Strontium

Mollycoo - if you look at the top of the page on the green stripes you will see Search experience - type strontium in the box and then click on go. This will bring up 3 other threads where strontium was mentioned and a couple of people have commented about their experiences with strontium ranelate - including the difference in price which is why the GPs don't offer it routinely! It also has side-effects, by the way.

EileenH

Thanks for that EileenH-----will do. Molly.

Hi there, Mollycoo.

I took Strontium Ranelate for about 6 months (November 2009 till March this year.

It took some doggedness to cope with it to start with, the side effects were not nice, but they went completely after 3 weeks, so was glad I had stuck with it. Absolutely no problems with it after that and it was like a dream - I can't take any of the biphosphonates, they were all tried when I first started taking Pred 9 years ago. The calcium and vit D were not enough in my case and I was diagnosed with osteoporosis of the spine in July 2008 which was why an alternative had to be found.

However, there is a higher risk of blood clots with it and having had a DVT some 18 months ago, I was closely monitored. What they couldn't let me do was continue taking it while on very high Pred doses and it was just my luck to get a severe chest infection last January with a major struggle with the PMR to get the dose down once I was clear from the infection. I was on the relatively high dose of 20mg daily from the January until the April of last year, when I was admitted to hospital for a supervised reduction.

I'm now taking Calcitriol which for me has been totally free from side effects and is the best they can do under the circumstances. You might like to look at that one - everything is worth a look!

Nefret

Hi Nefret,

thank you for your reply, and I'm sorry to hear of your several problems. The higher risk of blood clots could be a worry with Strontium, but everything seems to have a side effect of some kind doesn't it? It's a question of which way to jump. My GP is pushing the Alendronic acid, although my rheumatologist says with my high calcium diet I shouldn't need it. I'm just looking around for an alternative as I don't like the sound of some of the horrendous side effects of AA, on the other hand I obviously do not want osteoporosis to set in.

Thanks again,

Best wishes,

Molly.

Another alternative to alendronic acid is some form of HRT which is what I take. I understand that most people would be reluctant to take this because of the supposed increased risk of breast cancer. I was already taking Elleste Duet long before I got PMR (which was about a year ago) and for the last 5 years I have only been taking a half dose (with the agreement of my doctor and my rheumatologist - they know I am aware of all the risks). The benefit of this showed up in a normal bone density when I had a scan after about 8 weeks on 15mg of Prednisolone and the doctors at the bone density clinic said I should either continue with the HRT or take alendronic acid but not both - so the HRT was my choice.

After a year with PMT I am now on 6mg/day of Prednisolone and sometimes I get a little stiffness in the hips but nothing worse. My rheumatologist has advised a very slow reduction programme - taking another year before finally trying to come off it. From what I have read on this fantastic forum, it seems that most people would agree that this is probably the best way. I am 71 by the way.

Best wishes to all of you - I have gleaned so much useful information from this site and as for Granny Moss's poems - they just keep me so entertained!

Purple cat

Thanks for that Purplecat, and I agree about this wonderful forum, I have to say I've learned more from coming on here than from any of the medics!!

Cheers,

Molly.