<p>There was a report in the papers yesterday that said that calcium supplements increase risk of stroke and heart attack, perhaps by causing hardening of the arteries.</p>
<p>There are countless reports of problems with Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva and so on. If you do want to take them, you can do an injection every 3 months, once a year, or take pills daily,weekly, monthly…Look into what to do before dental work, because jaw bone necrosis has happened to a few w/dental work. They say that using these drugs for 5 years is safe, but they do change the quality of the bone, making the bone more brittle, so some are having femur breaks while on the drugs.</p>
<p>There is also a spray called calcitonin that I would ask about,. I can’t take it because I am allergic to salmon, but it would be my first choice. Another drug is Forteo, an injection, but it has a chance of causing bone cancer, and is reserved for more advanced cases.</p>
<p>In Europe, women are using strontium and vitamin K, but that form of strontium the ranelate form, is not available here. However, other forms are available. (One other thing, strontium increases the bone density reading on a scan, but it is a false reading in the sense that strontium is read as calcium/bone.)</p>
<p>If you are reluctant to do mainstream meds, you can see an integrative medicine doctor for this. Using soy, for instance, may be an option for helping a little, if not a lot. There are ways to affect hormones in gentle ways. You could consider bioidentical progesterone cream, or even estrogen preparations. Some say bioidential creams do not have the same side effects.</p>
<p>Some doctors say that balance is the most important thing, and avoiding falls. However, I am also careful with lifting, opening windows, hugging,that kind of thing. Do you have pain?</p>
<p>There are gentle exercises for osteoporosis. Find a targeted exercise book, class or yoga class, or even physical therapy to get you started.</p>
<p>Buy the book “The Myth of Osteoporosis.” It will make you feel better. The drug companies really have whipped up some hysteria, and the diagnosis and medication of osteopoenia is relatively new, the diagnosis and medication of osteoporosis also relatively recent in human history.</p>
<p>Take Vitamin D, 1000-2000 units/day, the higher amount in sunless months. Go in the sun for 15 minutes in the middle of the day if you can, instead of a supplement. Sun screen. combined with indoor jobs, is going to cause an epidemic of osteoporosis in coming years!</p>
<p>There are a lot of us out here with osteoporosis in our 50’s. I am not taking anything, frankly. There is not an option that I like. am consulting an MD about strontium, because right now, it makes me very nauseous.</p>
<p>p.s. there is no sense in taking 600mg calcium at a time: your body absorbs only 300-400 (sorry, I forget which; I take 300) at a time. The extra may actually cause you problems as described above, with no benefit. Magnesium and calcium compete, as does strontium, so separate any of those three by a couple of hours.</p>
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