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Medication for Life?
Medication for Life?
I have been taking Fosamax and then Boniva for my OP, thought to have been
caused by prednisone therapy. The meds improved my score to the extent that
I was found to be OP free, so one of my docs suggested that I stop taking
any med. Some time later I was back into the OP range, so started up again
with the Boniva. My last scan showed me free of any OP, however I'm still on
once a month Boniva. (All my scans were done in the same facility,
supposedly using the same machine.) My concern is whether or not I must be
taking Boniva permanently. When I asked my doc this question he sort of
shrugged his shoulders, suggesting there was no good answer. What are the
thoughts about this question by the group? (I'm a 72 yr.old male and don't
want to take any meds if they are unnecessary; why waste time and money and
risk side effects? However the off again/on again scenario doesn't appear to
be the best way to go.)
I have been taking Fosamax and then Boniva for my OP, thought to have been
caused by prednisone therapy. The meds improved my score to the extent that
I was found to be OP free, so one of my docs suggested that I stop taking
any med. Some time later I was back into the OP range, so started up again
with the Boniva. My last scan showed me free of any OP, however I'm still on
once a month Boniva. (All my scans were done in the same facility,
supposedly using the same machine.) My concern is whether or not I must be
taking Boniva permanently. When I asked my doc this question he sort of
shrugged his shoulders, suggesting there was no good answer. What are the
thoughts about this question by the group? (I'm a 72 yr.old male and don't
want to take any meds if they are unnecessary; why waste time and money and
risk side effects? However the off again/on again scenario doesn't appear to
be the best way to go.)
Re: Medication for Life?
"Norman M. Schwartz" <nmsz@optonline . net > wrote in message news:4761dd3c$0$5932$607ed4bc@cv . net ...
>I have been taking Fosamax and then Boniva for my OP, thought to have been caused by prednisone
>therapy. The meds improved my score to the extent that I was found to be OP free, so one of my docs
>suggested that I stop taking any med. Some time later I was back into the OP range, so started up
>again with the Boniva. My last scan showed me free of any OP, however I'm still on once a month
>Boniva. (All my scans were done in the same facility, supposedly using the same machine.) My
>concern is whether or not I must be taking Boniva permanently. When I asked my doc this question he
>sort of shrugged his shoulders, suggesting there was no good answer. What are the thoughts about
>this question by the group? (I'm a 72 yr.old male and don't want to take any meds if they are
>unnecessary; why waste time and money and risk side effects? However the off again/on again
>scenario doesn't appear to be the best way to go.)
A few questions:
1) How far from OP were you? Close to normal? Osteopeniac?
2) How long did it take to get from non-OP to OP?
3) What were you doing in addition to taking medications (which vitamins
and minerals? What kind, if any, of exercise?)
4) Do you have the DEXA results? If so, what are they?
If you were just above Osteoparetic, and either weren't getting enough vitamins
and/or minerals (which probably means not supplementing) or weren't exercising,
then a decrease in bone density should be expected.
In addition, a 2 -3% variation is normal (more at some labs), so it is possible that
one or more of the results was off due to normal variation (which is why I asked
what the readings were).
Art
"Norman M. Schwartz" <nmsz@optonline . net > wrote in message news:4761dd3c$0$5932$607ed4bc@cv . net ...
>I have been taking Fosamax and then Boniva for my OP, thought to have been caused by prednisone
>therapy. The meds improved my score to the extent that I was found to be OP free, so one of my docs
>suggested that I stop taking any med. Some time later I was back into the OP range, so started up
>again with the Boniva. My last scan showed me free of any OP, however I'm still on once a month
>Boniva. (All my scans were done in the same facility, supposedly using the same machine.) My
>concern is whether or not I must be taking Boniva permanently. When I asked my doc this question he
>sort of shrugged his shoulders, suggesting there was no good answer. What are the thoughts about
>this question by the group? (I'm a 72 yr.old male and don't want to take any meds if they are
>unnecessary; why waste time and money and risk side effects? However the off again/on again
>scenario doesn't appear to be the best way to go.)
A few questions:
1) How far from OP were you? Close to normal? Osteopeniac?
2) How long did it take to get from non-OP to OP?
3) What were you doing in addition to taking medications (which vitamins
and minerals? What kind, if any, of exercise?)
4) Do you have the DEXA results? If so, what are they?
If you were just above Osteoparetic, and either weren't getting enough vitamins
and/or minerals (which probably means not supplementing) or weren't exercising,
then a decrease in bone density should be expected.
In addition, a 2 -3% variation is normal (more at some labs), so it is possible that
one or more of the results was off due to normal variation (which is why I asked
what the readings were).
Art
Re: Medication for Life?
"Art S" <TheDabbler01@att . net > wrote in message
news:nIn8j.44861$MJ6.18754@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att . net ...
>
> "Norman M. Schwartz" <nmsz@optonline . net > wrote in message
> news:4761dd3c$0$5932$607ed4bc@cv . net ...
>>I have been taking Fosamax and then Boniva for my OP, thought to have been
>>caused by prednisone therapy. The meds improved my score to the extent
>>that I was found to be OP free, so one of my docs suggested that I stop
>>taking any med. Some time later I was back into the OP range, so started
>>up again with the Boniva. My last scan showed me free of any OP, however
>>I'm still on once a month Boniva. (All my scans were done in the same
>>facility, supposedly using the same machine.) My concern is whether or not
>>I must be taking Boniva permanently. When I asked my doc this question he
>>sort of shrugged his shoulders, suggesting there was no good answer. What
>>are the thoughts about this question by the group? (I'm a 72 yr.old male
>>and don't want to take any meds if they are unnecessary; why waste time
>>and money and risk side effects? However the off again/on again scenario
>>doesn't appear to be the best way to go.)
>
> A few questions:
> 1) How far from OP were you? Close to normal? Osteopeniac?
> 2) How long did it take to get from non-OP to OP?
Perhaps about 1 year.
> 3) What were you doing in addition to taking medications (which vitamins
> and minerals? What kind, if any, of exercise?)
> 4) Do you have the DEXA results? If so, what are they?
>
> If you were just above Osteoparetic, and either weren't getting enough
> vitamins
> and/or minerals (which probably means not supplementing) or weren't
> exercising,
> then a decrease in bone density should be expected.
>
> In addition, a 2 -3% variation is normal (more at some labs), so it is
> possible that
> one or more of the results was off due to normal variation (which is why I
> asked
> what the readings were).
>
Art, thanks for your reply.
I knew what the readings were but didn't keep a record of them (even if I
had, with piles of medical records, it would be difficult if not impossible
for me to find them. My doc simply called saying "good news, you don't have
OP".) I take "absorbable Ca with vit D", Centrum Silver, eat lots of dairy
products and maintain a healthy and balanced diet. I suffer from peripheral
neuropathy, first diagnosed about 7 years ago and although I'm still mobile,
exercise is no longer a possibility for me. To minimize the sensory aspects
of the neuropathy I'm on high doses of tramadol and Neurontin, however the
motor consequences now minimizes strenuous physical activity.
Regards,
Norman
nmsz@optonline . net
> Art
>
"Art S" <TheDabbler01@att . net > wrote in message
news:nIn8j.44861$MJ6.18754@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att . net ...
>
> "Norman M. Schwartz" <nmsz@optonline . net > wrote in message
> news:4761dd3c$0$5932$607ed4bc@cv . net ...
>>I have been taking Fosamax and then Boniva for my OP, thought to have been
>>caused by prednisone therapy. The meds improved my score to the extent
>>that I was found to be OP free, so one of my docs suggested that I stop
>>taking any med. Some time later I was back into the OP range, so started
>>up again with the Boniva. My last scan showed me free of any OP, however
>>I'm still on once a month Boniva. (All my scans were done in the same
>>facility, supposedly using the same machine.) My concern is whether or not
>>I must be taking Boniva permanently. When I asked my doc this question he
>>sort of shrugged his shoulders, suggesting there was no good answer. What
>>are the thoughts about this question by the group? (I'm a 72 yr.old male
>>and don't want to take any meds if they are unnecessary; why waste time
>>and money and risk side effects? However the off again/on again scenario
>>doesn't appear to be the best way to go.)
>
> A few questions:
> 1) How far from OP were you? Close to normal? Osteopeniac?
> 2) How long did it take to get from non-OP to OP?
Perhaps about 1 year.
> 3) What were you doing in addition to taking medications (which vitamins
> and minerals? What kind, if any, of exercise?)
> 4) Do you have the DEXA results? If so, what are they?
>
> If you were just above Osteoparetic, and either weren't getting enough
> vitamins
> and/or minerals (which probably means not supplementing) or weren't
> exercising,
> then a decrease in bone density should be expected.
>
> In addition, a 2 -3% variation is normal (more at some labs), so it is
> possible that
> one or more of the results was off due to normal variation (which is why I
> asked
> what the readings were).
>
Art, thanks for your reply.
I knew what the readings were but didn't keep a record of them (even if I
had, with piles of medical records, it would be difficult if not impossible
for me to find them. My doc simply called saying "good news, you don't have
OP".) I take "absorbable Ca with vit D", Centrum Silver, eat lots of dairy
products and maintain a healthy and balanced diet. I suffer from peripheral
neuropathy, first diagnosed about 7 years ago and although I'm still mobile,
exercise is no longer a possibility for me. To minimize the sensory aspects
of the neuropathy I'm on high doses of tramadol and Neurontin, however the
motor consequences now minimizes strenuous physical activity.
Regards,
Norman
nmsz@optonline . net
> Art
>
Re: Medication for Life?
"Norman M. Schwartz" <nmsz@optonline . net > wrote in message news:476295f7$0$31148$607ed4bc@cv . net ...
>
> Art, thanks for your reply.
> I knew what the readings were but didn't keep a record of them (even if I
> had, with piles of medical records, it would be difficult if not impossible
> for me to find them. My doc simply called saying "good news, you don't have
> OP".) I take "absorbable Ca with vit D", Centrum Silver, eat lots of dairy
> products and maintain a healthy and balanced diet. I suffer from peripheral
> neuropathy, first diagnosed about 7 years ago and although I'm still mobile,
> exercise is no longer a possibility for me. To minimize the sensory aspects
> of the neuropathy I'm on high doses of tramadol and Neurontin, however the
> motor consequences now minimizes strenuous physical activity.
> Regards,
> Norman
> nmsz@optonline . net
>
Sorry to hear that.
Bone is lean mass. Lean mass is more "expensive" to maintain than fat, so the
body tries to keep as little as it can (both bone and muscle are constantly torn
down and rebuilt. The amount of rebuilding depends, in part, on whether the
bone or muscle is stressed enough to signal the body that more is needed). If
you don't give your body a reason to keep bone, it will, eventually, get rid of it.
You might want to explore vibration therapy as an alternative to exercising. It
is still experimental, so research it carefully and see if your doctor has any
information. Other members have posted about it here in the past, so you may
want to try * groups.google . com /advanced_search?q=&
Art
"Norman M. Schwartz" <nmsz@optonline . net > wrote in message news:476295f7$0$31148$607ed4bc@cv . net ...
>
> Art, thanks for your reply.
> I knew what the readings were but didn't keep a record of them (even if I
> had, with piles of medical records, it would be difficult if not impossible
> for me to find them. My doc simply called saying "good news, you don't have
> OP".) I take "absorbable Ca with vit D", Centrum Silver, eat lots of dairy
> products and maintain a healthy and balanced diet. I suffer from peripheral
> neuropathy, first diagnosed about 7 years ago and although I'm still mobile,
> exercise is no longer a possibility for me. To minimize the sensory aspects
> of the neuropathy I'm on high doses of tramadol and Neurontin, however the
> motor consequences now minimizes strenuous physical activity.
> Regards,
> Norman
> nmsz@optonline . net
>
Sorry to hear that.
Bone is lean mass. Lean mass is more "expensive" to maintain than fat, so the
body tries to keep as little as it can (both bone and muscle are constantly torn
down and rebuilt. The amount of rebuilding depends, in part, on whether the
bone or muscle is stressed enough to signal the body that more is needed). If
you don't give your body a reason to keep bone, it will, eventually, get rid of it.
You might want to explore vibration therapy as an alternative to exercising. It
is still experimental, so research it carefully and see if your doctor has any
information. Other members have posted about it here in the past, so you may
want to try * groups.google . com /advanced_search?q=&
Art
