Good to know, kelsmom!
Important information from Margaret Martin related to Prolia - here is a snippet from her email today:
Every month someone contacts me who, sadly, was not aware that stopping Denosumab (Prolia/Xgeva) without transitioning to another drug is just plain dangerous.
Now, they suffer the irreversible consequences of this decision for the rest of their lives.
In today’s post, you will learn what the latest clinical studies recommend regarding the complexities of stopping Denosumab.
Please read this post if you are considering using or are currently taking Prolia (Denosumab).
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Thanks, kelsmom. I signed up for Margaret Martin’s free email course on that same page.
Wondering anyone has purchased Dr. Mary Claire Haver’s supplements to help with bone loss? I got a powder with ‘Fortibone,’ an ingredient she recommends (off Amazon- not cheap!). Wondering if it worth it to get something she’s developed…
@kelsmom it is helpful that you posted this info, which can also be found in books and videos on osteoporosis. Some people are now trying one dose of Prolia between an anabolic and Reclast.
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Had some blood work done. Calcium and vitamin D levels on the low end but within normal range. I went years without calcium. Never drank milk as a kid. In my 20s and 30s, I’m guessing I got very little since I’m lactose intolerant and avoided a lot of options that would be high in calcium and doubt any random veggie intake was enough. I’ve been a little better about it in the last ten years or so, yogurt for breakfast most mornings. cheese on my lunch sandwich, etc but guessing it’s still not ideal calcium intake. Never really took supplements. Wish I had.
They did a thyroid work up as well and all normal. I’ve got an appointment with the endocrinologist that my OBGYN suggested. She’s written a lot about osteoporosis and seems to be a leading doc in the area where we live. The first appointment I could get is in JUNE lol. In the meantime, I’ve been taking supplements, trying to add more calcium-rich veggies to my diet, started lifting heavier weights (carefully) and bought a weighted vest for the days when I decide to walk instead of run.
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Good for you, homerdog. Sounds like lots of positive steps.
Been hearing a lot of discussion on various podcasts about this 2017 study re: the benefiting heavy lifting on osteoporosis and osteopenia.
They only studied complex weight moves like the deadlift, though. So I just started adding that into my gym routine and boy is it hard! I can barely lift 10 lbs + barbell bar.
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FYI, typical barbells are 20 kg or 44 lbs (sometimes 45 lb bars are available, just depends). However, many gyms do offer a “Bella Bar,” which is 15 kgs or 35 lbs.
There are many types of bars (power, Olympic, general, deadlight, etc.), but they’ll all do the job at lower weight.
So, 45 or 55 lbs as a beginner is wonderful. As with any movement with a barbell, start light and focus on technique.
A quick 1-minute bullet point (no talking) video for anyone interested.
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Thanks sushiritto, for the encouragement and video. That was the one I watched multiple times already to try and grasp all aspects of the technique (it’s the first hit on a YouTube search for ‘deadlift technique.’).
There are so many aspects of technique to remember (foot placement, back angle, breathing/core activation, etc.). It’s a process that I can see will take a bit of time!
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I just got my bone density results, and while my dual femur neck scores are -2.6 and -2.7, the changes from previous (3.5 years ago) are 1.6% and 3.9%. My baseline was done in 2015, 8 years after menopause. The changes in my dual femur neck scores from baseline are 3% and 5%. My spine is holding pretty steady with osteopenia, not yet venturing into osteoporosis. I’m going to seriously work on strengthening my hips, as well as continuing with supplements. I am not yet ready to pull the trigger on meds, but we’ll see what happens on my next scan (2 years). I’ll also keep working on balance, which is protective. My recent brushes with things that might have broken bones didn’t result in breaks, and I want to minimize the possibility of landing on a hip. My FRAX scores are still low enough that I feel comfortable with my decision. This is never an easy decision, but I feel like I am constantly learning new information & targeting ways to improve (or more likely, slow issues with) my bones over time.
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Tell us more…. Is it combined with the balance exercises?
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Best for balance is yoga, which is probably good for your hips also. Just don’t do any folding or crunching that puts strain on your lower back. I have been doing yoga for many years - first with normal bone density, then osteopenia, then osteoporosis, and now back in osteopenia range. It is easy to still get the many benefits even modifying for your condition.
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That’s awesome that you got your numbers back up. I stopped doing forward folds and crunches years ago, and I’ve recently started using a yoga block for side bends.
I’ve added more yoga and some static holds (yoga poses held for a longer period) over the past year. I increased my daily walks to an hour a day a couple years ago, and I have increased my free weights. In retrospect, though, I think that I’ve neglected focusing on my hips. I am going to have to research exercises for that, TBH. I’ve been working on strengthening my spine more than my hips. Time to wall sit & whatever else I find out will help.
I balance on one leg at a time while doing dishes, brushing my teeth, etc. I also practice balancing with my eyes closed. I find it challenging! I close my eyes & lift one foot off the floor and hold it for 30 seconds to a minute.
While I don’t eat too much of the wrong foods, I do sometimes neglect eating enough of the right stuff. I have to refocus there, too.
Hearing that you have been able to naturally increase your numbers gives me inspiration, @kiddie. I do understand that it doesn’t always work, and I know the risks if it doesn’t. But because I tend to be the poster child for getting side effects from medications, I want to try to keep things natural as long as possible.
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I am not sure what helped with my numbers. I have been taking vitamin D for years, so that didn’t change. I did switch from stationary bicycling 30 minutes a day (non-weight bearing exercise) to walking close to 3 miles a day (weight bearing exercise). I also climb 6 flights a day (I now live in a third floor apartment).
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This popped up to the top today, so I’ll add something to the conversation. I have been working hard to strengthen my hips with weight training and exercise since my last scan at Halloween. The nagging low back pain I would get from time to time hasn’t returned since I started working on my hips, so I am going to assume I am doing something good. And my thyroid numbers were all within normal range last month for the first time in years - levels directly affect bone health, so normal levels are extra important to me at this stage of life.
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Sounds like great progress!
Please tell us more about your exercises…
working hard to strengthen my hips with weight training and exercise
So I finally got in to see the endocrinologist. Only took eight months. lol.
I’m going in for a bunch of blood tests this week and a urine test to see if we can figure out why my bone density is low. Did you all do this before deciding on whether to take meds? I am curious about those of you who decided to try to increase bone density on your own. I assume you didn’t have any underlying causes that needed to be addressed by medication?
I already had a calcium and vitamin D blood test and that looked fine and my thyroid was also normal but these new tests are even more thorough.
Do you already know that your bine density numbers are out of whack??
I did not have any tests beyond blood work and multiple dexa scans. My one factor that was outstanding was early menopause. (Last child at age 37 and early- mid 40s menopause )
I did the urine test where they collect 24 hours worth of urine to see if your kidneys are working properly. It was fine.
My endocrinologist was nasty to me and wrote in my patient notes that I refused treatment. I was not going on any drugs that you would need to take a vacation from and then lose all the bone density that it had rebuilt.
My total risk score is pretty low (you can find those FRACK tests on line). My only yeses are to having a family member who had Osteo (my mother) and having low bone density. I think the key one is not having previously broken bones.
I am pretty sure my density is low at a relatively young age due to some hormones I took when I had Endometriosis in my 30s.
My bone density went from Osteoporosis back to Osteopenia on my last test. I have done the following - take Vitamin D every day, switched from stationary biking (not weight bearing) to walking, and taking yoga. I proved that endocrinologist to be wrong - I did not need medication.
I had a friend who was breaking bones regularly. She went on meds immediately when they found she had Osteoporosis.
Everybody’s story is a little different.
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