I read all the messages on Fosomax. Not sure of the spelling, but I am sure you know what I am referring to. I, too, have Osteoporosis. The doctor that diagnosed the condition, knew nothing about controlling the bone loss or (sometime) pain. At first I was taking Arthritis Strength Tylenol. Then went into the Internet to find out more about this malady. Well it seems as if the night shade foods are definately a no-no. Im, also, am taking Calcium and Centrum Silver. It seems that we can't reverse the damage, but can prevent future damage. Hopefully. I don't see the doctor again until the end of October. If there is any change in either direction, I will be happy to let you know. Hope you will accept an ole lady (76). Will get back to you and see if I have an answer. Techi
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The older you get, the better you get. Unless you are a banana
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The older you get, the better you get. Unless you are a banana
First of all, if your doctor knows nothing about improving your condition, or even stopping it for that matter as you have suggested, maybe your first step ought to be finding a specialist who can help, perhaps an endocrinologist. You can build bone with medications, vitamin/mineral supplements, exercise and a good diet. You mentioned you are 76. Had your doctor ever suggested a bone density scan earlier in life, say at menopause? Did he ever counsel you on this disease and ways to prevent it? It's unfortunate you are just now finding these results out. My GYN doctor never did with me; it took me pulling it out of her and convincing her that I probably needed a bone density scan. I'm glad I did. I'm 41 with osteopenia and now can work on improving my condition before menopause hits. Good luck with your condition. Keep us posted.
From one "ole lady" to the other...I am 72. I think you might get some pain relief from the Tylonol, but maybe you should ask your doctor about taking something that is good for inflamation, such as aspirin or ibuprophen.
Also, I take 400 mg. of vitamin D and 600 mg. calcium every morning with breakfast and every evening after dinner. Vitamin D is as important as the calcium I understand. I also take Fosamax and it has improved the readings on the bone scans.
Exercise is most important, it should be weight bearing exercise such as walking. I have a lot of hip pain so I can only walk for short periods, but I try to get a total of at least 20 minutes per day.
Thank you both for your reply to my questions. I agree with everything that you both mentioned. I have been taking my Calcium and Vit D, plus Centrum Silver for some time now. Also, I went into the internet to locate information on what to,and not to, eat. I was really happy to find that diet is important. Especially the nightshade foods. Such as...Potato, Tomato and Green pepper. Also, to take it easy on dairy. No more than 2 glasses of skim a week. Easy on oils. Like Canola, and Olive. Also, try not to over do on beef. Chicken is allowed a couple of days a week. Makes it a little tough as I am used to having tomato slices on just about everything I eat. But it is worth the sacrifice to be doing something constructive. Now we shall wait and see. I see the doctor again at the end of October. Will keep you all informed on my progress. Not trying to bore you, just happy to find something I feel is working. My butt is still sore to sit on, but my lower back is not giving me as much trouble as previously. Now if the weather would just cool down a little, my world would be perfect. All my best, Ruthie J
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The older you get, the better you get. Unless you are a banana
I remember reading one book from the library that described the osteoporosis program you are talking about -- no foods from the nightshade family, little to no milk, etc. That is the only place I read it in extensive research that I did about osteoporosis. I think that person's program may be a bit "out there", certainly not in the mainstream of osteoporosis treatment and prevention, and I worry that it may not be scientifically proven or even effective and may cause you to focus on stuff that isn't really helping you. My advice to you is to do a whole lot more reading on the subject in order to get a consensus of what is helpful for osteoporosis. The real essentials are getting 1500 mg of calcium per day (from diet or absorbable supplements), an adequate supply of vitamin D orally and from the sun, some of the lesser minerals like magnesium, boron, etc., regular strength training (i.e. lifting weights and weight bearing exercise). Some books advise natural progesterone cream, though that is not totally mainstream. You can get a lot of important vitamins and minerals from eating a LOT of vegetables. Personally, I think avoiding tomatoes, potatoes and peppers because they are from the nightshade family is focusing on the wrong thing; they contain a lot of vitamins, and I think that unless you ate them to the exclusion of other foods, that they are beneficial, not harmful. Be careful, because there are all kinds of opinions and advice out there, not all of it good. I found the following books especially helpful: Strong Women, Strong Bones by Miriam Nelson and The Wisdom of Menopause by Christiane Northrup (the chapter on osteoporosis).
Osteoporosis 
All my best, Ruthie J
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