I have just been diagnosed with Osteoporosis

[BlueKota]

It's in my left hip, and I have osteopena in my right hip. The person who interpreted the results wrote that my odds of suffering a left hip fracture is 16 percent in the next ten years, which I didn't think was too bad.

My primary care doctor, who usually tells me most of my medical issues are minor except for my severe depression and anxiety, didn't say that this time. He said he doesn't like this since I am only 63. He is starting me on generic Fosamax now. He says it takes a long time to strengthen the bones again, so it's best to be better safe than sorry.

I had no idea, I had it. My hips always hurt after riding in the car, or oddly when I'd walk through the freezer aisle in the grocery store and, stopped close to freezers to make my selection, but I just dismissed it as arthritis from an old injury.

It was actually only when my retiring podiatrist, insisted on taking an exray of my left foot when I told him I was suddenly having arch pain, that was alerted there might be an issue. He found a stress fracture which he said could mean my bones were weakening. When I alerted the nurse practitioner that the health insurance company sends to check on my ongoing conditions every 3 months, she said you need your primary care doc to order a dex-scan. Guess its good that she recommended that, because otherwise I wouldn't have known. I just get nervous taking new meds, after one of my former doctors, screwed up, and told me to take Niacin to lower my cholesterol more, not realizing that since it also lowers blood pressure, it wasn't smart to give it to me since I was already on blood pressure medication. I had to be rushed to the ER, after I passed out, and the EMT said I had stopped breathing, and no pulse. He got me back but I coded 4 times after that in the hospital that night. I did speak to a very nice pharmacist who assured me that not only do the pharmacist double check but they also now have a computer program that identifies and alerts them to potential dangerous interactions. So that made me feel a bit better. She said I don't blame you, for being scared after that, so I am glad you ask now.

[MLAA]

1. I exercise for my osteoporosis. Lots of walking and I do resistance training with bands and light weights.

Best of luck to you! 🩷
Edited to add: This is addition to the weekly osteoporosis pill I take called Alendronate.

[BlueKota]

2. Thank you!

[SheltieLover]

4. Seniorplanet.org has free virtual exercise classes everyday

I take Ultra Bone Up, by Jarrow, which many folks claim greatly imoroves dex scan results.

[BlueKota]

8. Thank you.

I will look into the virtual classes.

[SheltieLover]

10. Yw!

[biophile]

3. Be aware of possible side effects

Bone density meds can -and do - cause jaw pain, stomach issues and if used for more than 5 years can actually increase your risk of a distal femur fracture. Increased exercise in the form of walking or light impact activity and diet modification can be very helpful in increasing bone strength. There are two aspects to bone strength- one is calcium, the building blocks. The other is collagen and connective tissue, which holds the building blocks together. The fosamax type of meds can increase the calcium but without the connective tissue, you have the equivalent of a brick wall without mortar. It easier to knock such a wall down. But light impact or resistance exercise, if done safely with your medical needs accounted for, improves both parts of bone strength. Cutting back on alcohol (I know!) and certain foods that leach calcium from bones will help slow the rate of loss. Some meds, like proton pump inhibitors for gastric reflux can cause osteoporosis but many people who take PPI won’t live without them, so just accept the risk of weaker bones.
Good luck and keep moving! It’s the best thing!

[SheltieLover]

5. Yikes! Ty! I take Ultra Bone Up supplement

Which many folks say improves dex scans.

[Ilsa]

6. Thank you for that information. I've also been

diagnosed with osteopenia. I'm supposed to meet up with my doctor to discuss options, but I haven't been able to set an appointment.

[BlueKota]

9. Thank you for letting me know this.

I have a nurse practitioner that comes to my house every three months through a preventive care program my insurance company provides for people with on going conditions. I plan on talking with her about these concerns particularly since I already have a lot of stomach issues.

[Mystery To Me]

7. Agree about Bone Up by Jarrow

Last edited Wed Jul 23, 2025, 03:27 PM - Edit history (1)

It has a very bio-available form of calcium and lots of other minerals and vitamins that show a lot of promise for osteoporosis.

Get active, stay active. If it is painful to exercise physical therapy could help with that.

My wife was diagnosed with advanced osteoporosis a couple of years ago. She had 3 fractured vertebrae and could barely walk a half a block. Physical therapy and hormones helped bring her back from the precipice. We are taking a mostly natural/nutritional approach to strengthening her bones. We did try Forteo (teriparatide) for a short time which was supposed to be a shot every day for about two years. The first month she took it faithfully. It made her feel crummy and lethargic which undermined her resolve to get exercise. The 2nd month she took it a few days on and a few days off and sure enough it was the culprit. We figured it wasn't worth giving up exercise and she stopped.

HRT (hormone replacement therapy) used to be the go to treatment for osteoporosis but the pendulum swung pretty far away from that in mainstream medicine. Now for some doctors that pendulum is swinging back and gaining acceptance as a treatment worth considering even for seniors. That might be worth looking into but it can be tricky finding a doctor that will cooperate with you on that.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5423263/

My wife is also taking collagen every day. Something worth looking into.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5793325/
and the follow up study
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8441532/

We are for now avoiding the osteoporosis drugs, but depending on how my wife's next dexascan comes out we will consider alendronate (Fosomax) but only for a short time. It isn't well tolerated by quite a few people, but a reduced dosage can reduce the problems without giving up too much of the benefits. We would get the lowest dose and if it causes problems take it half as often.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22968256/

I think before taking any prescription drug for osteoporosis, it is super important to understand the way that the body normally/naturally builds bone including the terms osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Then try to understand how any drug you are considering taking can contribute to (or possibly hinder) the natural bone building process.

By the way my wife is doing pretty well now. she is walking 8,000 to 11, 000 steps a day. Good luck to you finding your path.

[BlueKota]

11. Thank you for these links.

I definitely want to do more research on the topic. I am sorry to hear about all your wife went through, and glad the Bone Up and exercise have helped improve her condition.