Re: osteoporosis meds


"osteoporosis advisor" <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1123044164.203961.282010@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> There's been some confusion lately concerning several popular
> osteoporosis medications. Who should they be prescribed to? Women with
> mild bone loss, or only those with serious cases of osteoporosis?
>
> And can these medications actually cause fractures if used for too long
> a period of time?
>
> This disease, osteoporosis, is a big problem. Thirty million women
> suffer from the disease that results from loss of bone density, and can
> result in a serious, even life-threatening bone fracture.
>
> But should osteoporosis medications be reserved only for those with the
> worst forms of the disease, or should those with just the beginning
> signs of it, start on drugs like Fosamax?
>
> Miriam Feldman, who says, "I'm getting shorter and shorter that's
> the facts of life. I can't do anything about it."
>
> And Louis Feldman, her husband, says, "I used to be 5'4 and now I
> am down to five feet."
>
> They have similar refrains because they both share not only the same
> name, but also the same disease: osteoporosis.
>
> The good news is, there are effective medicines that not only preserve
> the bone density, but in fact increase it--the so called
> bisphosphanates.
>
> These are Fosamax and Actonel, taken weekly, and Boniva, the newest one
> of the bunch, taken monthly.
>
> But when should someone be placed on one of these drugs? When he or
> she gets full blown osteoporosis, as defined by a significant degree of
> bone loss on a bone density test, or when he or she has a lesser
> degree--a condition called osteopenia--the precursor to osteoporosis.
>
> There's concern that if used for too long a period of time, medicines
> like Fosamax can actually block the normal resorption of bone, and put
> the bone at risk for fractures.
> But many experts disagree with this line of thinking.
>
> "The earlier you can start the better it is." Dr. Mone Zaidi, the
> director of the bone program at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, says yes,
> these drugs should be started at the first sign of
> osteoporosis-osteopenia. "I don't believe that there is
> absolutely any evidence to suggest that these drugs can cause a great
> incidence of fractures. People on drugs do fracture as people on blood
> pressure lowing medications do have strokes."
>
> In other words, don't blame the drugs for fractures, likely due to
> the disease they're treating. Still, others argue the drugs should
> be reserved only for those with frank osteoporosis, when benefits are
> highest, and the risk of causing a fracture because of too long a
> period of use is minimized.
>
> Dr. Zaidi disagrees, and says the drugs should not be withheld.
> "There is a 50% risk reduction in fractures in most patients across
> clinical studies and in post- fracture trials," he says.
>
> Because of the hint that a suppression of the normal so-called bone
> remodeling, some experts are saying take a one year holiday after
> several years of use. Others are saying, don't start until there is
> very significant bone loss.
>
> Louis praises the medication he's been on. "I have not broken any
> bones. Fosamax is something that really is a wonder drug."

I wish medical science had more answers. Louis is a man who lost 4 inches,
but praises the drugs. I wonder how long he has had osteoporosis, how long
he has been on the drugs, and how does he know that they are working. I
also wonder why he has osteoporosis.

Is there a relationship between a man and a woman's osteoporosis? If a drug
is good for one sex, would it be good for another? A woman typically gets
osteoporosis because of the loss of estrogen, even though she may have had
life long bad habits that would have led up to the condition. A man may get
osteoporosis because of asthma medication, steroids (hospital or athletic),
growth hormones, or other reasons. (Women have these also, but we have
estrogen issues that a man does not have.)

I am so interested in the weight bearing exercises, and in taking calcium,
Vit. D, and magnesium. I fear that the pharmaceudical (sp) companies may
have started the ball rolling, and that everyone is jumping on, and
prescribing Fosamax when it is not necessary. I do fear that in some way it
may be hurting my bones more than helping. I took Hormone Replacement
Therapy to prevent strokes and heart attacks, and found out it may be
causing them. Now Fosamax! What is it really doing? Someone here was
talking about severe osteoporosis, but used the example of pouring cement.
If you pour cement in a driveway or sidewalk, but do not have the supports,
then the structure will crumble. What if Fosamax is just pouring in a
substance to build bone density, but is not being supported, and is holding
bad tissue and keeping it from being replaced?

Sometimes I feel like I am playing Russian roulette with this drug. I'll
keep on taking it, but I don't like it and feel very suspicious.

I like this newsgroup because of the support of doing "stressful" (healthy)
exercises to build bone density.

Sammy
>


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