we are dealing with and one-size-fits all advice such as you-need-to-take-magnesium-with-vitamin-D while true can get some into trouble if they resort to self prescribing. Taking supplements is not that simplistic. I think this bears repeating over and over that using them is not without risk to some.  

I'm afraid I'll probably keep irritating you by repeating myself on this point ad nauseum, but I don't see that as butting heads with you. I'm hoping that instead I'm adding food-for-thought about what's been shared. I believe our newer members need to hear these caveats for their own well being. You seem to think I'm strongly anti-alternative medicine, but I actually feel there's great value in complimentary medicine and still like to read your posts. 

MAbound, what I don't understand about your responses to my comments is that you say essentiall the same things I do, but incinuate my information is inaccurate or not emphasizing the right points.  Or you claim I made a statement, that I did not, i.e. you need to take magnesium with vitamin D.  You also dislike my opinion of medical doctors and their view of alternatives and supplements, but if you recall the last time you said my statement of this nature was unfair, the question was posed by another member as to how receptive people's oncologists are to alternatives and the vast majority agreed that they don't support them.  

I offer my experience because so many women only know what conventional medicine has to offer.  I never tell anyone to recklessly make choices or self medicate.  There are a whole slew of side effects associated with anti-osteoporosis drugs, but most people resort to those because they honestly aren't aware of less harmful alternatives. I share my experience to make people aware of alternatives.  

I appreciate your contribution about drug interactions and I think that emphasizes the point I made, that a medical professional with the proper background is an asset when making these choices.  I appreciate the fact that not everyone has access to a natuopath or the financial ability to pay for one.  But it is unreasonable to not share information about how they approach this disease just because not everyone here has the ability to hire one.  There are other resources  available to people who cannot arrange to personally consult with a naturopath.

I don't come here to have my experiences dissected and the wording twisted to sound like I am giving bad advice.  I come here to support women going through difficult or preplexing situations.  As appealing as your offer to continue to irritate me and make your point ad nauseum sounds, honestly, I will not grant you that opportunity because this really is not worth my time or effort and I don't think that it's beneficial to the women here.  I wish you well and bequeath the uterine cancer board to your fine care.