9 Why Am I Not Taking Drugs for Osteoporosis? What Am I Doing Instead?

 I have osteoporosis, as my mother did. Each of us had a hysterectomy in our mid-thirties which we believe contributed to the condition due to a loss of estrogen and progesterone.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease causing the bones to weaken and become susceptible to breakage.  As the disease progresses, a fracture may occur not only due to a fall, but from a sneeze or a bump.

I watched my mother go through the pain of breaking bone after bone in her lumbar spine (with compression fractures), starting in her 60s. At the age of 94, she finally broke her hip and passed away within a week of the break. For several decades, my mother dutifully took the recommended drugs for osteoporosis. She took Fosamax for many years. After developing esophageal hernia, she switched to Prolia injections.

By my late 30s, I was experiencing significant bone loss.  But, after seeing my mother’s pain and suffering from spinal fractures and problems with her esophagus (which I associated with her meds), I declined my own doctor’s advice to begin taking bisphosphates. I was committed to finding natural alternatives. I then began taking calcium, magnesium, and vitamin d, each of which will be discussed in separate blog posts.

I have now added 180 mg of vitamin k2 in the form of MK7 to my supplement regimen. A number of studies are showing a correlation between vitamin K2 (in the form of Mk7) and positive impacts on bone strength, as well as improvements in other areas of health (as noted in a separate blog post).  

Along with the supplements, I have since added a number of bone strengthening strategies, including absorption of natural vitamin D from sun exposure, nearly hour-long daily walks, “earthing” in wet sand, and slow-cadence weight training.  A DEXA scan, after 18 months on this regimen, showed some modest improvement.  Each of these strategies is covered in a separate blog post.

Here is an article that explains osteoporosis and treatment options.  

https://www.nwhn.org/prolia-safe-treatment-option-osteoporosis/