Reclast?

[Crankin]

I just found out my osteopeinia has progressed to to full blown osteoporosis. I've been tracking this for ten years. I can't take Fosomax , or any of the other drugs in that class; huge upper GI issues when I tried. I have been on and off Evista for about 5 years, but every time I have to stop it because I get estrogen-like side effects, which scare the crap out of me. So, I'm at my last resort. I even began running to try and get some impact exercise and weights, too. For some reason, my body does not absorb calcium/vitamin D maybe? I have been taking supplements for 25 years, but I guess my family history and other risk factors (slim, white, mother and grandmother had it) have doomed me, despite 20 years of high impact exercise before I started riding.
I am going to meet with my gyn. next week to set a plan, but has anyone here tried Reclast? I seem to remember someone talking about it. I am allergic to all kinds of things and from what I can see, this might not have any side effects for me.
I guess I better not get in any crashes.

[Zen]

I guess I better not get in any crashes.

That's what my gyno tells me, too.

I have no experience with it.
I'm supposed to be taking Boniva but haven't started yet because of 3 dental implants in progress

[Biciclista]

how much Vit D are you taking? what are your Vit D levels? (there's a test your doctor can do)

work on balance, less falling that way.

[Crankin]

I haven't had the vit. D test, but will ask for it.
I really haven't been in a serious crash in a few years. I had altercation with the road in July (not my fault,though), but it was slow speed and the only result is a scar on my knee. I am already a super cautious (i.e.wimpy) descender, so I'll just keep that up. Yea, my balance isn't great, but I manage to stay upright.

[tulip]

Crankin, I know you are strong and athletic, and this is not aimed at you. I wish you the very best in figuring this out.

But for those of you who need another reason to work on your core (besides being more comfy on a bike and looking great when you go to Rio in February), it's so important for balance. So many people--men and women--have falls largely because they don't have the core strength and balance to hold themselves up.

Pilates, yoga, tai-chi, hiking, rock-climbing, gym rat--pick one or many and get going!

[Crankin]

Well, I might be athletic, but ever since I stopped teaching aerobics, I feel my core has been weak. My class was known for killer abs! Yoga seems to work for me, though. Yea, people who have flat stomachs should remember that it doesn't mean they have a strong core.

[nolemom]

I haven't used Reclast but my mother-in-law just got her second yearly injection. She is very frail (83 lbs) and about to turn 87. Normally she has a bad reaction to almost all medicine. She could not tolerate any of the oral medications. She tolerates the Reclast without any side effects. The doctor does bloodwork before the infusion and administers the medication through an IV about a week later. It seems to work well for her.

[Biciclista]

my mother got that spent a fortune and got no improvement at all (reclast)

[lph]

so Crankin, or anyone else, how did you find out that you had osteopenia? What started you tracking it?

I'm interested after reading here and other places about the need to keep up high-impact exercise, especially since I know I walk and hike much much less now than 10 years ago, and bike much more. I also don't drink milk, but do take a calcium supplement daily. Is this something I should be checking out regularly as I get older?

[ny biker]

Would that be something you would learn from a DXA scan?

[Dianyla]

how much Vit D are you taking? what are your Vit D levels? (there's a test your doctor can do)

Yep, get your D-hydroxy levels tested. Also, consider that the most absorbable form of vitamin D is the animal form (D3 - cholecalciferol) from cod liver and other sources. Plant-based vitamin D (D2 - ergocalciferol) is not as well utilized by the body. I take these D Drops by Carlson's, which come from cod-liver. (I also take cod liver oil for the EFA benefits, but a serving of that usually has less than 1,000IU of D per dose.)

Also keep in mind that the current RDA for vitamin D is quite low and on the verge of being revised. The amounts you can get from normal dietary sources (even enriched with D) are generally not enough to correct a state of deficiency.

Many healthcare providers and nutritionists advocate against taking too much vitamin D (and the other fat soluble vitamins like A & E) because it is fat soluble. The upper tolerated limit of D is suspected to be 10,000IU per day. If you are exposed to bright sunlight in summer, your body does not manufacture more than this amount.

My own physician recommends 4,000-6,000IU in winter time, bumping that up to 8,000-10,000IU if I'm fighting off a cold/flu. In summertime I still take about 2,000IU daily because I work indoors and tend to avoid excessive sun exposure.

[Dianyla]

how much Vit D are you taking? what are your Vit D levels? (there's a test your doctor can do)

Yep, get your D-hydroxy levels tested. Also, consider that the most absorbable form of vitamin D is the animal form (D3 - cholecalciferol) from cod liver and other sources. Plant-based vitamin D (D2 - ergocalciferol) is not as well utilized by the body. I take these D Drops by Carlson's, which come from cod-liver. (I also take cod liver oil for the EFA benefits, but a serving of that usually has less than 1,000IU of D per dose.)

Keep in mind that the current RDA for vitamin D is quite low and on the verge of being drastically revised within the next year. The amounts you can get from normal dietary sources (even enriched with D) are generally not enough to avoid or correct a state of deficiency. Most people living above the 40th parallel (NorCal to NY, approximately) are deficient unless they get significant sun exposure all summer long.

Many healthcare providers and nutritionists advocate against taking too much vitamin D (and the other fat soluble vitamins like A & E) because it is fat soluble. The upper tolerated limit of D is suspected to be 10,000IU per day. If you are exposed to bright sunlight in summer, your body does not manufacture more than this amount.

My physician recommends 4,000-6,000IU in winter time, bumping that up to 8,000-10,000IU if I'm fighting off a cold/flu. In summertime I still take about 2,000IU daily because I work indoors and tend to avoid excessive sun exposure.

[Biciclista]

yes, they do a bone scan and based on density in different places you get diagnosed.

3 years ago i had one, and had osteopenia in my back and my hip. last month i had a second one and my back has improved but my hip got worse. I think the back improved because of upper body weight bearing exercises. I am taking more Vit D3 now (but less than Dianyla) so hopefully that will help.

[Crankin]

I started getting the DXA scans at about age 45 because I knew my mom and grandmother had osteoporosis. I have never been a milk drinker. A little as a kid, but my parents didn't push it and it was never served at dinner. I started taking calcium/vitD supplements about 25 years ago, before I got pregnant with my second child. I did lots of high impact aerobics for about ten years, then some semi-impact step classes for about 5 years after that. I've been weight lifting on and off, all along. What scares me is that my bones have been getting worse, despite these interventions and taking Evista for awhile.
Well, I am not going to stop cycling, will up the weights and get back on tack with my running.
I tried the Fosomax in 1998, a little bit before I started cycling. If I hadn't had the horrible reaction, it might have stopped the decline. I don't have to pay for the Reclast; my insurance pays for everything.
I just wonder if some of this is related to the same phenomena that was discovered in male cyclists (a high level of osteoporosis in elite male cyclists) because of my sweat rate and the fact that I already have a genetic predisposition. I do sweat like crazy when I ride. Something is leeching the calcium out of my body!

[Biciclista]

Crankin, two things; one start taking the D3 two, start taking calcium after the rides. Ever notice there's no calcium in sports drinks?
I've even talked to the NUUN company about this. they said only cyclists lose calcium , not the other kinds of athletes that use their product, so they're not going to add calcium. So after any ride that i sweat during, I take extra calcium. that plus taking a lot more D3 than "normal daily requirements". I'll let you know in 2 years (sigh) if it's helping.
ps, i've read some stuff about Fosomax and i'm not really sure the kind of bone it builds is going to make us any better off.