People need to be informed about their medications

It is called 3Y CTX and if CTX is less than 150 it is safe to extract a tooth. This applies to actonel and fosamax. The reason you go to an oral surgeon is he/she knows about the risk and they remove it in a certain way. My guy described as going from the side in..

The risk is after three years of taking biphosphonates.

Yes Chris, ignorance is not bliss nor is it being responsible!

Mary, do not be surprised if she does not know. This information came from an oral surgeon who has tried to save many jaws! My GP is the kind who receives new information and acts on it.

If your GP doubts it she can look it up.

The GPs cannot know it all as there is too much to know. My GP is wonderful but she was glad to know this and passed it on.

Aristotle, whether you are on OP med or not, please do everything you can to take the right suppplements and eat the right food and get the right exercise to help your bones rebuild.  I can't give you any advice because iI know some of the "natural" things are probably contraindicated when on certain meds, but I'm sure there is quite a lot you could safely do, with advice from your medical people.

 

Hi Anhaga, thanks for the comments, I agree about doing the correct thing while remaining consistent with the restrictions imposed by the medication.  Luckily the AA doesn't have a lot of restrictions which is just as well since I have a whole host of intolerances which mean that I can't have dairy, eggs, gluten and quite a variety of other foods.  However this has been ongoing for around ten years and I have a diet regime which covers most necessary items.  I didn't know about the K2 vitamin but have already researched and ordered a continuous supply.  Calcium and vitamin D (5,000 IU daily) have been standard for me for some time.  As regards my medical professional, I get the feeling that his budget is more important than the health of his patients and it is better to do my own research and question using any and all other resources - this site for instance, .whilst keeping in touch with the professional and requesting prescription medicine as required.

I have been exercising regularly for some years and have now modified my program so that I do not do anything that could cause damage my bones in any shape or form.  It does seem that this will probably be a lifelong project which, with all the available technical, medical and social support, should be achievable.  If you or any other kind souls have any advice, suggestions or comments, I welcome them and will consider them all, carefully.

You are very wise, Aristotle. K2 should help you. Are you also taking magnesium?

From what I've read, the Vitamin K2 should help with getting the calcium where it belongs - into your bones.  Please let us know how you get on.  I know it is a slow process!

I am taking a magnesium tablet at night - wife began taking them some time ago and at the time thought it would be a good idea for me to take them as well.  It seems she was right again.

One thing that I did pick up on that doesn't seem to be widely publicised is that aspirin, even the little ones, interferes with calcium absorption and also the AA action.  I've been taking calcium and a mini aspirin for years on my physicians advice and yet when asked, he wasn't aware of the interaction.  It seems that there should be at least three hours between the taking of aspirin and the taking of calciun or AA.  So on AA day I now take the AA around 0730 and then the calcium at lunchtime, the aspirin at evening mealtime and a further calcium before bedtime. 

I got the information about the interactions from a website which checks on these things for you if you input the data.  They contact me every three months or so to see if anything has changed.

Only the first one is osteoporosis and the others are osteopenia.

My worst one is -4.3 at the base of the spine and up higher is -3.4. The hips are under -2.5 so osteopenia only.

My main concern with taking the AA was swallowing and getting it caught.

I just don't trust the drug but if my osteoporosis gets any worse I will have to reconsider.

My GP said if my X-rays had turned up bone issues like frail looking bones then I would have to reconsider but no comment was made about my bones from the X-rays.

I will recheck maybe later this year.

 

Read recently that in order for bone thinning to turn up on standard x-ray you have to have lost about 30% of your bone mass.  That is why the bone density scans are preferable.

That is why my GP was surprised because my bone density scans were so bad especially at the lower part. If the X-ray had highlighted such a loss then  I would have to rethink my reluctance to take the Meds.

Also, I have little bones so she was pleased with the X-ray.

Lots you can do to get those bones stronger!  Good luck. 

 

Thanks, you too. We do what we can for sure.

I have spent a lot of time today trying to find out how the t scores correlate to a percentage and can find it nowhere? Anyone help?

I can't find that either, but I don't know why that would be useful information?  I'm sending you a link by private message, which has a lovely clear description of how DXA scans work,complete with good illustrations.  

Yes thank you for that. What I have deduced is the fact that my bones are tiny is hugely relevant. Also, putting calcium into the bones is beyond vital. AND t scores are not the holy grail we have been led to believe.

Taking these drugs could in fact have the opposite effect from that information because if they make relatively healthy bones more brittle they will cause the fractures we are trying to avoid. I will not assume now that my bones are so likely to break after all. I will take care not to fall first and foremost.

I think that article you sent kind of explains the link between percentage and those scores. We should not be compared to a young person as well.

Compare yourself to your mother as suggested. My mother died at 71 which is my age now and she did not break any bones later in life.

I think we are too fearful. I was always tripping over things and fell quite a few times in recent years and I never broke anything.

Go by whether you have had any breaks and if you have not then relax a little but take precautions not to fall.

Hi Kathleen.  Having rather a dearth of long-lived ancestors in my life....  I can compare myself to my aunt, I suppose.  She appears to have kept very healthy into old age although she did break a wrist as a young woman.  I completely agree that we must not look on ourselves as fragile.  I now try to visualize my bones as strong and flexible, like a tree.