|
Welcome to the YorkieTalk.com Forums Community - the community for Yorkshire Terriers. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. You will be able to chat with over 35,000 YorkieTalk members, read over 2,000,000 posted discussions, and view more than 15,000 Yorkie photos in the YorkieTalk Photo Gallery after you register. We would love to have you as a member! Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please click here to contact us. |
|
| LinkBack | Thread Tools |
02-06-2010, 09:29 PM | #1 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,268
| Osteoporosis I may be older than most on here but thought I would see if someone can help me. Does anyone on here have osteoporosis? Anyone taking Boniva? If so, have you had any side effects? If so what? Thanks for your help.
__________________ Jan, Mommy to Abby |
Welcome Guest! | |
02-07-2010, 02:24 AM | #2 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Staten Island NY
Posts: 350
| Hi I'm 57 and diagnosed with osteoporosis. I'm very anti medicine and really didn't want to take anything but was advised that I really need to. First I was prescribed once weekly Actonel. I had terrible side effects. First awful muscle pains and a pain in my chest. Then after about a month. I had vision problems-extreme sensitivity to the sunlight. I stopped taking the Actonel and went to a specialist. He told me since I had the bad reaction, I couldn't take any of the biophosphates (actonel, boniva, fosamax-all similar). He prescribed Evista. This is the second tier of drugs they use for osteoporosis if there are problems with the biophosphates. He said potential side effects were leg cramps, hot flashes and blood clots. He wasn't too concerned about the latter since I am very active. I have been on the Evista for 6 months. I do notice that I have night sweats but no hot flashes during the day and no leg cramps. I am very concerned about long term effects and do they really work and is it really necessary. I do feel that we are being over-prescribed but a nurse friend of mine convinced me to try the Evista. Her mom has osteoporosis so bad that she is completely stooped over and is in constant pain. I also make sure that I do weight bearing exercise, eat right and take my Calcium and Vitamin D. (I lift weights and do yoga). My doctor advises that yoga is excellent since it is both good for strength and for balance. I hope that the Boniva works for you. |
02-07-2010, 03:03 PM | #3 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Knoxville,Tennessee
Posts: 3,073
| I have it and I am 46. In fact because of it, I am still getting over a broken bone in my back after having seizures caused by clarinex. I was told to take boniva but my insurance would not pay for very much for it so I could not afford it. I am taking calcium and vitamin D tablets and hoping for the best.
__________________ PAWPRINTS AND DOG HAIR ENHANCE MY PERSONAL STYLE. |
02-07-2010, 03:36 PM | #4 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: west long branch, n.j.
Posts: 4,457
| A few years back, my lab work and bone scan showed osteopenia and my OB DR put me on Evista and calcium. I had no problems at all with it but started reading and looking at nutritional data. One of the things I found in reading was exercise (if allow by your condition and Dr) was essential. Granted I was also a little overweight and a devout couch potato. I joined a gym, joined Weight Watchers, and lost some weight. In my last Dr's appointment she reviewed my lab work and bone scan and took me off Evista but said to continue taking calcium daily. At first I had problems with the calcium causing constipation but found that switching from calcium carbonate to calcium citrate with magnesium worked but before making any changes discuss this with your dr. Good luck!
__________________ Joan, Bubba and Sissy-BEWARE OF PUPPY MILLS breathe in, breathe out, move on -jb |
02-07-2010, 05:32 PM | #5 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Central Texas
Posts: 2,624
| My mom has taken Fossamax for osteoporosis, for several years with no side effects. She is 87 years old and her mom (my grandma) had 2 broken hips due to osteoporosis. My mom has taken a few pretty nasty falls in the past 10 years with NO broken bones, so YES! it does work. In fact, she just fell 2 weeks ago on the concrete (stepped off the curb and fell right down to the concrete road) and didn't break anything. So, if you need medication for osteoporosis - find one that works and take it - along with exercise and calcium and most people need extra vitamin D - most of us have low vitamin D - if you doc hasn't tested your vitamin D levels, ask that they be done. I have had to take 4000 IU of D3 for the past 2 years to keep my levels up. I take Evista because my doc says I don't need the big guns yet (fossamax, etc). I have an occasional night sweat, but that is all. Broken bones, espeically a broken hip, as we age is a recipe for disaster. Only 50% of people recover from a broken hip and it is a MAJOR reason for nursing home placement due to lack of mobility following a hip fracture. OK, off my soap box - but really, these meds are good!
__________________ Rex & Rowdy's Mom |
02-07-2010, 08:23 PM | #6 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Tucson, Arizona
Posts: 1,840
| I have not had a bone scan, but now that I am 51, osteoporosis is something that I need to be thinking about. I am going to ask my Dr. on my next visit about a scan. I do lift weights, so I hope that has helped me. But you never know. Some women do everything right, and they still get osteoporosis. Some women, like my mother, should have it (she is super thin, does not exercise regularly, never drinks milk, and doesn't take any supplements) and yet she does not have it. Go figure. |
02-07-2010, 09:01 PM | #7 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,268
| Thanks for the responses. The reason for my thread was to see if anyone had the same experience with Boniva that I had or if I was on the wrong track. I do have oteoporosis. I too am a nurse and not really crazy about taking meds. I was put on Boniva last fall. Last November I had some muscle soreness that I attributed to raking leaves for a couple of hours and didn't give it another thought. In January I had such terrible pain, which felt muscular in nature, in my back and sternal area. It was so tender to touch. I don't think I have ever had such bad pain. It lasted about 2 1/2 days and that was that. Once again I gave it no thought after it subsided. Well................a day after I took my dose this month, I started getting the same pain. It was so bad I was in tears. (I do have a high pain tolerance). I could hardly move without being in pain. Taking a deep breath was so painful. I took that dose on the 1st and it is just now subsiding. I can take a deep breath without any problem now. I plan on calling my doctor in the morning and ask her to take me off of this stuff. I take Caltrate + D twice a day. I had to stop weight training a few years back when I had to have surgery on both of my elbows. I take the stairs at work. My days are long at work. I usually don't get home until almost 7p and in no mood to exercise (which isn't my favorite thing anyway). I wish I could find something natural to take that would help. Sorry this post is so long
__________________ Jan, Mommy to Abby |
02-07-2010, 09:28 PM | #8 |
Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: MD
Posts: 10,908
| I was on Fosamax for a couple of years for osteopenia. my bone density results came back and was able to stop taking it. I have a friend who is 32 who was diagnosed with osteoporosis in her 20s and actually was diagnosised in menopause. She is now pregnant (surrise!) and her bone dr is highly recommended she have a c-section. She has is is suffering fractures in her feet. At any rate, she is now having issues with very low vitamin d levels due to pregnancy. She having to really watch her levels.
__________________ www.kissecollar.com Soft Cone Collars for Post-surgery and much more! 10% (non-food) - Discount code YT10 |
02-08-2010, 04:44 AM | #9 | |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Staten Island NY
Posts: 350
| Quote:
| |
Bookmarks |
|
|
| |
|
|
SHOP NOW: Amazon :: eBay :: Buy.com :: Newegg :: PetStore :: Petco :: PetSmart