There was a great thread on CC around people’s experiences with osteopenia/osteoporosis and medication, but it seems to be closed.
My question is: is medication an appropriate option for osteopenia? (hip 2.1, neck 2.0, spine 2.2). I am thin and active (I run every day), small frame, late 50’s. I take Vitamin D3 daily, but haven’t tolerated calcium well in the past when I’ve taken calcium supplements. I have an appt with an endicronologist in mid October, just trying to do research in advance. I don’t take any medication, and everything I read about the options is pretty alarming. Thanks in advance!
I don’t know, but my mother was diagnosed with osteopenia, and after a year and a half of taking Boniva she broke her hip. (She actually broke the hip that didn’t have osteopenia!)
Do you eat/drink milk products? The lower-fat kind is a good source of calcium that is absorbed better than calcium supplements.
Also, not all calcium is absorbed equally well. My mother was told to take calcium citrate, not calcium carbonate. From Wikipedia:
“Calcium carbonate is harder to digest than calcium citrate,[4] and calcium carbonate carries a risk of “acid rebound” (the stomach overcompensates by producing more acid),[4] so individuals who are sensitive to antacids or who have difficulty producing adequate stomach acid may choose calcium citrate over calcium carbonate for supplementation.”
Are you seeing an endocrinologist? or can you get a referral. They will know. There are a number of helpful medications, often taken twice a year such a prolia. They will have other useful diet information for you.
I have it but don’t know my numbers off the top of my head. I’ve had osteopenia-range numbers for many years (at least 10). I’m also 55 and thin and walk a lot. My doctor recommended a wait-and-see approach, which is fine with me, because I’m concerned about the side effects, short and long term, of medications.
@rosered55 I have similar concerns after doing some reading online - hence my question here!
I have an appointment next month with an endocrinologist.
I don’t eat/drink milk products - I am probably somewhat lactose intolerant. I’m going to try taking calcium as a supplement again. Thanks for the suggestion to try calcium citrate, I’ll try that.
My husband was noted to have osteopenia in his hip bones a few years ago in his early 50s after an xray and MRI for a water skiing injury. But, he never followed up. Is an endocrinologist the way to go?
@Madison85, my OB/GYN (who is basically my GP), recommended I see an endocrinologist. From some research I’ve been doing online, that seems to be the usual course.
Weight training is generally considered protective (both for the effect of stimulating bone growth and for adding muscle weight that automatically adds weight in daily walking/running/etc/.), but consult with a physician to ensure that you do not go to heavy too quickly to the point of breaking your weakened bones.
One often overlooked area is diet. A diet high in animal protein can inhibit the absorption of calcium. It is better to eat mostly vegetarian, making sure to get only the protein you need (most Americans get too much) and eating a lot of dark greens.
I do some very light weight training at home (5 pound weights), but am thinking I should talk to a trainer at the gym to get some ideas on additional exercises I could do.
I am lactose intolerant, have been for over 20 years, so I use lactase enzyme. I buy the Walmart generic Equate Dairy Digestive Supplement (same ingredient as Lactaid brand.) I bought Lactaid brand milk for my mother, who was also lactose intolerant.
Yogurt doesn’t contain lactose because the live cultures break it down for you, so it should not cause you problems.
Why is that thread that I started closed? I can’t look right now, but it had valuable information!
My experience is that diet and exercise can’t fix genetics and I moved to osteoporosis. I would not take the Boniva/Fosomax type meds. I think they are dangerous. I did a Forteo stint with daily injections.
So: the options appear to be: (1) bisphosphonates, which increase the risk of fracture and have documented cases of jawbone necrosis, or (2) Forteo, which has caused a high incidence of osteosarcoma in lab animals.
Or nothing. My doctor is pretty good at letting me do a “wait and see” for stretches of time. I did the Forteo, took a brief break and then did one dose of Prolia (every 6 month shot) and did not like the way it made me feel so I declined to continue. There are some new meds coming down the pike. I am NOT one of these people who refuse to take necessary medications, by the way. I just don’t like much of this stuff!
I don’t like what am reading about this stuff either! It’s pretty remarkable that the options are so poor for such a common syndrome. What was the downside of Prolia?
I’m inclined to do some watchful waiting, but I’ll see what the doctor says next month.
I was in a double-blind study of bisphosphonates many years ago. When the study was over, I was told that I do have osteopenia and was offered Fosomax. I took it for a few weeks and then freaked out and stopped, because my jaw started to hurt.