osteoporosis news

[shootingstar]

admittedly i was recommended to take a calcium tablet daily. Haven't gotten around to it.

[firenze11]

Thank you for posting this. I had no clue.

My Grandmother has very bad osteoporosis, now I'm wondering if she is on any of these drugs. And my Mother has osteopenia. So I feel strongly about trying to keep it from happening to me. The article about from Women to Women is great for that.

[mimitabby]

Firenze, your mother is probably the one on those drugs! I'd talk to both your mother and your grandmother.
Balance, balance! it's an easy exercise to do!

[Crankin]

I'm glad I had a bad reaction to Fosomax about 7-8 years ago! I had a bone scan in my forties, since osteoporosis runs in my family. Sure enough, I was well on my way, despite years of weight bearing exercise before I started cycling. I was prescribed Evista, which has its own set of side effects; I never took it consistently because I was truly convinced it was the cause of my weird medical things last year. However, I have been taking regularly for over a year and I will be having another bone scan in September. My last one, two years ago, showed that both my spine and hips are affected now. But, I think the drug is working because I can see the difference in my nails. I am trying to weight train 2x a week, but it is the first thing to go when I am pressed for time.
I've had a couple of bike crashes with no ill effects, the last being in April when someone stopped short in front of me and I touched wheels. Other than bruises and a bit a of road rash, no bone problems. I've cut down on coffee, too. I never have been much of a soda drinker, and now I never have it.

[OakLeaf]

grrr

As you all know this is my particular soapbox right now, but recent news stories and research I did in the past has been leading me this way all along, and I'm just more confirmed in my beliefs.

Mass screening of asymptomatic individuals is just a way for the medical/industrial complex to get people signed up on expensive and dangerous treatments for conditions that may never become symptomatic. For every one individual who may be identified by screening AND helped by treatment, there are dozens and possibly even hundreds who are harmed by the process.

(And to clarify - I believe that most health practitioners who are involved in direct patient care DO have their patients' best interests at heart - it's just that access to information is tightly controlled by drug and imaging corporations - companies whose primary focus may be defense contracts or agriculture, not medicine, BTW - who by law are REQUIRED to make their shareholders' interests primary. But also that many health care providers have a very narrow definition of what constitutes a favorable outcome.)

Prevention (i.e. a healthy life with good nutrition and hydration, avoiding toxins and endocrine disruptors, plenty of natural light exposure, exercise both cardio and weight bearing) can happen regardless of whether someone's at particular risk.

[han-grrl]

Oakleaf - you read my mind!

Woot!

[NbyNW]

Been lurking on this thread as I'm in a risk factor group as well . . .

Oakleaf outlines a very interesting & broad ranging dilemma -- and I don't know what the answer is, but I do know this:

Bad things happen in spite of our best efforts

Maybe over time and as testing technology & knowledge improves the med. establishment will change its opinion as to who needs a test . . . .

It could happen, right?

[Grog]

I strongly encourage you all to check out Alan Cassels' web site:
http://alancassels.com/index.cfm
go into his database and search for osteoporosis.

Most interesting finds.

Cassels is a researcher at the University of Victoria in Canada and a frequent contributor to medical journals. He has published a wonderful book with Ray Moynihan called "Selling Sickness" about the marketing and branding of diseases. He addresses osteoporosis and the change in guidelines for treatment in much detail in the book, and to some degree on the web site. (Also good chapters on high blood pressure, cholesterol, and psychiatry in general... all those high-return on investment areas...)

A good source to balance some other types of information...

[firenze11]

Firenze, your mother is probably the one on those drugs! I'd talk to both your mother and your grandmother.
Balance, balance! it's an easy exercise to do!

I will definitely be bringing it up to both of them. My grandmother did have a fall that broke her hip a few years ago so I can't image that she isn't on one of these. I'm not sure my Mom would be on one because she pretty much refuses to take any medication unless absolutely necessary.

I'll be taking my calcium plus D and magnesium more often now, thats for sure. I've been trying to really cut down on refined/processed stuff and need to get some weight training going.

You're right about balance!