Reclast?

[OakLeaf]

Also, don't take calcium supplements without magnesium. It's important for bone health that your intake of calcium and magnesium be in balance.

Personally, if my leg cramps are any indication, I sweat out more magnesium than calcium. I find it hard to believe that the electrolytes in your sweat depend on the sport you're doing, though. I think it's just that cyclists tend to spend a lot more time at their sport than other athletes, and thus sweat out more electrolytes total. (Imagine if it was commonplace for running clubs to not even bother with less than a 2.5-hour run, e.g.) Potassium is plentiful in food and as for sodium, you can just grab the salt shaker. Not so easy to grab the calcium-magnesium shaker...

[Biciclista]

It doesn't make sense to me, either Oakleaf!

[Crankin]

OK, I will be off to the natural foods pharmacy/grocery to get some decent calcium and magnesium. I will wait to start the Vit. D until I get my levels checked. Since I am zealous about sunscreen, I suspect I don't get much naturally.
I never thought about taking the supplements after a ride. I will try it, though my riding is sort of slowing down at this time of year (until I pull out the trainer).

[Biciclista]

why are you hesitating to get Vit D3? you'll discover that they put it in calcium supplements, just not enough.

[Crankin]

I want to find out exactly what my levels are. I don't want to over supplement something that could build up in my body. I know some don't care too much about this, but I have reactions to everything, including vitamins and minerals.
I used to have an asthma attack after getting Vitamin B shots.

[newfsmith]

I'm also osteoporotic and have had one Reclast injection, recommended by the endocrinologist. Like you, my stomach couldn't tolerate Fosamax. The injection itself was a breeze (given in the infusion therapy unit where the nurses are used to putting IV's in very sick chemotherapy patients, so are really good at it). You are warned to arrive for the infusion well hydrated and they want you to drink extra for 2 to 3 days post infusion. None of that was problematic. However, 6 months later, my routine blood work had a spike in my kidney values. My kidney values had never strayed from normal, even when I was in the midst of renal colic with a kidney stone. I gave my next injection (due back in June) a miss, and will make my final decision based on my next round of blood work in January and discussion with MD then.

Like you I have a very strong family history of osteoporosis, every woman on my father's side had at least a "Dowager's hump" and one of my aunt's had a vertebral fracture that left her permanently looking at the floor. My mother has had a sacral fracture that caused nerve damage, leaving her totally incontinent. That has severely impacted her quality of life. However, at this point, I'm inclined to take my chances. It's one thing for Simvastatin to give me slightly high liver values, the liver is good at regenerating. Kidneys are a different story. I'm not sure how much I'm willing to risk damaging my kidneys to reduce my fracture risk. After all, 2 out of 4 of my closest female reatives did not have any significant fractures. I really should have paid more attention in my statistics class.

[Crankin]

Thanks, Jean. I guess I have to take my chances. No one had any fractures, but my grandmother lost like 3 inches and had a hump. My mom had, now that I think of it, may have had fractures, but it was totally related to the meds she took for her liver disease, which accelerated the osteo.stuff. On the other hand, my grandmother lived until 92 and died of something else. My mom was extremely athletic for someone of her generation, but she died at the young age of 67 from her liver disease, which was viral/contracted in utero, from what she told me.
I see my gyn. Friday and will take it from there. I've been having a lot of back and hip issues, which I've been told is a disc, but maybe it's related to this? I am frustrated! I look young for my age, but I think my body is giving out. What good has 30 years of exercise done for me????

[tctrek]

I had osteopenia about 7 years ago. I took Actonel for a little over a year and put all the bone back + added some. Just found out that I have it again only this time they told me to treat it with calcium/Vit D for a couple of months and then test again.

It's sad that you can't tolerate the standard meds, because they really work.

[Crankin]

I saw my gyn. yesterday; I will be seeing an endocrinologist (one I saw for thyroid nodules, so no new doctor, thankfully) and she had her assistant draw blood to test my Vitamin D levels right there in the office. She also gave me a list of calcium rich foods, which included a few things that I didn't know (did you know cumin has a lot of calcium?).
My gyn lost 115 lbs. in 2005. She now is a tri-athlete. I used to see her at the gym, where she compulsively goes everyday at 5:30 AM. Anyway, she just completed a half marathon, so I got a whole earful about that. She keeps telling me she is still "scared" to ride on the road for the most part and how her DH is not active like mine, hence, she goes to the gym and trains early in the AM, so it doesn't interfere with her family life and delivering babies. Although I was the same way at her age, it seems like she has replaced one addiction for another...
Anyway, she gave me a big lecture about not getting down about the osteoporosis because even people who lead super healthy life styles get stuff.

[Biciclista]

Interesting gynecologist you have. She's right. and I think you're young enough to turn it around.

[SLash]

My last bone scan 2 years ago showed me having osteopenia with only 2 points separating me from osteoporosis. I am due to be retested next year and nervous that the results will show osteoporosis.

At my annual physical my doctor tested my Vit D and although technically it was in the normal range (it was 32 ng/ml) he said the ranges need to be adjusted and that he considered my score low.

He prescribed 50,000 i.u. of Vitamin D every week for 12 weeks. I hate taking it, weird side effects (extreme teeth sensitivity/pain plus headaches) although I like the loss of appetite effect. I just took my 7th pill today, I actually skipped last week because we were on a trip and I didn't want to feel bad. It is his hope/belief that getting my Vitamin D level up will help my absorption of calcium. I hope so too. He will retest my Vitamin D level at the end of the 12th week and if it is still low I get to do it again for 12 more weeks.

[Zen]

Personally, if my leg cramps are any indication, I sweat out more magnesium than calcium. I find it hard to believe that the electrolytes in your sweat depend on the sport you're doing, though. I think it's just that cyclists tend to spend a lot more time at their sport than other athletes, and thus sweat out more electrolytes total.

I don't think the calcium is lost in sweat. Sweat is the end product of cellular respiration, in which calcium is not a factor.
Calcium is a factor in muscle neurons firing. "At rest, neurons contain an overall internal negative charge, called the resting potential. This potential is maintain by the Na+/K+ pump which actively pumps out 3 Na+ for every 2 K+ in"

Discuss.

[OakLeaf]

I know nothing, but Google yields a number of studies on calcium loss in sweat, anything from 20 mg to 92 mg per hour...

[Zen]

My line of thinking (I hesitate to say reasoning) is that a lot of calcium is lost during cycling even if you're not sweating because of the constant firing of muscle neurons. Hence cramping in the legs and nowhere else.

I know I'm drifting here...like Mimi said,most sports drinks don't have calcium yet cyclists always get leg cramps.

Well. That helped me think something through anyway

[OakLeaf]

Endurolytes. I have a friend who swears by them, to the extent that she brings a big baggie on all the century rides, and hands them out to her cramping friends. After she gave me three of them at the lunch stop on KCBC, my feet stopped cramping...

All Hammer products have some calcium, but then they have Endurolytes (capsules or powder) if you need the balance to swing more toward electrolytes than calories.