osteoporosis news

[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...

[newfsmith]

You can try as hard as you like, but you have to accept that no matter how healthy you try to live, you are going to get some of the diseases of aging. Like my mother, grandmother, and aunts, I have osteoporosis,. I was not ignorant all of my life (that is just a recent occurrence) and ate a diet high in calcium and was at least as active as recommended (until I was HBC and damaged my knees, I ran 40 mi/week, now I walk). When I was 45, I developed an ovarian tumor. I don't know about you guys, but they couldn't take it out fast enough to suit me. It put me into a surgical menopause, so I used an estrogen patch to carry me to the average age of menopause. Within a year of stopping the estrogen, I was osteopenic. For a while I was able to hold steady-- I think because of Tai-Chi. 2 years ago I became osteoporotic. About that time my favorite aunt was in a nursing home because of an osteoporotic spinal fracture. Watching her agony, and knowing that she had been a model of healthy living and eating; made me decide to try Fosamax. Well, it gave me GERD, and I now know it contributed to my leg cramps. I was prepared to go without any further medication until a year ago when my mother fell and broke her sacrum. It put her into a nursing home for 3 months. More importantly, it damaged the nerves controlling her bowel and bladder. Now my fastidious mother is totally incontinent. She is able to walk, but she rarely goes out because it takes 4 Depends to keep her dry for 2 hours. She wears vinyl underpants over them. Of course, her fecal incontinence increases her risk of urinary tract infections, and she has had a total knee replacement. Every time she goes out her front door she asks "Am I wet?", and again every time she gets out of the car. She is mortified. That is what osteoporosis can do to people. Mostly it puts them in nursing homes because of hip or spinal fractures. Much of trying to live healthy is about making choices you don't want to have to make. Do I take the small risk of complications now, or hope that I can avoid the large risk of serious osteoporotic problems later? Since all 3 of my aunts and my mother has had an osteoporotic fracture put them in a nursing home for 3 to 6 months, I chose to try Reclast, at least for this year, and continue to monitor the studies on the drugs. I don't want to celebrate my 70th birthday (only 9 years away) in a nursing home with a broken hip, wishing I had done more to prevent it.

[Crankin]

Thanks, Jean for saying that. Like you, I don't think anyone could fault me for not trying to stop my bone degeneration with natural and healthy alternatives. I've been exercising and eating well since I was 25 years old and I lost 25 pounds in order to feel fit again. My grandmother lost 3-4 inches from her real height and although she lived to 91, the quality of her life the last 15 years sucked because of a hip fracture. She almost killed herself by lighting her sleeve on fire on a gas stove, because she couldn't pick up the pan fast enough. My mom, who was extremely active for someone of her generation also had it well before she died at 67 from a totally unrelated thing. So while I could chalk my grandmother's case up to a life of inactivity, not so with my mom.
I don't like drug companies anymore than the next person, but I will not cripple myself because I refuse to try a medication. Sure, I had the GERD reaction to Fosomax and I'm getting hot flashes from Evista, long after mine had stopped. But, I'll live with it and hopefully I will see a change on my next scan. I don't feel like I'm being duped. I'll be interested to hear how you do on the Reclast.

[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!